Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

While We're Young Ideas

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 26

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Take your Super Bowl Sunday and toss it in a Crock Pot of chili. Let it simmer. Take your World Cup final and toss it in a vat of the best guacamole you’ve ever had in your life. Take Sunday at The Masters and go dine at the Augusta House of Pancakes. The Kentucky Derby is a great day but it stands alone. I’ll take the AFC/NFC Championship Sunday over all of those great sporting events every day of the year.

Get the Smorgasbord of All-Time ready. Sunday (January 26, 2025) is our day!

Yes, there are a bunch of great days in sports, but the doubleheader on tap today is certainly one, if not, “the” best days on the annual calendar of sports specialties. This year, it’s the upstart Washington (DC) Commanders against the venerable Philadelphia Eagles at The Linc in the first game (3pm ET) on FOX while the nightcap of the Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead (6:30pm ET) on CBS, might prove to be the best game of the year.

In the NFL season, the conference championships are the best because of the fact it’s a twin bill. The Super Bowl is great, don’t get me wrong, but Championship Sunday brings memories on top of memories. Maybe another great day for NFL football, opening week Sunday can compare, especially for us Fantasy Football geeks who are wondering how our teams will fare, inevitably benching two great wide receivers while starting a pair of duds.

While it’s been touched on here before, humor this WWYI columnist as some of the other great days in sports are listed in the paragraphs to come. It can be an endless list, to be sure.

Let’s put aside Game 7s, as they take on a life of their own during the World Series, NBA Finals or the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final. A Game 7 overtime to decide the Stanley Cup Champion is the most intense experience in sports, no doubt. But we’re here to focus on some of the most amazing days sports has to offer.

Looking back, the U.S. Open tennis tournament had an all-time day when the men’s semifinals sandwiched the women’s final on a Saturday to remember, especially when John McEnroe played Jimmy Connors in the nightcap. The USTA, so rightfully, changed the schedule to give the women’s final a night of its own.

Here in Boston, we have some pretty good twin bills. Patriots’ Day, with the Boston Marathon blending with an 11:00am first pitch at Fenway Park, is one of the best day of the year and certainly the most inspiring as you witness the everyday runners competing on the same course as the champions. And take an afternoon NBA or NHL Playoff game and pair it with an April or May or June night game at Fenway, and you’re looking at a day in paradise.

But there’s plenty of other sporting events to contemplate. Here are just a few:

  • NCAA Opening Round Thursday and Friday
  • NCAA Final Four Saturday
  • BIG EAST Thursday and Friday
  • The ACC Basketball Semis
  • Breeders’ Cup Championship (seven World Series games on one afternoon)
  • The Beanpot (BC, BU, Northeastern & Harvard playing ice hockey)
  • NCAA Lacrosse Final Four Semis
  • The Frozen Four Semis
  • Olympic Gold Medal and Bronze Medal games in Men’s Basketball
  • The new CFP (College Football Playoffs) – First Round Tripleheader
  • Thanksgiving Day NFL Football (Detroit and Dallas hosting)

The only thing Better in sports or entertainment?

How about the Allman Brothers Band at Red Rocks (near Denver, Colorado) playing Jessica, Les Brers In A Minor, Dreams and In Memory of Elizabeth Reed at the same show?

Oh, we’re talking rock shows?

Don’t get me started.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Picks for NFC/AFC Championship today? Tough calls, as the Commanders keep winning and the Bills and QB Josh Allen are due. After all, you’re either hot or you’re due.

The Philadelphia Eagles (-6) is the play in the National Football Conference with the fact that Saquon Barkley and the vaunted Eagles’ fans at The Linc will help bring it home.

The American Football Conference championship is a much tougher call, especially since two of my dearest friends in the whole wide world support the teams that will play and – undoubtedly – beat each others brains to bits.

The Chiefs are healthy but the Bills are a bit banged up, especially in the secondary.

While I think the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen are due, I just can’t recommend anyone betting against KC QB Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. That said, if you’re thinking of playing KC, I’d go with the money line, and if you’re thinking of playing the Bills, take the measly (+2) and picture an overtime when KC scores and kicks an extra point, only to leave the Bills a chance to score and go for two points to win it.

It’s only 18 days until Red Sox Pitchers & Catchers report.

  • Truck Day: Monday, Feb. 3
  • Pitchers and catchers report Wednesday, Feb. 12
  • Full Squad Workout: Wednesday, Feb. 17

It’s only 49 days until NCAA Selection Sunday.

Minnesota Wild team owner Craig Leipold broke the news during a podcast interview when asked about the current state of the NHL. Although the esteemed NHL Commissioner Gary B. Bettman has made no formal announcement of his future plans, Leipold indicated the NHL governors are beginning to make plans for a hockey league without Bettman at the top. Bettman, 72, has been the NHL’s commissioner since February 1993. His tenure has been the longest in league history, surpassing Clarence Campbell, who was the NHL President for 31 years from 1946–1977. “The fact that Gary is going to be retiring, you know, that’s a concerning factor,” Leipoid said on “The Sick Podcast” with Pierre McGuire and Jimmy Murphy. “There’s a lot of us who know how well Gary has been as a commissioner in this league, and what he’s done for all the teams and the players. It’s going to be a sad day when he’s not part of it. … But you know, that’s a couple years down the road and we’re doing the planning now. We have to make sure we get it right when he leaves. Right now, that’s kind of the only thing that’s on the horizon.”

Who’s Got Next? That’s the toughest question on the ice.

The logical answer would be to promote Bill Daly, the current NHL deputy commissioner and chief legal officer, but the NHL is known to act in strange ways and an outsider might be the choice of the Canadian power brokers of the NHL (Toronto and Montreal).

NHL aficionados might suggest a famous former player to take on the job, but a multi-millionaire legend, usually yucking-it-up at celebrity golf outings or being paid nicely to adorn the set of an NHL broadcast, is not likely to seek a job where they work 12 to 15 hour days dealing with the vast problems and financial difficulties, or league/player collective bargaining negotiations, difficult decisions on Olympic participation or enforcing player safety rules with fines and suspensions.

TIDBITS: One thing the NBA didn’t anticipate for the first of two NBA Paris Games? How about a 30-point blow-out, with the San Antonio Spurs crushing the Indiana Pacers, 140-110. A line score for San Antonio’s incredible Wemby? 30, 11, 6 and 5 blocks, including a 2:25 span to end the third quarter with four points, three rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists. The crowd of 15,935 at the Chia Pet of arenas certainly went home happy this past Thursday. … The Pacers returned the favor and blew out the Spurs on Saturday, 136-98.

The NCAA – with the exception of member schools like UNLV and Nevada Reno – was dead set against the ‘evils’ of Las Vegas until Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Conference Championship tournaments filled the coffers of schools and televison partners. In 2027, it’ll be even bigger, as the College Football Playoffs will culminate at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas to crown the national champion.

“Las Vegas has shown the world they have amazing venues and boundless energy to host an event like the College Football Playoff national championship in spectacular fashion,” said Rich Clark, executive director of the College Football Playoff. “I can’t think of a better stage to crown the best team in college football in 2027. I want to thank Steve Hill and the entire Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for the hard work and dedication they put in to making this day a reality for their city.”

Hill reeled in another huge event for sin city. “Pairing the energy of Las Vegas with the College Football Playoff National Championship will make for a truly extraordinary event, both on and off the field,” said Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We appreciate the opportunity the CFP has provided us to welcome college football’s great athletes and biggest fans for an unmatched national championship experience in the city built for celebration.”

Las Vegas will become the third city in the Pacific time zone to host the CFP title game, joining the Bay Area (2019) and Los Angeles (2023). Here is the whole list:

Looking Ahead:

  • 2027 Las Vegas
  • 2026 South Florida

Looking Back:

  • 2025 Atlanta
  • 2024 Houston
  • 2023 Los Angeles
  • 2022 Indianapolis
  • 2021 South Florida
  • 2020 New Orleans
  • 2019 Bay Area (California)
  • 2018 Atlanta
  • 2017 Tampa Bay
  • 2016 Arizona
  • 2015 North Texas

THIS JEST IN: Our friends at Sportico reported on Fanatics, noting: ‘“Fanatics Commerce, which includes its core apparel and merchandise sales, represented about $6.2 billion of sales, or 77% of total revenue. Fanatics Collectibles, the trading card unit, brought in about $1.6 billion. Revenue at Fanatics Betting & Gaming was about $300 million.” Add it up and you’ve got an $8.1b company.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: There’s a Long Islander who played a game of “Free Parking” at the local pro hockey rink that even hockey Hall of Famer Brad Park would’ve sniffed out in a two minute call for “charging.” It’s a crime that might land the crook a jail sentence and serious fine, never mind the loss of a good job at the UBS Arena – home of the New York Islanders. A parking attendant working the lots around Belmont Park pocketed nearly $5,000 since last spring, offering concert goers and Islanders’ fans a discounted parking rate at the arena lots by sending the fees directly to his personal Venmo account instead of being processed to the UBS coffers, according to Nassau County prosecutors. … Tremayne Brown, 26, of Queens, was charged with falsifying business records and grand larceny after authorities said they discovered Brown promised a discount to drivers attending events at the Elmont, Long Island (New York) venue. … Prosecutors say the alleged scheme unraveled after his supervisor overheard him tell a woman heading to the January 12 “Disney on Ice” performance to “pay using Venmo to save on fees.” … Easy surveillance and follow-up caught the digital thief red-handed as records showed Venmo deposits dating back to last spring, all coinciding with events and Islanders games at The UBS. … The parallel parking pilferer pleaded ‘not guilt’ at a preliminary hearing and was released with the case pending.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly (every weekend) collection of Sports Notes and News written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city newsstand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips in a column that always sold a few newspapers.

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

-TL-

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 19

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Way back in 2008, then-President Barack Obama – half-kidding – told a 60 Minutes TV audience, “I’m gonna throw my weight around a little bit. I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said, speaking about the collegiate football season. “I think any sensible person would say that if you’ve got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there’s no clear decisive winner that we should be creating a playoff system.”

By the time the 2015 College Football championship game rolled around, the Ohio State Buckeyes made a trip to The White House as national champions after defeating Oregon in the first full-scale playoff victory. “I will say, it was about time,” the president joked. “I cannot claim full credit. I will point out that I pushed for a playoff system in 2008.

“You’re welcome, America,” he added. “It was a great playoffs.”

The BCS had fiddled with the system, the rankings (AP, New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and others but never really got the job done. This year? It was a 12-team playoff with the first round on campuses spread across the nation. Then, on New Year’s eve and New Year’s day, the quarterfinal teams played off – super-charging the annual Fiesta Bowl (Arizona), Peach Bowl (Georgia), Rose Bowl (Pasadena) and Sugar Bowl (New Orleans).

The semifinals were even better games as Notre Dame defeated Penn State (27-24) at the Orange Bowl (Miami) and Ohio State beat Texas (28-14) in Arlington (Dallas area).

Tomorrow night, at 7:30pm (ET), it’ll be Notre Dame against Ohio State at the Mercedes-Benz Dome in Atlanta for the national championship to define all national championships.

But, it’s been a lot of football since the week before Labor Day and a long postseason.

“To lead the country in plays snapped wasn’t our goal,” said Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, the former Oregon head coach. “Our goal was to get to the national championship game.

“The fact that we have two running backs that can rotate all the time, We’ve rotated our receivers and, we have a bunch of receivers that can play. We have a bunch of tight ends that can play.

“A part of it was the length of the season has changed. Before, back when I was at Oregon, you were in the regular season and then you go to a bowl game. We had 37 days off between the final regular season game against Oregon State and then our bowl game against Auburn.

“That’s an entirely different thing. You play your last game in the regular season. Two weeks later you’re playing Tennessee. If you beat Tennessee you go to the Rose Bowl. If you win the Rose Bowl, you go to the Cotton Bowl. If you win the Cotton Bowl, you go to the national championship. The whole landscape of the schedule has really impacted what we did on both sides of the ball,” said Kelly in a Thursday media day session.

Kelly notes that OSU head coach Ryan Day talked to our entire staff about the marathon season Ohio State was planning for all the way back to the summer.

“That’s been on the forefront of our strength and conditioning program, our nutrition program, how our offense plays, how our defense plays, how our special teams play.

That was an overall program decision from the head coach down of how do you handle this length of a season, because it hadn’t been done before. It wasn’t, like, hey, let’s go call this guy because he did it. At this level it hadn’t been done.”

Day recognized the challenge of the season and the opportunity ahead: “I think in life — that’s why they call them “growing pains,” because in life you only grow when you go through difficult times,” said Day.

“I say all the time to our players, ‘the first time you got on a bike you didn’t just ride the bike, you fell down, and how quickly did you learn from falling down to get back on the bike to learn to ride a bike? Well, it’s like that in life.’

“You learn from going through difficult times like that. I think our team has done that, but now we have to go finish what we started. There are great stories on this team individually. There’s great stories on this team collectively. But I’ve said this before, the only way those stories get told is if we win, and we have an opportunity to become the ninth team in Ohio State history to win a national championship and the third team in over 50 years, and there’s been a lot of really good football teams in Ohio State history.

“We talked about that, looking up at the banners of those years, and to see just a couple of them over 50 years of great teams. We have an opportunity to separate ourselves, so that’s it. That’s the only thing right now that matters, and how do we do that? By being in the moment, preparing ourselves.”

On the Notre Dame side of the field (which is the opposite side than when ND defeated Georgia Tach back on October 19), there are no secrets to be shared from head coach Marcus Freeman.

“Yeah, I think more than anything, each team has a plan to do what they do well,” said Freeman on Saturday. “Again, we know we’ve got to be able to run the ball and we’ve got to be able to stop the run, or it’s going to be a long day.

“That’s the reality of when you talk about playing in this game, you have to do what you do well and do the things that have given your program a chance to be in this situation. That’s we’re going to do.

“You have to be able to make adjustments. If your plan going into the game isn’t having success, then you’re insane not to make adjustments to try to give your program a better chance to succeed. This game will be about, hey, who has the best plan going in, but how you make adjustments in terms of having success on offense and being able to stop them defensively.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: “For more than 50 years, George (Kalinsky) was synonymous with Madison Square Garden,” the MSG family of companies said in a statement announcing the death of The Garden’s official photographer. “There wasn’t a single important moment at The World’s Most Famous Arena that George didn’t capture. From Willis Reed‘s inspiring walk onto the court for Game 7 of 1970 NBA Finals to ‘The Fight of the Century’ between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, George and his lens were there.”

MSG Networks announcer Mike Breen told Newsday, “First off, he just was so kind, and whenever you ran into him, he made you feel that he was so happy to see you. There’s nobody that’s that happy to see me. But George was like that. He did really make you feel good.”

Other tributes came in after news of Kalinsky’s death spread throughout the Garden’s longtime dwellers. “The kindest guy,” said Walt “Clyde” Frazier during Friday night’s Knicks telecast on MSG Net. “He took my first ‘Clyde’ pictures. [It was] his ingenuity, folks. The Garden has been able to find a facsimile for Clyde, for Reed, for Ewing. No one has come close to replacing George Kalinsky.”

In 1979, Pope John Paul II visited the Garden, and Kalinsky spoke to him briefly backstage. Later, Kalinsky captured the Pope singling out 6-year-old Geralyn Smith in the crowd and lifting her up by her lower legs onto his “popemobile.”

Pope John Paul II at The Garden, quite possibly George Kalinsky’s greatest photo

The Pope liked the image so much he asked for a copy and put it on his desk at the Vatican.

Kalinsky was awarded numerous high honors during his career, including the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2021, the highest tribute for writers, broadcasters and photographers in the world of basketball.

Kalinsky is survived by his daughter Rachelle Kalinsky, his son Lee Kalinsky and grandchildren Emily Birnbaum, Jason Birnbaum, Josh Kalinsky and Jackie Clarke, his sister Marilyn Kalinsky and brother Howard Kalinsky, according to Newsday.

TIDBITS: The International Basketball Federation announced its 2025 Hall of Fame Class. The group is headlined by Spain’s Pau Gasol, South Carolina and USA Women’s national team head coach Dawn Staley and former Duke and USA Basketball senior national team coach Mike Krzyzewski. Staley was named as a player.

Pau Gasol was a “colossus on the floor for Spain,” said the FIBA statement, “inspiring unprecedented success with his towering performances and leadership. He achieved superstardom status at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2006 in Japan when he earned MVP honors alongside winning Spain’s first-ever major trophy.” A five-time Olympian, the center was Spain’s flag bearer at London 2012 and led his nation to three medals at the Olympic Games. These accomplishments also came alongside three titles at the FIBA EuroBasket, as well as two NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Said the statement of Staley: “Dawn Staley, a floor general for the USA during her playing days, lifted the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup titles in 1998, in Germany, and in 2002 in China. The point guard played at three Olympic Games and conquered the gold medal on each occasion. She stepped out in 1996, 2000, and in Athens in 2004, when she was the flagbearer for her country. Staley won a total of 10 gold medals as an athlete, before transitioning to the sidelines. As the head coach, Staley steered the USA to gold at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2018 and at the 2020 Olympic Games.”

Mike Krzyzewski masterminded USA’s effort to return to the summit following a blistering defeat in the Semi-Finals of the 2006 World Cup. He was at the helm of the star-laden Team USA that was nicknamed Redeem Team and conquered the Gold Medal at the 2008 Olympics and followed up by steering a Kevin Durant-led USA to World Cup glory in 2010, in Turkey. … ‘Coach K’, as he is affectionately known, led USA to one World Cup title and two more Olympic gold medals before stepping down as his nation’s head coach in 2016 to focus exclusively on his illustrious NCAA career, where he has no fewer than five championships.

Here is the full list of inductees that make up the 2025 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame:

Players

– Alphonse Bilé (Côte d’Ivoire)

– Andrew Bogut (Australia)

– Leonor Borrell (Cuba)

– Pau Gasol (Spain)

– El Khatib (Lebanon)

– Ticha Penicheiro (Portugal)

– Ratko Radovanovic (Serbia)

– Dawn Staley (USA)

Coach

– Mike Krzyzewski (USA)

The members of the Class of 2025 will be honored at an enshrinement ceremony on May 17 that will take place alongside the FIBA Mid-Term Congress in Bahrain. A total of eight players and one coach are being recognized for their stellar individual contributions to the sport.

On Friday, the University of South Carolina’s board of trustees approved a contract extension for women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley that will make her the highest-paid coach in women’s college basketball. … The extension keeps Staley in Columbia through the 2029-30 season with an annual base salary of $4 million per year. Previously, she was the third-highest-paid coach in the country — behind LSU’s Kim Mulkey and UConn’s Geno Auriemma — at $3.1 million per year in base. With a signing bonus and annual increases, the total contract is worth more than $25 million

THIS JEST IN: The January 5th WWYI prediction, among many for the calendar year 2025, was as follows:

  • Free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Check ✅ marks the spot.

On Friday night, news broke that the San Diego Padres, one of three MLB team finalists in the Sasaki-Derby, had folded the tent and offered their international free agent pool money to other prospects based in the Dominican Republic. Team 2, the Toronto Blue Jays, tried to sweeten their pot of signing bonus gold but to no avail. That left the door open for the Los Angeles Dodgers to sign Sasaki, pay the international player signing bonus, but then recoup the benefits, equivalent to securing a rookie and having him sign a minor league contract. The reigning MLB champion Dodgers secured the best 23-year old free agent starting pitcher for the duration.

SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE: Again, stealing a title from Sports Illustrated in its glory years, Bill McCartney, a football coach who in the 1980s took the University of Colorado from perennial losers to national champions, but who later left behind his $350,000 annual salary to refashion his locker-room message about prayer and sacrifice into a sprawling men’s evangelical movement, died on Friday in Boulder. He was 84 and the cause of death was complications of dementia, his family announced in a statement released by the university. … According to The New York Times, “As the founder of the Promise Keepers, a men-only Christian group based in Denver, Mr. McCartney reached his greatest influence in 1997, when an event he staged in Washington drew an estimated half-million men to the National Mall. … Historians described the movement as “one of the fastest-growing religious revivals in American history,” The New York Times reported afterward on its front page. The group then lost momentum — but regained it in recent years, when new leaders relaunched it as a vehicle for support of Donald J. Trump to express a newly assertive Christian masculinity, wrote the Times. … The Promise Keepers are not to be confused with the Oath Keepers who played a major role in the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol. More than 500 Oath Keepers either pleaded guilty or were convicted for their role in the riot at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. More than 1,000 cases stemmed from January 6, with sentences of 18 years for seditious conspiracy. The Promise Keepers have distanced themselves from those of the Oath Keepers, but with little to no comment.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: A gold medal awarded at the 1904 Olympics, the first Olympic Games hosted by the United States, was sold at auction for over half a million dollars, part of hundreds of lots of memorabilia from the Games gone by.

The 1904 St. Louis Olympics medal sold for $545,371. It bears the inscription “Olympiad, 1904” and shows a victorious athlete holding a wreath on the front. On the other side, Nike, the goddess of victory in ancient Greek mythology, is shown alongside Zeus, the pantheon’s king of gods, and the words for the 110-meter hurdles. The medal, awarded to American Fred Schule, included the original ribbon and leather case.

Similarly, an “extraordinarily rare gold winner’s medal from the St. Louis 1904 Olympics, issued by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to American gymnast George Eyser for placing first in the rope climbing competition,” was auctioned for a cool but more affordable $80,163.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly (every weekend) collection of Sports Notes and News written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city newsstand on Saturday night around 10pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a sports-filled compilation of interesting notes, quotes and quips in a column that always sold a few newspapers.

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

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 5

by

BOSTON – Let’s start the Year 2025 with some bold predictions for the sports world in the year to come.

  • Ohio State will win the College Football National Championship.
  • Free agent pitcher Roki Sasaki will sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • Canada will win the 4 Nations Face-Off.
  • The Detroit Lions will win the Super Bowl. Jared Goff will be MVP.
  • Kansas will win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship with Tennessee, Duke and Florida falling short in the 2025 Final Four.
  • Citizen Bull will win the Kentucky Derby but not the Triple Crown.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights will win the Stanley Cup, defeating the Washington Capitals.
  • The Oklahoma City Thunder will win the NBA title, defeating the Boston Celtics with OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning a double MVP for the regular season and NBA Finals.
  • Scottie Scheffler will repeat as the winner of the TOUR Championship, the FedEx Cup and the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year. He will not get arrested this season.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers will be World Series champions once again.

Admittedly, there are no wild and crazy predictions included in the bunch. Every team, player and horse has a legitimate chance if you were to poll the oddsmakers of Las Vegas.

It’ll be evident in the results of MLB that the rich will continue to get richer (Dodgers, Yankees, Mets), largely because the rules of baseball allow for it without much regard to league-wide parity.

For instance, the Dodgers agreed to a deal with star Korean infielder Hyeseong Kim, the team announced this weekend. The deal is for three years and a guaranteed $12.5 million with an option for 2028-29 that could increase the value of the deal to $22 million. … Kim batted .304 and logged a .364 on-base percentage over eight seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes. He also stole at least 20 bases in each of the past seven seasons, reaching as high as 46 in 2021. A left-handed hitter, Kim slashed .326/.383/.458 with 11 home runs and 30 steals for Kiwoom in ’24.

In the NBA and NHL, where teams play from the same proverbial deck of cards with various salary cap restrictions, repeating as champion is a difficult task.

closeup photo of lighted tealight candles on rackPhoto by Thomas Bormans on Unsplash

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Many of us fell asleep after midnight as December 31st turned to January 1st and the year 2025 began in the quiet peace of the night. In New Orleans, it wasn’t quiet nor peaceful in the French Quarter and by 3:15am, horror brought 2025 in with death and destruction. If you’ve been paying attention to the news, they (terrorists) ruined the celebratory atmosphere of fun and revelry in one of America’s great cities. In doing so, they put a damper over the Sugar Bowl (quarterfinal of the CFP) and the Bowl season, in general. More importantly, 15 souls were lost in a random, senseless attack which injured 36 others and left the entire city of New Orleans on edge, fearful of what might be next.

We’ve seen it before, right here in Boston, when two morons decided to place deadly homemade bombs in two backpacks and dropped the bags along the sidewalks of the finish line route of the Boston Marathon in 2013. The initial bombing caused the deaths of three and injured more than 260 others, not counting the emotional scars of friends and families of the victims and casualties. In addition, in the ensuing police action, a police officer was shot and killed.

The terrorism didn’t start in Boston, as there’s been countless strikes, including the 9/11 attacks, an open shooter at a Las Vegas outdoor concert, bombings at clubs in cities dotting the USA, Europe and throughout the world.

The unbelievable thing is the fact film producers turn the acts of terrorism into motion pictures and documentaries. Director and screenwriter Peter Berg, along with co-writers Matt Cook, and Joshua Zetumer, made a the film based on the book – “Boston Strong” – by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. Boston-based actor Mark Wahlberg became the face of the film, “Patriots’” Day, all with good intention but still glorifying the act.

In theaters now is director Tim Fehlbaum‘s Golden Globe-nominated film “September 5.” The film is set almost entirely in the ABC Sports control room and focuses on the real-time challenges faced by the broadcasters in covering the terrorist plot at the 1972 Munich Olympics. September 5 wasn’t the first to chronicle that horrendous attack, as “Munich” and “One Day in September” predate the current film.

ABC Sports anchor Jim McCay summed it up that bleak September day, stating: “Our worst fears have been realized tonight. They have now said that there were 11 hostages. Two were killed in their rooms, yesterday morning. Nine were killed at the airport, tonight. They’re all gone.”

Yes, the victims of the ‘72 Olympics are all gone, but the terrorists – and the motion pictures – keep coming back.

TIDBITS: The things I think about include the fact that 8 o’clock coffee is just as good at 6:30 or 7 o’clock. … When I ordered my coffee, the counterperson seemed quite confused when I asked for No Sugar but Half and 1/4 … Wind breakers don’t really break the wind, and, in fact, the wind breaks the jacket more often than not. … Aside from their size, there’s not much difference between softballs and hardballs in baseball. If you get hit with either one, they’re both pretty hard. … You’ve heard of Manute Bol’s son Bol Bol, right? Pretty good player. Maybe he should sponsor a bowl game and it could be the Bol Bol Bowl.

Random Notes: In case anyone hasn’t noticed, UConn has reeled off seven straight “Ws” since the shakedown start in Maui. … the Big Ten basketball matchup of the week was UCLA at Nebraska. … Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama thinks the object of the game of golf is to shoot 65 or better … BC’s Zay Flowers, now known as Lamar Jackson’s favorite Baltimore Ravens wide receivers left Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Browns with an injured right knee. He walked off the field under his own power but further examination(s) will be necessary. Some might criticize Ravens head coach John Harbaugh for playing his starters, but Baltimore needed the win to earn the AFC North title, a game ahead of Pittsburgh. … TGL Golf will tee-off Tuesday, January 7 at 9:00pm ET on ESPN. The inaugural match will pit the New York Golf Club taking on The Bay Golf Club. Three players from each team will go head-to-head in a 15-hole match featuring two different formats – nine holes of Triples and six holes of Singles.

The column is happy to note a new indoor record for “Open Rate,” the key indicator of growth and acceptance for this publication each weekend. The new high mark is 78%. By comparison, a good open rate ranges from 17-28% and 21.33% is the industry average. With subscription offerings, the rate gets higher, of course.

“Hello Old Friend” – Need a new Spotify classic rock playlist? How about 4 hours and 57 minutes of serious rock, all compiled in one place for WWYI readers – right HERE. Eric Clapton and Yvonne Elliman are a reason to tune in right away.

LEGENDS OF SPORT: Here’s one of Andrew D. Bernstein’s tremendous podcasts, recorded at the Basketball Hall of Fame.

KEY DATES IN 2025: Everyone needs to circle these dates on their sports calendar:

January 2025:

9 – Orange Bowl (CFP Semis)

10 – Cotton Bowl (CFP Semis)

11-12 – NFL Wild Card Weekend

18-19 – NFL Divisional Playoffs

20 – College Football Championship (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta)

NBA – King Holiday Full NBA Schedule

26 – AFC/NFC Championship Sunday

February 2025:

2 – NFL Pro Bowl (Orlando)

6 – NBA Trade Deadline

9 – Super Bowl (New Orleans)

12 – MLB Pitchers & Catchers Report to Spring Training

12-15 – 4 Nations Face-Off (NHL) (Montreal)

14-16 – NBA All-Star Weekend (San Fran)

17 – 4 Nations Face-Off – Semis (Boston)

20 – 4 Nations Face-Off – Championship (Boston)

March 2025

8 – Final Regular Season Games in College Basketball

12-15 – BIG EAST Championship (The Garden, NYC)

16 – NCAA Men’s Selection Sunday

18-19 – MLB Tokyo Series (Cubs v. Dodgers) – Tokyo, Japan

18-19 – NCAA Men’s First Four (Dayton)

20-23 – NCAA First and Second Rounds

27 – MLB Opening Day

27-30 – Sweet 16/Elite 8 – NCAA Basketball – (ATL, NJ, INDY, SF)

April 2025:

4 – Boston Red Sox home opener (vs St. Louis)

5-7 – NCAA Men’s Final Four (San Antonio)

21 – Patriots’ Day/Boston Marathon

DIGITAL SPORTS DESK’S ALL NFL FANTASY TEAM: Here are the best players in NFL Fantasy Football for the 2024-25 season:

  • QB – Josh Allen
  • QB – Lamar Jackson
  • QB – Joe Burrow
  • RB – Saquon Barkley
  • RB – Derrick Henry
  • WR – Ja’Marr Chase
  • WR – Justin Jefferson
  • WR – Amon-Ra St. Brown
  • TE – Brock Bowers
  • TE – George Kittle
  • PK – Chris Boswell
  • PK – Brandon Aubrey
  • DT – Broncos
  • DT – Vikings

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Year End

by

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things.” – Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There’s no clear reason, but quite often the great song, “My Favorite Things,” (by Rodgers and Hammerstein, 1959) is tagged as a Christmas song. No argument, here, but I look at “My Favorite Things” as a year ’round song of joy and optimism. The tune was made famous by Julie Andrews’ phenomenal performance in “The Sound of Music” and it was springtime in the Alps.

After years and years on the shelf, I picked up the tune once again when Derek Trucks played it on his Gibson SG in concert with The Derek Trucks Band at Boston’s House of Blues (see performance archived above, which was on the same tour).

With that in mind, this column marks the second consecutive year the TL Sunday Sports Notes/While We’re Young (Ideas) column will bring in the New Year with a hodgepodge of favorite things.

In the immortal words of Scottish poet Robert Burns, “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? In other words, “Time is ticking, Let’s Get to It.”

“These are a few of TL’s Favorite Things”

Perfectly former snowflakes falling gently to the earth on Christmas Eve … Eric Clapton picking on his guitar while singing “Change the World,” … Vivid memories of the New York Metropolitans and WOR-TV 9‘s postgame show, Kiner’s Korner … Perfectly chopped, dry kindling wood to start a holiday season blaze in our fireplace … The guitar playing by Chicago’s Terry Kath … Add the fact his daughter, Michelle Kath Sinclair, directed The Terry Kath Experience, a wonderful tribute documentary … Portland, Maine and Portland Oregon … Portsmouth, New Hampshire … Chatham, Massachusetts … Montauk, Long Island, New York … Orient Point, Long Island, New York … and, on the other end of the LIRR line, Madison Square Garden for the BIG EAST basketball tournament.

Mowing thick green grass of my imagination in our weed-eaten front and back lawn … the smell of that cut grass as the mower is turned off and its operator earned an ice cold glass of 50/50 Lemonade/Iced Tea – known as an Arnold Palmer for those in the business … central air conditioning … finding a great juke box in a dive bar in Anywhere, USA … playing the very first song of the night on that juke box. (Be sure to read: HERE).

A brand new 59Fifty baseball cap … Peter Frampton strumming the first chords of “All I Want to Be (Is By Your Side) … A Nathan’s Hot Dog … The sound of the Sunday papers hitting the front walk, delivered from a speeding Toyota Camry … The memories of delivering Sunday Newsday and heading to my brother Tim’s softball doubleheader at Dutch Lane fields … chasing down the Ice Cream Man … Printers Boxes, filled with sentimental knick-knacks … chipping in for par and putting for birdie on the 18th.

Christmas dinnerware by Spode and setting the table for a holiday meal … the corner wine bar in Rye, NY … the Corner Bistro in the West Village … the Four Tops … great black & white photography … the best of the best from the Associate Press Year in Pictures, always published at this time of year … Primetime PGA Tour golf in January … a weekly victory in Fantasy Golf … an “Inside the Ropes” pass to walk 18 with the final group on Sunday … the roar of the crowd from another hole … Grandfather clocks … “Old Days” by Chicago … the NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.

Perfectly cooked, semi-well done, crispy, homemade waffles with Vermont maple syrup on a winter weekend morning … Tropicana Orange Juice … Special Saturday and Sunday morning playlists, created/assembled on (commercial free) Spotify … Scallion pancakes from CK Shanghai in Wellesley … Thin New York style pizza at Patsy’s (West 74th Street, NYC) … Nick’s on Second Avenue … Big Nick’s (70 West 71st, NYC, closes at 4:30am).

A bicycle ride on newly paved, smooth city streets … the hidden pleasure of seeing the car that whizzed by doing 95 mph pulled over by a police cruiser a mile or so down the highway … George Harrison recordings … Fenway Park … the laughter of kids playing in the schoolyard … the sound of Charlie Watts hitting a single note on the cymbal in “Angie” … Rock Bands taking the stage … Trains running on time.

Baseball cards … a great horn section in a tight band … San Diego, California … an upgrade to First Class … drinking straws with the accordion bend … Monday Night Football … a well-written, informative Facebook post … Robert Plant’s voice … Hourglasses … Old globes, trimmed in wood with an old world layout and textured mountains …. the Day after adjusting clocks for “Spring ahead” Daylight Savings Time … turntables … our dog, (Mighty) Max, shaking his toys for his very own entertainment, tail wagging … my dog, Penny (Lane), sleeping soundly next to me with all the trust in the world and knowing its safe.

ELO at TD Garden (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

A stereo pulsing deep bass and striking high treble from a manual equalizer … The Electric Light Orchestra (Live, in concert) … Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Recorded to allow for takes the Moog Synthesizer) … Smokey Robinson and the Miracles … “Carry On” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young … Jeff Kazee on the keyboard … Rich Pagano on the drums, and Richie’s incredible voice doing John Lennon as best can be done in “I Am the Walrus” … Goose covering The Who’s “Eminence Front” … Blind Faith doing, “Can’t Find My Way Home” … Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) from Hamilton The Musical … the presence of Chris Jackson on stage, portraying the USA’s first President George Washington … the imaginative thought of picturing Jackson’s face as George Washington, rather than the guy on the dollar bill … great companies/ensembles on Broadway … the thrill and anticipation as the curtain goes up … the lump in your throat joyous appreciation as the actors take their bows.

Tailgating … the sight of the Street Cleaner and no random neighbor’s car parked in front of the house … a glass of cold water … not shaving … Lighthouses … freshly pressed pants … a newly laundered white shirt, lightly starched … the billowing of that clean shirt as you shake it and place it over the shoulder, cool to the touch … Aristophanes … Ridiculous.

Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket … Paris … sitting on the Champs Elysées and sipping a cup of jet fuel strength, European coffee on a vacation morning, not a care in the world … the look and smell of a brand new USA Passport … my iPhone … Sting’s impeccable voice … Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics singing so clearly and perfectly on a stage on the West Side piers of NYC that you could hear her in New Jersey … Standing in a doorway, Just Waiting on a Friend … Bell Bottom Blues.

Turning on the Christmas lights … a brand new Nokona baseball glove made and mailed from Nocona, Texas …. a Padron Anniversary ‘64 cigar … my dog’s gorgeous, fluffy, curly coat … Adirondack Chairs … Shea Stadium …. Thomas Hagen in The Godfather … the eery sounds of an Irish Tin Whistle … Fire fighters washing the Engine, Hook & Ladder trucks on the front drive of the fire house … the harmonica … the use of said harmonica in “Thunder Road” … A Stairway to Heaven or Kashmir and a Black Dog or a Misty Mountain Hop … Blue Sky and Dreams, Jessica and Melissa, all In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.

Bruce Hornsby on the piano … Will Lee on bass guitar … the marvels of modern medicine … the trust placed in medical doctors by the survivors of a heart transplant … the CVS Minute Clinic … Our Vet … the happiness of our dogs upon departing The Vet … the shiny side Reynolds Wrap … Crab Cakes … Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach … The Grill (201 E 49th St, New York City, NY 10017) … The 10022 zip code … our 02468 zip code … Robert Moon, the father of the zip code … Upon the announcement of their retirement, the comfortable realization that there’s not an R.E.O. Speedwagon album in the collection, nor was a quarter ever dropped in a juke box to play a song by the band, nor for Chris de Burgh … Sorry Chris … the Tovala oven … Sabrina Ionescu’s “J” … News reels from the ‘70s and ‘80s depicting the late, great coach Lou Carnesecca bouncing around at courtside … Caitlin and Ohtani … The annual IIHF World Junior Championship, always on at Christmas time … Live racing of the trotters and pacers from Monticello, NY on December 30, and 31st.

The sound and smell of freshly ground coffee, brewing in the morning … Christmas coasters … Heavy, bottom-weighted, slightly chilled cocktail glasses with a giant sphere ice cube as the base for two ounces of Oban … Any and all Derek Trucks solos (like the one paying tribute to the Grateful Dead at the Kennedy Center honors) … recordings of Gregg Allman and Jackson Browne performing “These Days” … Mondays with the Daily Show … Cometeer Coffee … “Sweet Dreams” and “Money Can’t Buy It” by the Eurythmics, the group made up by the previously mentioned Annie Lennox and the talented Dave Stewart … a September in Santa Cruz … walking the streets in London, Paris, Rome, Prague, Istanbul, Barcelona, Milan, Leverkusen, Monte Carlo, Athens, Madrid, and … Boston.

A game of hoops at the Stan Sheriff Center or the Lahaina Civic Center … the Fine Young Cannibals covering Suspicious Minds, second only to Elvis singing that wonderful hit … the Felt Forum and The Rotunda (forerunners to the Theatre and Expo Center) … Golden Gloves Boxing … Pat LaFontaine and J.J. … Cosmo The City Dog … Chloe … Penny (Lane) … and Mighty Max.

Seeing a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand … Huh? … I’d like to meet his tailor … the Army v. Navy game (in Philly) … a bic pen … Houses of the Holy … “Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face, And stars fill my dream, I’m a traveler of both time and space, To be where I have been,” stated by Matt Damon so perfectly in Ocean’s 12

“Take two and hit to right” … “Batter, Batter, Batter” … “He’s No Batter” … “Can of Corn” … “Ducks on a Pond” … “Swing and a Miss” … “Touch ‘em All” … “Keep Your Eye on the Ball” … “Pitchers & Catchers Report” (Feb. 12, 2025 or 44 more days).

No static at all with “The Royal Scam and Aja” … “Angular banjos” and “Deacon Blues” … “They call Alabama the Crimson Tide” … “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” … “Who’s Next” … “Hotel California” … “Dark Side of the Moon” … “Bat Out of Hell and Phil Rizzuto’s call.”

Casablanca … The Sting … The Last Waltz … Almost Famous … The Maltese Falcon … Spotlight … Goldfinger … The Purple Rose of Cairo … Cinema Paradiso … The Original Star Wars Trilogy (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi) … Rocky and Rocky II … Seabiscuit … Patton.

Hamilton the Musical … Stereophonic … Pippin … A Chorus Line.

Missing “Little Louie,” already, and Clark Gillies … Mike Bossy … Al Arbour … David Stern … and, this year, we lost Bill Walton … Al Attles … and “The Logo,” Jerry West” … Ed Kranepool, Buddy Harrelson and Jerry Grote of the Mets … hockey’s Johnny Gaudreau and his brother … OJ … Joe “Jellybean” Bryant … Earl Cureton and Robert Reid … Pete Rose and Fernando Valenzuela … Dejan Milojevic … the great Dikembe Mutombo and the greatest baseball player of our lives, Willie Mays.

Blue denim jeans … Terry cloth … L.L. Bean slippers … Flannel shirts … log cabins … a new furnace … and, that wraps it up … “The Song is Over.”

DIGITAL SPORTS DESK’s PLAYER of the YEAR: Is … Caitlin Clark of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. The TEAM of the YEAR: Is … USA Basketball’s gold medal senior men’s Olympic Team, featuring Steph Curry.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As promised last weekend, here’s your look-back at the Year in Sports 2024 – Part II. This is what WWYI wrote about during the second half of 2024:

Part Two (July to December, 2024)

July 2024

July 7th: Breakfast at Wimbledon; USA Basketball convenes for Olympics; James Wood

July 14th: Baseball’s Home Run Derby; American Association of Professional Baseball; Cape Cod Baseball

July 21st: Hoops without Borders; Deaths of Bill Walton, Jerry West and Pat Williams

July 27th: We declare OPEN the Games of the XXXIII Olympics; Paris Shines

August 2024

August 4th: Golf at Paris Olympics; Hoops du Jour; Andy Jasner RIP

August 11th: Steph Curry to the Rescue; France’s Victor Wembanyama Break-out Party

August 18th: LA’s Got Next; What USA Basketball will Look Like in 2028

August 25th: Champions League vs College Football Playoffs ‘24-25; Good-bye Linus Ullmark

September 2024

September 1st: Pro Golf in Greater Boston; the death of the NHL’s Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew

September 8th: The ‘24 Paralympics and Ali Truwit; US Open Tennis

September 15th: A Day in the History of 9/15; Ronnie Nunn NYC Hoop Hall

September 22nd: A Day for the Good Old Days in Chicago; the WNBA in 2024

September 29th: Motivation for the defending NBA Champion Celtics

October 2024

October 6th: RIP Dikembe; The Tedeschi Trucks Band – I Am the Moon

October 8th: KC Special

October 13th Adam Silver at Columbia U; Plug for “A Complete Unknown”

October 20th: Rock-Tober; UVa coach Tony Bennett Quits; Same ‘ole J-E-T-S

October 27th: Hornsby: The Old Playground; 2024 World Series; Chicken Partner

November 2024:

November 3rd: Breeders’ Cup; Mookie Betts and the Dodgers; Costas Retires

November 10th: Sports as a Distraction in Life; Kirk Herbstreit’s “Ben”

November 17th: NBA Cup ‘24; TGL Golf; Boston Common Golf

November 24th: Thanksgiving Appreciation; SNL Memories

December 2024

December 1st: How Many Pro Leagues Can We Support?

December 8th: Tribute to St. John’s Coach Lou Carnesecca

December 15th: Bill Belichick to Coach at North Carolina; ARMY vs. NAVY

December 24th: A Look Back at 2024; Part One

December 29th: Favorite Things ‘24; A Look Back at 2024; Part Two

GREAT NEW YEAR 2025 GIFT ⛳️ for a FRIEND OF PGA Tour GOLF: For readers who love to follow the PGA Tour or if you have friends/family members who live and die by the Tour, each and every week, this is a special offer just for you for the Holidays. … PGA Tour Brunch is offering a Holiday Special from today through January 10, 2025. … That also coincides with PGA Tour Brunch beginning its season-long coverage – starting with The Sentry – January 2-5, 2025. … PGA Tour Brunch publishes six days a week (Tuesday is off day) and includes a Wednesday Preview with odds listed. To get your discounted offer, visit HERE.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec 1st

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

NEW YORK – The naysayers are awaiting their failures. But, WWYI comes – not as a naysayer – but a realist … a teller of truths.

Entrepreneurial spirit, private equity, an abundance of time slots for programming on a growing number of global sports channels, and an endless amount of time and space for sports on digital-only, online sports sites, complete with your favorite mobile apps has created a monster for sports fans.

That monster is too many pro sports leagues.

How many is too many? Let us count the way.

But, first let’s pay a little tribute to a few upstart leagues that paved the vacant roads long ago. They come in all shapes and sizes for both men and women. Here are a few that deserve ultimate high fives:

  • Women’s Tennis – the WTA
  • Men’s Tennis Tour – the ATP
  • Women’s Golf – the LPGA
  • Minor League and affiliated baseball leagues (Cape Baseball)
  • The WNBA
  • The Premier Lacrosse League – Men’s lacrosse, aka the PLL
  • The NBA Summer League
  • Of course, the PGA Tour, NASCAR and F-1 are rock solid pro circuits
  • National Women’s Soccer League – the NWSL
  • Professional Women’s Hockey League – the PWHL
  • Pro Bull Riders – PBR (solid since ‘92 founding on The Nashville Network, Outdoor Sports Net = Versus but challenges ahead)

Spring (American-style) Football is in a category of its own. The UFL – with big time backers – seems to be finding a place on the sports landscape, after a few more failed attempts came up dry. The CFL (Canadian Football League) was founded in 1958 (66 years ago) and has stood the test of time. Former basketball execs turned CFL Commissioners Mark Cohon (2007-2014) and Jeffrey Orridge (2015-2017) each lent a hand in trying to build on the foundation but to no great lengths of change. The most recent Commissioner, Randy Ambrosie, announced his resignation on October 26, 2024, and it took effect following Toronto’s 41-24 victory over Lose-a-peg in the 111th Grey Cup. Ambrosie reportedly lost a vote of confidence among the league’s owners. They are currently seeking a new league commish to guide the grey lady.

Now we get into the nitty gritty and to prove open-mindedness, the top of this list will include a few fledgling professional sports leagues that have a chance – or at least have a chance in the mind of WWYI.

  • Women’s Flag Football (NFL backed)
  • Pro Volleyball – (Real volleyball, not the Beach version but four women’s leagues will need to be condensed to one and the under-leveraged men’s circuit has value
  • The Snow League – (WWYI is not making it up) – see: SNOW
  • Pro Fight League – (the UFC owns the space, but there’s room here for growth)
  • Pro Women’s Lacrosse – (PLL Backed)
  • Canada’s Summer Pro Basketball League
  • Major League Rugby
  • Major League Cricket
  • Athletes Unlimited (Offerings in Volleyball, Lacrosse and Softball)
  • American Cornhole League (niche city but success on the rise)
  • The Pro eSports Leagues (i.e. The NBA 2K League) – Can they make it?

Now, from the sublime to the sometimes ridiculous, and new leagues that have little chance of surviving for the long haul.

  • Pro Dodge Ball
  • Pro Kickball
  • Pro Pop-a-Shot
  • Pro Table Tennis
  • Pro Pickleball (a great grassroots play, but not sure it can be a media property)
  • USL – W League (while men’s version is doing well, is there room for more women’s pro soccer teams and a league in USA?)
  • Roller Derby – (sorry to you Bay Area Bombers fans)
  • Pro Ultimate Frisbee (fun, but a hobby – not a pro sport)
  • Pro Ax Throwing
  • World Chase Tag – (Pro “Tag, You’re It” – Who knew?)

Let’s not forget Arena Football. The sport had its heyday, but is now being repackaged and re-launched. Currently, the headline on the homepage for Arena Football states, “2025 Season Announcements Coming Soon,” and there’s only 32 days until 2025. There’s a caution flag on the field for Indoor American Football.

And, how about men’s professional golf? LIV Golf had a rough start, has been relegrated to off hours on the CW Network but recent sports biz rumors have former NBA, former 76ers/NJ Devils/Prudential Center, former Merlin Entertainment CEO Scott O’Neill being named as LIV golf’s new CEO (The Athletic, Sports Business Journal and New York Times have all reported it as a done deal).

LIV Golf at Boston’s International (Photo by T. Peter Lyons)

LIV Golf has a very non-North American friendly schedule for 2025, and its end game of a possible merge with the PGA Tour remains elusive, but good things might be ahead for a complement to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. The LIV and DP world Tour are very likely to merge by 2026. Other changes can be expected with O’Neill at the helm.

Starting January 7, we’ll have TGL Golf. Six TGL teams representing six different cities will go head-to-head in a season-long competition at SoFi Center, a first-of-its-kind venue built specifically for TGL on the campus of Palm Beach State College. Matches will air on ESPN and ESPN+ in the United States. The concept calls for a hybrid of simulated golf which switches to live play around the holes. TGL has solid backing and great time slots on ESPN/ESPN2.

The overall future of indoor, simulated golf is good (think batting ranges, or the experience of bowling with buddies). Former NBC Sports PR colleague Mike McCarley is in charge of the TGL brand, via the TMRW investment vehicle set forth by Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy in partnership with the PGA Tour.

BACK TO BASKETBALL: There are a few others Pro ventures to be listed, but for the sake of brevity, let’s draw the line and delve deeper into women’s pro basketball, especially “Unrivaled,” the new women’s 3×3 league.

First, please remember this commentary is coming from a Title IX era sportsman, who as a youngster, witnessed and supported the growth of women’s participation in sports at all levels. Aside from the traditional women’s sports, such as field hockey, softball, gymnastics, swimming, track and field, at Trinity, there were championship-level teams playing women’s basketball, lacrosse, tennis, soccer and golf.

But as the mid-1970s evolved to the mid-2020s, there’s certainly a glut of professional basketball leagues dotting the landscape – some competing against women’s college basketball.

As background, there are two women’s professional basketball ventures launching in 2025. Since 1997, when the WNBA established an everlasting women’s pro basketball league competing mostly in the summer months, there are two additional leagues – Athletes Unlimited (in traditional 5×5 style) and Unrivaled Basketball (3×3 competition).

There will be six teams of six players each in the 3×3 Unrivaled. The team names are the Laces Basketball Club, Lunar Owls Basketball Club, Mist Basketball Club, Phantom Basketball Club, Rose Basketball Club and Vinyl Basketball Club.

Unrivaled gives credit to co-founders Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier – both WNBA players – for the foundation of the league, along with Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell. They named former WTA tennis executive Micky Lawler as the league’s first commissioner.

Unrivaled was met with a blue chip list of investors including, former Warner Bros CEO Ann Sarnoff, and athletes like NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash who invested through the venture capital firm led by U.S women’s national soccer team captain Alex Morgan.

Unrivaled’s next step was luring former head of ESPN and DAZN John Skipper and former Turner Sports president David Levy. They joined forces with leadership and landed a TV deal with Levy’s former employer for games to be broadcast by TNT and Tru TV starting January 17, 2025.

Meanwhile, the established but still trying to establish an audience Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball is utilizing traditional 5×5 rules but competing directly against the NBA, men’s and women’s college basketball. In its fifth season of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, the entity is attempting to find its footing as a minor league offering in a crowded space. It will have a short run from February 5 to March 2, 2025, at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

There’s surely a chance the new basketball leagues will work out, but these leagues are splitting an audience with Women’s College Basketball which has made great strides in recent years, much to the credit of Caitlin Clark. But, please remember, there’s a long history of successful and entertaining women’s college basketball teams and players, dating back to clubs like the 1980 Old Dominion squad with Anne Donovan. Add: Great teams from Tennessee under the guidance of Pat Summitt, USC with Cheryl Miller, the 1974 Immaculata team with Maryanne Stanley, the great Carol Blazejowski and the Montclair State (NJ) team of the mid-1970s, a slew of great – let’s call them historic – teams from Delta State, Louisiana Tech, Notre Dame, Baylor, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas Tech, Rutgers, Maryland, Oregon, UCLA and Texas.

Now, toss in the decades of great (championship) teams from UConn – from Rebecca Lobo to Sue Bird to Diana Taurasi to Breanna Stewart and you’ve got Hall of Famer coach Geno Auriemma’s resume.

One of the WNBA’s tent pole establishing decisions was to go for the summer months rather than compete head-to-head with women’s college basketball.

So it’s a “Battle for Nielsen Ratings” – Pro Women’s 3×3 vs. College hoops?

All the leagues mentioned in all the sports claim “percent emergence.” They all promise they’re the “fastest growing sport,” a claim the sport of lacrosse has made since WWYI was While Yet to be Born Ideas.

At some point, it’s just too much. There’s a glut of emerging sports ventures and something has got to give. Overall, the make it or break it on sports franchises involves three simple factors. They are:

  • Market
  • Money
  • Media

You can weigh all the factors, the sports and make up your own mind on the future of emerging pro sports leagues.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The Top 10 of the FIBA Men’s World Basketball Rankings remains unchanged from its summertime posting. USA Basketball solidified its No. 1 place with the Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics Games. As a reminder, here are the national teams in order of their rank, along with some formidable challengers:

  1. USA
  2. Serbia
  3. Germany
  4. France
  5. Canada
  6. Spain
  7. Australia
  8. Argentina
  9. Latvia
  10. Lithuania

Challengers include: Brazil, Slovenia, Greece, Italy and Puerto Rico

TIDBITS: BIG EAST teams were (55-20, .733) going into the weekend games. UConn was down as (4-3) with four wins coming at home but three losses coming from its trip to the Maui Classic. … Thursday marked the 14th straight NBA season without a game scheduled for Thanksgiving Day.

As the NFL bounds through it Thanksgiving Day weekend schedule which always marks the home stretch of the regular season, games are averaging a healthy 17.5m viewers per game, the largest average audience per game through 12 weeks since 2015. That does not compute NFL International Series Games and the use of the NFL RedZone channel by many as their go-to way to watch the Sunday games. … Forty-seven of the Top 50 TV shows since September are NFL broadcasts, according to NFL Media. If you look back to 2023, the NFL season and playoffs captured 93 of the Top 100 audiences of the year.

The others?

  • College Football accounts for three
  • State of the Union
  • MACYs Thanksgiving Day Parade
  • The Academy Awards
  • The Super Bowl

In college football news reported by ESPN Saturday morning, former No. 1 overall NFL pick Andrew Luck is now following his dad (Oliver) into a new college sports management role. ESPN reported that the 35-year-old former Stanford Cardinal QB is returning to his alma mater to be the General Manager of the men’s football team, a role that will “place him in charge” of the entire program.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Nov 24

by

 

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Over the course of the year, this column focuses the majority of its effort on sports, covering the what’s new, what’s old, what’s coming, what’s gone. It occasionally drifts away from sports to meet-up with some current event or to toast a new music act while often remembering some of the classic rock artists of our days gone by. In the end, it’s a sports notes column, delivered to your inbox every Saturday night in preparation of your Sunday morning routine – Coffee? Tea, or TL?

As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s only appropriate to pay tribute to the things in sports we should appreciate. This column of thank-yous will concentrate on sports and sports only for a giant thank you and a reminder to those in the industry to not take our sports or our colleagues for granted.

And, most importantly, please don’t take our athletes for granted as they deserve the most thanks for their life-long effort to practice, develop, train for conditioning, perfect their technique and – all the while – be good citizens of our sports world and contribute to make the world a better place. In many instances, that’s called “Giving Back” instead of “Thanks Giving.”

You might remember a thanks to all column from a year ago. Feel free to reference it for old times sake. There might be a few repeats, but hopefully not too many. But, if mentioned in both columns, the athlete or the sport must be doing something right.

It’s our weekend edition of November 24th, and we’re looking forward to this Thursday, November 28, 2024 – Thanksgiving Day in the USA. Let’s stop for a moment and give thanks for what we have in this crazy sports world. Here we go.

Since it’s November 24, let’s give thanks to Dave Bing and Rudy T, both Nov 24ers, and the very best the NBA ever offered to its fans. And, donlt forget Oscar Robertson, born on this date in 1938. The Big O lost his longtime rival, friend and 1960 USA Basketball Olympic Games teammate, Jerry West, this year, so while we’re at it, let’s remember West and give thanks for everything he meant to so many sports fans around the country and the world.

As stinging as a loss that West was to the NBA (logo himself), many of us are still mourning the loss of the great Bill Walton this year. Not only was Walton the very best collegiate basketball player, along with his counterpart Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) leading UCLA, Bill had an impactful NBA career, winning two NBA titles, the most recent, the ’86 Boston Celtics championship when Walton was the Sixth Man of the Year and an un-guardable force inside. Bill was also a dear friend to so many of us and I think of him everyday – twice when I hear “Fire on the Mountain” by Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.

Let’s give thanks to college football and the fact it will have its first 12-team playoff this winter. Thanks to all the great teams over the many years fans have enjoyed the rivalries. Thanks to Michigan and Ohio State, to Alabama and Auburn, to Georgia and LSU. Thanks for The Game – Harvard vs Yale(this weekend’s score: Yalies 34, Harvard 29) Thanks to Ole Miss, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Penn State, and thank God for Notre Dame and all the other great schools fielding college football teams.

While we thank the athletes of Air Force, the Coast Guard and the U.S. Merchant Marine Acdemy, there’s a special thanks to Army vs Navy, coming to Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland just 20 days from today, or simply December 14th.

Aside from the Stanley Cup, the Commander in Chief’s Trophy just might be the best in sports in America.

Let’s give thanks for our Cons (Chuck Taylor All-Stars), our adidas superstars with three green bands for the Holy Trinity Titans. Thanks for our Air Jordans, our Reeboks, Under Armours, our New Balance training shoes, and our Puma Clyde model shoes – as much fashion as you can pack in a basketball shoe. Steely Dan might pass along thanks for bad sneakers and a pina colada, but let’s just thanks Walt Clyde Frazier.

Thanks to NBC Boston Sports’ Mike Gorman and NESN’s Jack Edwards for their longtime efforts as respective voices of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. They each retired in the Year 2024 – a good year in sports, thank-you very much.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Let’s give thanks to the NBA and Warner Brothers-Discovery-Turner Sports for working out a compromise that will enable NBA fans to see “Inside the NBA” on ABC and ESPN instead of the troubled pre-game and halftime shows of ESPN past. Let’s hope ESPN’s Malika Andrews is worked into the mix for both NBA coverage and general sports coverage and let’s hope ABC moves Jay Bilas into the game analyst spot alongside play-by-play man Mike Breen.

On the parquet, it’s a thanks to Bob Cousy and Tom “Satch” Sanders. … On the ice, it’s thanks to Pasta and Jeremy Swayman, but a sad good-bye to Bs head coach Jim Montgomery who was fired this past week and replaced with Joe Sacco (interim, it said). … On the Sox, welcome aboard to Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia. … Don’t hold your breath on Soto.

For the Boston-New-England-Route 128-Providence Patriots, it’s a warm Thanksgiving Day wish for rookie QB Drake Maye. Maybe the Patriots need to find 21 other guys?

We’re thankful for better and speedy video challenges. Get the call right. … We’re thankful for Peyton Pritchard and Derrick White of the Celtics, both drafted late in Round 1, (Pritchard, Boston 2020, Rd. 1, Pick 26), (White, San Antonio 2017, Rd. 1, Pick 29).

Thanks to the New York Mets of yesteryear. Sadly, we lost Ed Kranepool this year. He was a fan favorite for every kid who loved the Mets in the ‘62 until June 23, 1970 when he was demoted to the minors – the Tidewater Tides. Kranepool fought his way back to the Mets and the Majors, and played until he was 34 years old in 1979. He holds the record for Most Games Played for the NYM.

Here’s a line of gratitude for some of the other Mets greats. To Ron Swoboda, Tommie Agee, Tom Seaver, Donn Clendenon, Cleon Jones, Jerry Grote, Ed Charles, Gary Gentry and my personal favorite, lefty – should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame – Jerry Koosman. Great memories stem from the names, Cal Koonce, Duffy Dyer, Ron Taylor, and TugMcGraw. Here’s to Managers Gil Hodges and Casey Stengel.

When the Mega Millions Lottery heads north of $300m, there are some “pick your own numbers” to be played.

Mine are:

  • 10 – Frazier
  • 12 – Barnett
  • 19 – Reed
  • 22 – DeBusschere
  • 24 Bradley
  • 15 – The bonus number for both Dick McGuire and Earl “The Pearl” Monroe
The Islanders alternate logo; aka the new Coke of the NHL team

If playing another, which is usually the case

  • 5 – Potvin
  • 9 – Gillies
  • 19 – Trottier
  • 22 – Bossy
  • 31 – Smith
  • 18 – for the Captain, Eddie Westfall

Every now and then, alternate numbers such as No. 23 for Bobby Nystrom, No. 27 for John Tonelli, and maybe a No. 1 for Glenn “Chico” Resch or No. 6 for one of the all-time greats, yet underrated players in Ken Morrow.As a reminder, Morrow was a member of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” USA Hockey gold medal team, then ran off with four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from the spring of 1980 through 1983. Not a bad stretch.

Butch Goring deserves mention, for sure, but I don’t play his No. 91. Thoughts go back to Germaine Gagnon, Gary Hart, Billy Harris, Lorne Henning, Garry Howatt, and goalkeeper Gerry Desjardins.

TIDBITS: In the “did you know” category of NHL history, DYK that Garry Howatt (then New Jersey Devils) and Mickey Volcan (then Hartford Whalers) are the only two (active) players to officiate an NHL regular season game? The date was January 15, 1983 and a Boston to Hartford snowstorm delayed the assigned officials from making a NJ at Hartford game. The Whalers won the game, 2-1, and Howatt and Volcan were relieved from their duties after the other “real” refs arrived at the Hartford Civic Center.

A bit off my original pledge to keep this on sports, let’s pay tribute to the Allman Brothers Band and two of the great instrumentals of all-time, Jessicaand In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (November 9, 1845 – May 3, 1935). Both were written by ABB guitarist Dickey Betts.

If Thanksgiving is near, it’s time to tune into the Detroit Lions (hosting Da Bears) and Dallas Cowboys (vs NYG) games on TV (along with a Miami at Green Bay tilt in the evening). Although Dallas and Detroit host games every year on Thanksgiving Day, they necver seem to be good/great at the same time. Thinking back, the years with Barry Sanders running for the Lions and Emmitt Smith carrying the ball for the Cowboys were certainly the glory years, complete with John Madden and Pat Summerall calling the games. To the winners went the “TurDucken.” Let’s hope for two of the three games being entertaining and close. Whoever loses the NYG at DAL game will surely pack it in for the remainder of the season.

THIS JEST IN: Pick-up improvement? The NBA is addressing the major problem of the downfall of serious competition at the annual NBA All-Star Weekend. The league is reportedly trying an approach that just might put more intrigue into both the Rookie vs Sophs (Rising Stars) game and the ASG itself. Proposed to the NBA Competition and Rules Committee this week was the outline of a new four-team tournament-style format for this season’s All-Star Game in San Francisco. The league is expected to have two semifinal games played up to 40 points, with the winners advancing to the final match up to 25 points, as reported by NBA television partner ESPN.

“The first-of-its-kind event is expected to serve as a quick-burst competition that resembles pickup games where the winner moves to the championship round in single-elimination play,” said ESPN before any official announcement was made.

Sources told ESPN last week that the NBA was in serious discussions to have three All-Star teams of eight players each and the winner of the Rising Stars game take part in an All-Star Game tournament on Sunday.

Aside from the exciting “Elam Ending” game in Chicago in 2020, the recent games have been lopsided three-point chuck-fests. Last season’s 211-186 blowout by East of West at Indiana was the breaking point.

The tournament style set-up is worth a try.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Six years after the fact, but we’ve now got it confirmed that former Titans coach Mike Mularkey is – well – full of malarkey. On a podcast report this week and then on the NFL Network, reporter Ian Rapoport commented on Mularkey’s admission that he played a joke, using Rapaport to report that Mularkey was going to get an extension to his contract. In fact, Mularkey dropped the nugget when he himself was in fear of being canned by the Titans.

“That is not cool,” said Rapoport on NFL Network, recalling the setback of his early career as a major NFL reporter. “That’s not funny. I was a younger reporter back then, and the amount of online hate and ridicule I got because Mike Mularkey thought it would be funny to get back at his old boss. It was not fun.”

In the WWYI’s realm of reporting, it’s usually the reporter who gets the last laugh in these situations. “Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel,” is the old political quip, credited to Indiana Congressman Charles Bruce Brownson (1914-1988).

TL’s Sports Notebook | Nov 17

by

While We’re Young (Ideas) on the NBA Cup

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The NBA unveiled freshly designed basketball courts without a piece of parquet covering the playing surface at Boston’s TD Garden. There are brand new Wilson basketballs with a special bracket design bouncing around the courts. One thing that’s always apparent when there are changes to the norm and that’s the fact creatures of habit do NOT like too much change.

Last season, the NBA instituted it’s “In-Season” tournament, mimicking the many Futbol/Soccer tourneys staged within the long European soccer league season. There are national leagues (i.e. English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish LaLega, etc) combined with international play (UEFA Champions League) and playing for Cups, or in one case The Cup of Cups. In the USA, college basketball (and ESPN and the Basketball Hall of Fame) stage dozens of mini-tournaments at the start of the season such as the Maui Invitational, Vegas Showdown, Battle 4 Atlantis, Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship (Nov. 21-22 with St. John’s vs Baylor and Tennessee vs Virginia). There’s nothing wrong about that, at all.

The NBA’s “In-Season” tournament has evolved into the “Emirates NBA Cup” complete with all the bells and whistles. Despite criticism from the cynics, last season’s inaugural tournament made a mark as one of the better innovations in the league’s 77 year history. How?

  1. It created additional awareness of NBA basketball early in the season when college and pro football rule the airwaves.
  2. The court designs created much-needed buzz and acted as a differentiator from the regular season games. The buzz was both pro and con, but they spelled “NBA” accurately pre-Christmas (a day many believe the NBA season actually begins). That added to th awareness.
  3. The competition gave emerging clubs, like the Magic, Pistons, Spurs, Rockets, Hawks, and Blazers a playoff-like chance to compete and entertains the fans. This year, all but the Spurs are winners in their Group Play match-ups thus far).
  4. With a cool half-mil on the line, the players certainly embrace the competition.

In summation, the “In Season/Emirates NBA Cup” was an incredible success story and it proved the NBA – more than any other North American pro sports league – is willing to experiment, to innovate and to provide its fans with real added incentive to watch games. The intensity of those games were a notch higher than a typical November or December regular season game because the players are competitive, whether it be for pride or money – and with the NBA Cup – it was a bit of both.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Coming soon but not to a golf course near you, is another pro golf property, but instead of a traveling tour format, all the matches will be played at Palm Beach State College in Florida. As a reminder, TGL, presented by SoFi, is a new golf league, combining advanced technology with teams of top players from the PGA TOUR matching up for two-hour weekly competitions in primetime on ESPN or ESPN2 in the USA. … Six (call them the Original Six) TGL teams representing six different cities will go head-to-head in a season-long competition at the new SoFi Center, a first-of-its-kind venue built specifically for TGL. The venue is located on the campus of Palm Beach State College. The league was set to begin last year but a storm damaged the venue and its roof thus delaying the first tee-off until this January 7. … Boston is represented by the Boston Common Golf with a star-studded roster of Rory McIloy, Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama and New England’s very own, Keegan Bradley. Tyrrell Hatton was originally on the Boston roster but vacated his spot when he joined LIV Golf. Hideki Matsuyama was chosen by TGL – the parent company of this tour – to replace the outgoing Hatton. No LIV golfers are participating. … McIlroy has an ownership stake in the league and the team while Fenway Sports Group has an ownership stake in the team. Solo artist and singer-songwriter Niall Horan and his investment group Greenbridge Ventures purchased an ownership stake in Boston Common Golf, joining Fenway Sports Group and McIlroy’s Symphony Ventures. In addition to his investment in the team, Horan will serve as an ambassador for Boston Common Golf. Boston’s first match is against the Jupiter Links, headlined by Tiger Woods, Max Homa, Kevin Kisner and Tom Kim. The Links will be playing their second match when they face Boston, a distinct advantage.

BOSTON MARATHON IMPACT: If you live in Boston or the neighboring towns and villages playing host to the annual Boston Marathon, you can see the impact. To prove it in dollars and “sense,” the Boston Athletic Association and Meet Boston sought out the UMass Donahue Institute – Economic and Public Policy Research to measure the entire economic impact of the event. They calculated everything from travel and lodging to tourist habits and per person spending. The grand total is estimated to be a $509m impact.

“The Boston Marathon is more than just a race – it’s a powerful driver that shines a spotlight on the Greater Boston area, attracting visitors and showcasing our city’s rich history, vibrant culture, and diverse communities,” said Martha J. Sheridan, President & CEO of Meet Boston in a prepared statement. “Each year, it brings people together from across the globe, expanding the impact of tourism and enhancing our competitiveness. This iconic race fosters a sense of unity and purpose for all the domestic and international visitors that come to spectate or participate.”

According to the news release, Boston Marathon weekend includes more than the race on Patriots’ Day. The B.A.A. hosts the Boston 5K presented by Point32Health with 10,000 participants, an invitational mile for both students and professional runners, the Bank of America Boston Marathon Expo – a shoppers’ delight, Boston Marathon Fan Fest presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, and the Boston Marathon Post-Race Party presented by Samuel Adams. Additionally, sponsors and other affiliated brands provide activations throughout Greater Boston.

people walking on street during daytime
Boston Marathon Photo by Miguel A Amutio on Unsplash

The 2024 Marathon event had 30,000 participants across the Boston 5K, B.A.A. Invitational Mile, B.A.A. Relay Challenge and the Boston Marathon. Participants had an average party size of two, with 77% of spectators who attended indicating they are there to support a family member or friend running. 51% of the participants reside outside of New England, with the median weekend spend of $500. 68% of participants stayed in a Boston area hotel, according to the B.A.A. in its report.

Included in the report is the fact the B.A.A. has 39 full-time employees who earned $5.5 million in total compensation, which includes wages and salaries, taxes, and benefits. These values exclude those who are not actual employees of the Association. Other paid labor and outside contractors are discussed in the next section. To support these employees and other operational costs, the B.A.A. reported revenues of $36.4 million.

EIGHT IS ENOUGH: The NFL concluded its International Series with a close but uninspiring 20-17 Carolina victory over the New York Giants. While it’s tough to pinpoint the absolute worst team in the NFL, surely the Panthers and Giants are on the list of Top 5. While the International Series may not be providing its European fans with the best match-ups, it has established a very viable 9:30am ET game window for the NFL in the USA.

Commissioner Roger Goodell told NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe that the league is looking to play upwards of eight games outside of the United States of America in 2025, including a first-timer in Ireland.

“We are definitely going to Spain, we announced that,” Goodell said from Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, before ho-hum Giants-vs-Panthers game. “We expect to return to Mexico City. We expect to return to Brazil. We will certainly be back in the U.K. And we’re also looking at the potential of another game in the U.K. area in Ireland, possibly. That’s a possibility. And we’ll certainly be back here in Germany. So if that total’s eight, that’s what we’re shooting for.”

Fiji Island might not make the cut.

While the NFL used to play in Japan in preseason, they’ve yet to crack the code to play a game in China. NFL China was established in Beijing in October of 2007 a year after announcing the league would play a preseason game between New England and Seattle. But that game never materialized. In 2009, there was talk of a rescheduled game but it was never played.

The league was focusing on a potential regular season game in Beijing but some 16 years have passed and there’s nothing on the NFL docket, unless Goodell is playing his media availabilities with a poker face.

TIDBITS: Roki Sasaki will be the next ace pitcher to transfer from the Japanese baseball circuit to Major League Baseball. Sasaki’s teammates are tipping their hands that they believe the star free agent is most likely to land at Chavez Ravine and play for the 2024 MLB champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Dollars point to the Dodgers as they – and the Baltimore Orioles – have some $2m in cash awaiting within their international signing bonus pool, according to the Associated Press. Expect a decision to come down soon as MLB’s international signing window closes on December 15, 2024. … Remember, too, the Dodgers have SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and best player on the planet Shohei Ohtani on their roster to welcome their countryman. … Congrats to former NBA and St. John’s beat writer turned broadcaster Dave Sims on his new gig as the play-by-play man for the New York Yankees, alongside the great Suzyn Waldman. Sims was calling Seattle Mariners games until the NYY offer came along. Can’t wait to see both Sims and Waldman when the Evil Empire visits Fenway Park next season. … Condolences to Harvard Coach and Duke alum Tommy Amaker on the passing of his father, Harold Amaker of Columbia, South Carolina. Harold earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, followed by a Ph.D. from LaSalle University in Philadelphia. His academic pursuits set a foundation for what would be a lifetime of advocacy and leadership in education, particularly in supporting historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU’s). … Condolences to the great Hubie Brown and his family as Hubie’s son, Brendan (1970-2024), passed away at the age of 54. Brendan’s wife, Kate, announced Brendan’s passing on Facebook, noting, “He cared deeply for his friends and family and we’re going to miss him so much,” In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Nov 10

by

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

BOSTON – On Wednesday night, it took some inner strength to push my human motor to commute to Boston’s TD Garden to take in the Golden State Warriors vs. the Boston Celtics basketball game. The night before was spent gazing at a TV screen, aghast at the one-sided results pouring in, not just at the top of the ticket but in Senate contests as well. Tuesday night to the early morning hours Wednesday was not a pleasant experience for half of the USA, but the sun rose brightly this past Wednesday morning and it set by 4:30pm, three hours before the Warriors and Celtics would tip-off their NBA game.

After a quick bite with family members at a North End pizza joint, it was time to enter Boston Garden with 19,155 best friends to take-in the game between the 2022 NBA Finalists. It was time to escape from the realities of life and disappear into an amazing place, a place many of us retreat to every day or night – we concentrate 100% of our energy and focus into a sporting event whether it be on TV or, ideally, in person.

Earlier this Fall, a good escape into an NFL Sunday was sometimes interrupted by endless commercial spots for the New Hampshire Governor race.

Blah. We were served up with unwanted and uncalled for stress, thrust upon us weekend after weekend during our sports get-a-way in the Commonwealth. But, for an NFL Sunday, we have the solution, the NFL RedZone, seven hours of commercial free action.

Away from the never-ending world of politics, escaping into sports is a really good thing. Whether its children playing in the backyard or participating in organized teams sports, the experience allows for teaching moments, lifetime lessons and important building of lifetime bonds with friends and the sports they play. Kids can escape and forget their problems in a second. Sometimes, adults need a little more time.

The Boston College vs Syracuse football game offered an escape pattern, without a cloud in the dark blue sky. A brisk breeze combined with bright sunshine at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill and a crowd was entertained by a great ACC rivalry game, as the home team won 37-31. Some fans left the stadium with some tint, as the sun beat down upon their faces, the kind of sun Led Zeppelin sang of in Kashmir.

It was a great place to escape from life’s bummers.

Think about it. Great competition for the players, combined with tailgating, cheering and revelry for the fans, some 44,500 strong. That’s a pretty good way to forget your troubles for a couple hours.

Dozens of homemade signs for ESPN’s College GameDay show provided comfort for ESPN commentator Kirk Herbsteit whose dog, Ben, passed away this week – a devastating loss to Herbstreit and college football fans everywhere, all who saw Ben on the GameDay set each Saturday for years. (ESPN)

Surely, the Alabama at LSU game in Baton Rouge provided ESPN GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit with a couple hours of distraction and enjoyment Saturday, just a few days after his loyal dog, Ben, passed away after battling cancer. Herbstreit updated college football fans on November 4, but things took a turn and Ben headed for his short walk to Dog Heaven.

Thousands of tributes came in on social media – totaling some 150,000+ by night time – and ESPN paid tribute to Ben, who earned star status with fans and Kirk’s colleagues as he traveled to games, no matter where the week-by-week GameDay schedule destination led them. There has been no better example of the bond between man and dog displayed weekly over the years by the monument of a man and his companion.

“Our love of football is what unites us every weekend,” said Herbstreit in his on air eulogy to his departed dog. “What I experienced with Ben was just that, and so much more.”

Here’s the ESPN memorial feature for Ben – not a dry eye in the house. Click HERE

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: In their third FIBA 3×3 Men’s World Tour competition in as many weeks, Team Miami secured their fifth FIBA 3×3 World Tour title of 2024 with a tournament victory at the Neom Masters in Neom, Saudi Arabia. For the USA contingent, Dylan Travis, James Parrott, Mitch Hahn and Trey Bardsley. Parrott, Miami’s versatile 6-foot-4 slasher, earned MVP honors for the second time in his 3×3 career. … In case you haven’t heard of Neom, it’s a brand news, state of the art tech center community being built in the desert of Saudi Arabia. … Indoor sports can play a major role in the new tech townand competitive 3×3 is a nice start. The FIBA-sanctioned tournament is among the attractions for the Neom Beach Games of 2024. … In addition to the LIV Golf Tour, Saudi Arabia has been attracting other world sports, such as Formula 1 racing, boxing, mixed martial arts and a list of others all in queue as facilities are being constructed.

TIDBITS: Two days after election day, a day after the fans of Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics gave an opposing coach a piece of their minds for USA Basketball Olympic Games snubs gone by, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr was asked about his viewpoint on the result of the Presidential election.

Kerr: “I believe in democracy. I think the American people have spoken and voted for Donald Trump. I want him to do well the next four years. I want our country to do well.”

Kerr (added, sarcastically): “I’m just thankful there wasn’t any voting fraud this time. Last time, all those illegal immigrants who crashed the border, raped and murdered people and then voted six times, that was unfortunate. But thankfully, this time everything was clean. It’s great that every election has been really valid except for that last one four years ago. Twinkle in my eye as I say that, in case you didn’t see it.”

We’ve featured a few Jack McCallum-like “Sign of the Apocalypse” news items, but this week, how about a new subsection in the column?

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: On Friday afternoon, a charter airline pilot flying the Auburn Tigers to a game at Houston (game scheduled Saturday night, 9:30pm CT) had to turn around and return to the airport of origination as a fight broke out on board between two Auburn players. Auburn took a second flight to Texas and arrived in Houston at 1:00am. … Reports are sketchy, at best, but some are attempting to downplay the incident, tagging it as horseplay. Note to Auburn: Do not let your horses play in a metal tube at 30,000 feet with jet fuel flowing to jet engines fully operational. It might not end well.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Nov 3

by

Breeders’ Cup 2024

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

BOSTON – Oh, how I wish this dateline was originating from sunny Del Mar, California, a stones throw from San Diego and a shorter throw to Torrey Pines Golf Course, which is a driver and nine iron from La Jolla, one of the most beautiful towns in all the 50 States.

If there’s one race course in the entire United States of America that is perfect for the annual Breeders’ Cup championships, it is Del Mar, situated adjacent Pacific Ocean and the beautiful sights of Southern California. While other horse tracks have enjoyed great days for the Breeders’ – namely Belmont in New York, Churchill Downs in Kentucky, or Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, hosted by our neighbors to the north – Del Mar is something extra special. Paradise for the horse player and the equivalent of Monte Carlo for the rich and famous of the industry known as The Sport of Kings.

Any sports fan has to call The Breeders’ Cup the most underrated event in the sports industry. It’s seven World Series games in one day. The very best of the best all competing at one track over two days.

The event began Friday afternoon with “Future Stars Friday,” where the sport’s stars of tomorrow compete in five Juvenile (two-year-old) races as the warm-up. Keep an eye on Immersive, the Juvenile Fillies winner for trainer Brad Cox. It was Cox’s seventh straight Breeders’ with a win.

In 48 hours, the Breeders’ crown 14 World Champions across different surfaces and divisions, including the season-defining $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, won by Sierra Leone, the No. 2 finisher in May’s Kentucky Derby.

EDITOR’S NOTE: There were two sudden thoroughbred deaths from cardiac events as they raced or trained this week. On Tuesday (Oct 29) at Santa Anita, Practical Move, a horse training for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, died of a cardiac event after a morning gallop. … On Saturday, 3-year old French colt, Jayarebe, finished seventh in the field of 13 for the 1 ½-mile, $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf race, which was won by Rebel’s Romance. Trained by Irish native Brian Meehan, Jayarebe was making his sixth start of the year and eighth of his career. He had won four times. “He was immediately attended to by a team of veterinary experts led by Dr. Brent Cassady, but unfortunately passed away,” said Dr. Al Ruggles, the on-call veterinarian for American Equine Racing Practitioners.

Mookie Betts (holding trophy) – (Getty Images)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Just in case you didn’t notice, former Red Sox All-Star Mookie Betts had the World Series winning RBI when his new team, the LA Dodgers, disposed of the New York Yankees Wednesday night in New York. The Series ended in LA’s favor a night after a moron, otherwise identified as a Branford, Connecticut man, ripped a ball out of Betts’ mitt but was later tossed out of Yankee Stadium to the streets of the Bronx for the act. The umps properly ruled the play as an out and the so-called fan was banned for Game 5.

THE NBA in MEXICO CITY: The NBA staged another Mexico City Game on Saturday night (9:30pm ET), featuring the Miami Heat and Washington Wizards in concert with a lengthy roster of marketing sponsors. The sponsor line-up included presenting partner Michelob Ultra, and associate partners 2K, AT&T, Azteca, Banco, Betcris, Elektra, Emirates, Hennessy, Hisense, Mercado Libre, Nike, PlayStation, Pepsi, Tissot, TotalPlay, Visit Washington and Wilson. … It was the 33rd time the NBA played a game (preseason or regular season) in Mexico with most games in Mexico City and a few in Monterey.

GET JACKED: The Boston Bruins and their broadcast partner NESN (co-owned by the Red Sox and Bruins) will celebrate former play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards’ career at the mic on Sunday, November 3. The honors will include in-arena and NESN’s features on the game broadcast as the Bs take on the Seattle Kraken at TD Garden at 5:00pm (ET).

“Jack has been an integral part of the Bruins organization for many years,” said Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs. “His passion for the game and deep connection with our fans elevated the experience of Bruins hockey.”

“Jack’s career as the voice of the Bruins on NESN has been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Matt Volk, COO of NESN. “For nearly two decades, he brought an unmistakable energy and passion to every game, making each moment memorable for fans across New England. We thank Jack for his exceptional contributions and the impact he’s had during his time with us at NESN, and we are thrilled to be able to do so tonight with such a special celebration at TD Garden and on NESN.”

The team will commemorate Edwards’ storied career and lasting impact on the organization with a special pregame presentation. Sunday’s game will also feature special Jack Edwards-themed contests and entertainment in the arena while Jack Edwards t-shirts and commemorative hockey pucks will be on sale in the team store.

BOB COSTAS: After a 44-year stint as one of baseball’s all-time greats, veteran broadcaster Bob Costas announced his retirement from play-by-play broadcasting of games. He will still be involved in various broadcasts, studio shows and general coverage of the game and other sports. Costas will appear on MLB Network’s MLB Tonight Monday at 6:00pm (ET) to discuss his decision. Costas was the recipient of the 2018 Ford C. Frick Award, recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a legend of the game.

NHL VALUATIONS AND CLUB $ INCREASES: It’s been a while since we’ve passed along a few notes on NHL valuations, reported by friends of WWYI from Sportico. The recent numbers are quite impressive, although still at the bottom of the four major North American team sports.

Sportico did the entire league, of course, and highlighted the Top 10 NHL franchises, in terms of value as of 2024. Here’s the Top 5, the usual characters:

  1. Toronto Maple Leafs – $3.6 billion
  2. New York Rangers – $3.25b
  3. Montreal Canadiens – $2.93b
  4. Boston Bruins – $2.67b
  5. Los Angeles Kings – $2.5b

In terms of franchise value increase this past year, there’s a surprising list of clubs rising in the ranks:

  1. Utah Hockey Club – +193%
  2. Florida Panthers – +140%
  3. Carolina Hurricanes – +137%
  4. New Jersey Devils – +127%
  5. Tampa Bay Lightening – +124%

While the average NHL franchise value is now $1.7 billion, Commissioner Gary Bettman estimates an expansion club would fetch more. “Whether it is $2 billion or $2.5 billion or $2.7 billion, I think that is the range I believe the owners would want to be in if we were going to consider expansion,” said Bettman to The Hockey News earlier this year. … Of course, Bettman’s main focus among franchise issues is the settling of the Utah Hockey Club which just relocated from Arizona and the Ottawa Senators, a franchise struggling in the national capital of Canada.

TIDBITS: There are some serious NFL coaches ready for induction at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the years to come. This year, the Pro Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee narrowed a list of 14 candidates to these semifinalists: Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan and Clark Shaughnessy. All but Arnsparger, Knox and Seifert reached the semifinalist stage in 2023.

RETIRING, BUT NOT TODAY: The 2024 NWSL regular season is coming to a close this weekend. “Betcha” didn’t know Christine Sinclair will be the biggest storyline, as the 41-year-old veteran will retire after her final game – whenever it comes. Sinclair has spent her whole NWSL career with the Portland Thorns and is one of the all-time greats of the women’s game, maybe the very best. With 190 goals for Team Canada, she is the most prolific international goal scorer in history, female or male. For Portland, she’s netted 66 goals in 199 regular-season appearances and is one of just three active players to have spent her entire NWSL career with the same club. On Friday night, she scored in the first half of Portland’s 3-0 victory over Angel City FC as the win allowed the Thorns to qualify for the NWSL playoffs. Sinclair received a standing ovation as she was subbed out in the 83rd minute, replaced by Meghan Klingenberg.

RATINGS GAME: The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their eighth World Series title by defeating the New York Yankees in Game 5 this week and the TV numbers capped an amazing postseason for MLB. Game 5 attracted 18.6 million viewers across multiple FOX platforms. It marked the most-watched Game 5 in seven years and the most-viewed World Series game since 2019. Overall, the series averaged 15.8 million viewers, a 74% increase year-over-year from 2023.

SPORTS BIZ: Moonshot, one of the fastest growing companies in the national security industry, and CTH Advisors, an investment banking and advisory firm specializing in sports, media and entertainment, have announced a strategic partnership to combat the rising digital threats in the sports industry. … Moonshot secured over $20 million in government contracts to protect schools, national infrastructure, and public figures from terrorism. This initiative will leverage that technology to deliver best-in-class national security solutions to elite athletes, officials, and sports organizations. … Moonshot’s technology is already being used by major sports institutions, including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Moonshot is responsible for protecting all Team USA athletes from online threats on behalf of USOPC. … As digital threats become more sophisticated, from AI-generated deepfakes to coordinated doxxing (the act of publicly providing personally identifiable information about an individual or organization, usually via the Internet and without their consent), the sports industry is increasingly vulnerable to both physical harm and threats to an athlete’s reputation. One in five players at major international sporting events, such as the Women’s World Cup, experiences significant online abuse​. Female athletes face disproportionate volumes of online threats, much like the national security space where Moonshot has found that 92% of women in public life experience bullying and abuse online.

Note: To receive the Notes column on Saturday nights at 10:00pm ET, please see: While We’re Young (Ideas)

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Oct 27

by

“Walking on the sidewalk, roundball under my arm

Everybody knows how you play is who you are,

Walking down the road, looking for a game or two

The real moves come through, no matter what they’re gonna do

It’s down to you.”

“Take me to the old playground

Where the old ones rule, and the young ones do their time

Take me to the old playground

Where the talk is cheap

And the restless stalk the baseline.”

“The old sage frowns, he says just pass it on around

But all-world junior’s pulling up from downtown

For some it’s a way out, for some it’s a way in

Most of us don’t even care

We’re just looking for another gym to get in.”

“Take me to the old playground

Where the old ones rule, and the young ones do their time

Take me to the old playground

Where some play from dreams

And the rest just play for pride …

The old man said stop running with those boys

But they know what to do and their folks don’t mind the noise

Say hey now, everybody’s gonna get along

Just call your own foul when you break the rules

If you make it, take it, so make your move.”

– Music and lyrics by Bruce Hornsby, John Hornsby

By TERRY LYONS, Editor in Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The great Bruce Hornsby burst on to the rock scene in 1986 with his hit song, “Just the Way It Is,“ which paved his way to a GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist of ‘86 and a solid new “Virginia Sound,” combining rock, jazz and bluegrass all into one. Hornsby wrote a few other incredible songs, including Mandolin Rain in 1986, Jacob’s Ladder (for Huey Lewis and the News) in 1987, End of the Innocence (for Don Henley) in 1989 and one of my all-time favorites – The Old Playground – in 1990.

Around or about 1989 or 1990, I had the great fortune to meet Hornsby and his band and witness a dozen shows from his concert right at St. John’s University to shows at the Westbury Music Fair to summer tours at Jones Beach and one memorable concert in Philadelphia with Don Stirling, he of “The School of Rock,” and outposts such as the Golden State Warriors, NBA Properties, Mitt Romney’s Governor of Massachusetts’ office for sports, and later the Utah Jazz senior staff. We reminisced and recalled every detail of that Philly show just two or three weeks ago when a number of former NBAers met in Chicago.

Embed from Getty Images

While running my first NBA All-Star event for our Communications department, I had little time to chit-chat as the specific events unfolded, but the foundation of the Lyons-Hornsby relationship was solidified at the 1991 All-Star Weekend in Charlotte when Hornsby and Branford Marsalis combined for one of the most beautiful and meaningful National Anthem performances of our time. At that event (just a week or two after the Gulf War broke out), the challenge was getting Bruce’s BALDWIN grand piano onto the basketball court without putting a divot into the hardwood. And, as I recall, the bigger challenge was removing the piano in the two minutes we had after the anthem was completed. (I still thank many of the still photographers who went out of their way to help us get that done right in the middle of their own courtside set-ups.

Fast forward a number of years to the 2000 NBA Finals, and we snuck a small tip cup/glass onto Bruce’s piano just before he did his sound check at the Pacers’ Field House in Indianapolis. Hornsby was invited to perform by his fellow pianist and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. After Bruce played an impeccable “practice” National anthem a couple hours before tip-off, we tucked a couple $1 bills into the cup and made a request which – of course – he played just a few bars of as we all laughed.

One other day, years later, when UNC-Asheville played at Northeastern, Bruce’s son, Keith, was lighting up the Huskies at Matthews Arena in Boston and I was able to snap a halfway decent still photo and I e-mailed it to Keith’s Dad in real time. Bruce was astonished and ever appreciative that I thought of him.

Over the years, there were many a meet-up, including backstage at Madison Square Garden for a Grateful Dead show, a few solo shows in New York City and Boston, and one night, in particular, when I left him a simple email at about 6:00pm for an 8:00pm show, simply to say I had purchased great seats and would be in the audience, figuring he’d read my message a day or two later.

Of course, Bruce replied to the email in 10 minutes and said there’d be backstage passes awaiting. He had a number of meet-and-greet obligations after the show and I stood aside, figuring I’d just say thanks, congratulate him on an amazing show and be on my way.

Nope!

Bruce wanted to review some basketball highlight tapes of Keith and we went into a back dressing room where he brought out his laptop. Keith had transferred from UNC-Asheville to LSU where he slid over to the “2” guard spot to accomodate Ben Simmons playing the point. Keith improved his three-point field goal shooting and avaeraged about 13 points a game, good enough to get looks at Portland and Dallas, where he later signed on to play for the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ G-League squad.

Keith played in Poland, Germany and then moved up the European ladder to play in France and Lithuania before settling in with Bilbao Basket (Spain) in the highly competitive ACB.

Rightfully so, Bruce was quite proud of his son, Keith, but was always hoping for that NBA break.

It never came and Bruce and Keith played on.

PLAYING DEAD: There’s a pretty good Grateful Dead cover band that tours around, and they’re called “Playing Dead.” I’ve heard they’re pretty good but haven’t had the chance to see them perform. … The problem and reality we’re all facing is the fact that two of the original members of the real Dead are now playing dead. Yes, another member of the original band, Phil Lesh, passed away this week. In a prominent obituary, The New York Times wrote, “Key to the dynamic of the Grateful Dead was the way Mr. Lesh used the bass to provide ever-shifting counterpoints to the dancing lines of the lead guitarist Jerry Garcia, the curt riffs of the rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, the bold rhythms of the drummers Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, and, in the band’s first eight years, the warm organ work of Ron McKernan, known as Pigpen. … Lesh joins Garcia in the afterlife, and you can only pray, they’re writing new music for a legion of fans, including our bud, Ramrod (Larry Shurtliff), the president of the incorporated band, and his wife, Francis, both frequent guests at the NBA All-Star Game and an occasional Finals. Ramrod passed away in 2006 at the young age of 61. Everyone who ever met him misses him (and Francis) greatly.

Embed from Getty Images

Now, we return to 99.9% sports notes.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: The 2024 World Series began with an “Instant Classic” on Friday night when Dodgers 1B Freddie Freeman hit a game-winning, extra innings grand slam home run. Trailing the NY Yankees 3-2 in the bottom of the 10th inning, a hobbled Freeman came to bat, reminding many of the 1988 feat by Kirk Gibson against the Oakland A’s. There were even side-by-side comparisons posted to social media outlets.

Game 2 is underway as WWYI is being posted and then, the Series will continue with Games 3, 4, and (if necessary) 5 in the Bronx. … As in the past, our friends at Strat-O-Matic have crunched the numbers and run the computer simulations for the Series.

The result?

The LA Dodgers bested the NY Yankees in a seven-game series (the same number of games this and many other pundits are predicting this year).

In the StratO-Matic simulation of the decisive Game 7, Teoscar Hernandez’s single plated Series MVP Mookie Betts with the go-ahead run that gave L.A. a 2-1 edge. The hosts would add another in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Dodgers catcher Will Smith, and on a bullpen day, pitcher Blake Treinen tossed two perfect innings, fanning four, as the last of eight Los Angeles pitchers in the game. Treinen registered his third save of the series.

Los Angeles rallied from a 3-1 series deficit, getting five-inning starts from SPs Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Games Five and Six to send it to the winner-take-all contest in L.A.

Betts hit .370 in the seven games with a home run and seven RBI. In the battle between probable league MVPs, New York’s Aaron Judge (.346, two home runs, three RBI) and Shohei Ohtani (.231, two HR, six RBI) were fairly even, while Giancarlo Stanton had three home runs and drove in six in the series.

TIDBITS: The Westchester Knicks selected Matt Ryan (6-6, 215, Tennessee-Chattanooga) with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA G League Draft, which was held Saturday, Oct. 26. The Knicks also selected six-year NBA veteran Landry Shamet (6-4, 190, Wichita State) with the second overall pick, while the Cleveland Charge took Sean East II (6-3, 180, Missouri) with the third pick. … Boston’s affiliate, the Maine Celtics, (once known as the Red Claws) selected Eric Gaines, a 6-2, 23-year old rookie guard. Gaines, a former LSU (Louisiana State) and UAB (Alabama-Birmingham) collegiate player, was the ninth overall selection in the G League Draft.

In pro golf circles, there are significant rumors and multiple reports that legend Greg Norman is set to be replaced as LIV Golf’s CEO, with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund actively looking for a replacement for the Australian tour star.

The two-time major championship winner, age 69, has been the most vocal figure and ambassador for the controversial breakaway LIV Golf since its formation in 2022. Reports note Norman will stay within LIV even after his replacement is hired. According to Sports Business Journal, Norman will simply be moved into another role as his replacement is sought. … Norman was named CEO of LIV Investments in October of 2021 in a 10-year deal that reportedly pays him $50m a year.

SPORTS BIZ: In the “can’t make it up category” also known as “Sign of the Apocalypse,” as once penned by Sports Illustrated’s Jack McCallum, this came across the sports wire on Thursday: The National Basketball Association and Wingstop announced a multiyear partnership making Wingstop the Official Chicken Partner of the NBA and NBA G League. The agreement marks Wingstop’s first official partnership with a major U.S. professional sports league. … The “chicken partner” is traded on NASDAQ. No word on a pork partner.

NBA PREDICTIONS: I usually await the 10-game mark before making any predictions, looking for some early season trends and observing the various new combos (Klay Thompson at Dallas should work) or injuries/return from injuries (Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis won’t be back until Decemberish). This year? What the heck, not all that much is going to change between two games and 10 games.

Here’s the scoop, and it’s nothing you haven’t seen elsewhere:

Eastern Conference:

  1. Boston Celtics
  2. Milwaukee Bucks
  3. New York Knicks
  4. Philadelphia 76ers
  5. Cleveland Cavaliers
  6. Indiana Pacers
  7. Orlando Magic
  8. Atlanta Hawks

Boston over Milwaukee in the ECF.

Western Conference:

  1. Oklahoma City Thunder
  2. Denver Nuggets
  3. Dallas Mavericks
  4. New Orleans Pelicans
  5. Phoenix Suns
  6. LA Clippers
  7. Memphis Grizzlies

Denver over OKC in the WCF.

Boston over Denver in the 2025 NBA Finals (unless Porzingis is OUT).