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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July Ends

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was smashed.

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

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

Gone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals

Blaze Alexander, Orioles

Esmerlyn Valdez, Pirates

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, to lighten it up a bit …

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

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

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

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 26

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

“Don’t Call Me Chief” – Perry White

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 19

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Names are displayed. Everyone has a direct connection.

Everyone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TL, Heather Walker, John Caron

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some basic thoughts on the big picture issues:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees and Presenters:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 5

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – It was very hot this week in Boston. In fact, most of the nation was hot, humid and quite still. There were some thundershowers and there was a full moon, too, a Strawberry Moon. When there’s a full moon, people get weird. Strange things happen – usually bad things – the kind of things you regret when the moon sets and the sun rises.

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For the full moon of July 1, 2026 – it’ll be four parts regret and no parts forget. It was a bad day in Boston Celtics history. It wasn’t Strawberries & Cream, it was reverse Red (Auerbach) and Creamed. It was trading in your Rolex to a guy in an alley with a vest full of Patek Philippe knock-offs. It was trading in your Bentley Continental GT Convertible for a broken-down 2014 Ford Taurus, a car – up on blocks with no wheels.

This trade reminded you of that guy in your fantasy football league who trades Josh Allen for Mac Jones and Nick Folk, and he thinks he got the best of the deal. It was like turning down a romantic dinner-for-two in Vegas with Julia Roberts for a last row show ticket to see Weird Al Yankovic in Reno.

It was so bad, the Celtics might have to bring in Nico Harrison to blame for suggesting the trade heard ‘round the Commonwealth.

Trade?

No, it was more like a smash and grab.

In the deal, the 76ers received:

  • Jaylen Brown, second team All-NBA and No. 6 in the MVP voting

The Celtics took a door prize which included:

  • Paul George, 36 year old, drafted in 2010, but 9x NBA All-Star
  • 2028 first-round pick* with contingencies
  • 2031 first-round pick (via PHI)
  • 2028 second-round pick (best of GSW/OKC/MIL)
  • 2030 second-round pick (best of WAS/POR/PHX)

Add-ons, the Celtics get:

  • Two tickets to see “No, No Nanette” at The Wilbur
  • A box of Mike’s Pastries from the North End
  • Two tickets to NBA Cup finale at Hinkle Fieldhouse
  • $25 gift card for WaWa
  • $50 coupon good for Cheesesteaks at Jim’s (South Street)

As of the 4th of July, speculation was that Celtics GM Brad Stevens had a “Plan B” in his back pocket, some other move to be made to make sense of the nonsensical deal to ship Brown down the Schuylkill River. The transactions for the start of the 2026-27 season can’t be announced until July 6 at Noon when teams can officially sign contracts under the guise of the 2026-27 Team Salary rules.

Thoughts, please? Any ideas? We’re all ears.

It wasn’t as much as realizing the Celtics dealt Brown, it was the fact they took so little in return.

Maybe it’s retribution by the Sixers to make up for the ill-fated 2017 swap of draft picks that the club used to draft Markelle Fultz at No. 1 while Danny Ainge, GM of the Celtics, got his man – Jayson Tatum – at No. 3, anyway.

Are the Sixers righting the wrong of the 1968 and 1981 Playoffs when the Celtics came back from 3-to-1 game deficits to win a pair of important playoff series vs. Philly?

No.

This is the cold, new reality of the ultimate in salary dumps, the dark backbone of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement which drives the league’s entire set of basketball-related operations.

Brown was on the Celtics’ books for three more seasons at some $185 million, and the club was bound to extend him one more year come July 27. Paul George has two years at $114.3m (approx. $54 and $56m). By doing the deal, it saved the Celtics $71m plus another $142m over two additional years that the extension would provide. Now, the Sixers will need to negotiate that extension. At the end of the fray, that’s $213m the Celtics will keep in their coffers, or utilize to sign other free agents.

Yes, in the end, it’s all about the math and money, not the players. It’s the (possible) move backwards before (potentially) moving forward. Pay them now, or pay them later? Brad Stevens is at the poker table called the “Summer of ‘26.”

Note: Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and the team’s Lead club Owner and Governor Bill Chisholm will meet the media on Monday, July 6 at 4:00pm (EDT).

This season, there’s no 4th of July “invitation only” cookout and meet & greets for teams to line up at the East Hampton (LI) digs of a Kevin Durant. There was no long line outside of LeBron James’ door, not any “The Decision” TV specials.

The Boston vs Miami for a trade for the services of Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was the highlight of the off-season. Whatever James decided to do will be a great story for the one city/team he chooses. Most of the NBA will shrug at the news, wishing him well and awaiting the release of the 2026-27 NBA schedule to circle the date for a rocking chair presentation, a la Dr. J (Julius Erving) and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar).

For James, who is being courted by Golden state, Cleveland and, now, Philly, I’ll put my money on Cleveland being the final destination, as he’ll look to come full circle and have a legitimate chance to compete with a contender for the 2027 NBA title. No other city really makes sense for LeBron’s swan-song departure from the NBA at this point in time. If Philly steps up, gets James at a veteran’s minimum or some other salary cap exception, it’ll raise eyebrows in New York, San Antonio and Oklahoma City, a.k.a. “The Teams to Beat.”.

One thing is for sure. James will retire from active NBA play as one of the all-time greats, to be compared to Michael Jordan or Elgin Baylor or Oscar Robertson, or even to the greats of the 80s – Dr. J, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, or even to the great centers like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar.

If James can carry a team to the 2027 NBA Finals and earn another title, he might be placed on top of that glorious list.

An A.I. Dream Team, sans David Robinson, Chris Mullin and Christian Laettner

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There’s a great series of features of the “The USA’s Top Ten Sports Moments) (over 250 years) and it’s been posted on Substack at a pace of “one a day” leading up the the 4th by author Adam Steinmetz.

One peek is a quote about Larry Bird’s participation for the USA in Portland, Monte Carlo and Barcelona: “Larry was the ultimate teammate. He affected the game just by being in the huddle, and it was very obvious. They didn’t need any rah-rah, but his presence was very noticeable.”

One of the very best editions of the Top Ten is the 4th of July entry about the great Lou Gehrig. Says Steinmetz, “Four score and seven years ago, on this exact date in 1939, a great American delivered one of the most famous speeches in the 250-year history of the United States. His opening line reverberated beyond baseball. His speech echoed beyond sports.

“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” – Gehrig

Born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig in 1903, Gehrig, along with Babe Ruth, became one of the greatest baseball players (and athletes) the game had ever seen. So sadly on May 2, 1939, Gehrig took himself out of the New York Yankees’ line-up and ended a record 2,130 consecutive games played streak (it was since passed by Cal Ripken – 2,632). Gehrig was later diagnosed with the fatal Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (known to most as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Lou Gehrig passed away on June 2, 1941 at the age of 37.

ESPN has done a marvelous job at Wimbledon, thanks to John McEnroe (ESPN)

ESPN COVERAGE OF WIMBLEDON: Serena Williams’ first round loss to Maya Joint averaged 1.8 million viewers on ESPN Tuesday afternoon, helping the network to an average of 937,000 for the full day of coverage — up 55% from last year. It was the network’s most-watched opening round Wimbledon telecast on record. The full opening round, which included Monday’s play, was the most-watched openers on record with an average of 734,000 fans tuning into ESPN’s coverage from England. The last time Williams played in any Grand Slam tournament prior to this year was at the U.S. Open in 2022.

ESPN’s decision to have John McEnroe in the broadcast bunker/booth is the key to the men’s bracket coverage and the anchor to the entire production. Maybe ESPN suits should consider McEnroe as a pairing with Mike Breen (and Jay Bilas) for NBA coverage?

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) announced the closing of a $100 million Series E financing round led by Ares and Joe Tsai, representing the largest capital raise in the history of professional lacrosse. According to a news release issued by the PLL, the round included a subsequent minority equity investment from ESPN, along with investments from actor, writer and producer Glen Powell, Co-chairman of Wrexham A.F.C, actor and producer Rob Mac (formerly McElhenney), country music singer and songwriter Warren Zeiders, and actor Tony Cavalero. As part of the financing, Co-Head of Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment, Jim Miller, will join the PLL’s Board of Directors.

FIBA U-17 BASKETBALL WORLDS: Although overshadowed by the FIFA World Cup tournament, FIBA is staging its World Cup for Under-17 years old Men in Istanbul. The USA defeated Australia, 114-65, to advance to the gold medal game. In the quarter Final game, Türkiye’s Omer Kutluay poured in 30 points to go with 11 assists and two rebounds in a 94-87 win over France to reach the Semi-Finals. Kutluay, son of former NBAer Abrahim (Seattle Sonics), did not commit a single turnover despite being the focal point of France’s aggressive defense. Omer Kutluay was previously signed by Real Madrid to play for their junior level club. With his U-17 age, he is prime material to be signed by a USA college program. … Serbia defeated Türkiye, 76-71, to advance to the final vs. USA (Sunday, 13:15, local).

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: Why? We do not know.

  • What ever happened to white wall tires?
  • The two squirrels that live in the trees by our home are nuts. They run around like crazy animals, chasing each other for no reason – Squirrel ZOOMIES!
  • Our dog(s) do not bark, nor care about squirrels. They prefer to bark at other dogs and people.
  • You knew Canada’s World Cup hopes were limited when there was no player named Guy Lafleur on the roster.
  • How can the PGA Tour completely re-do their schedule and not place a tournament at TPC Boston (like the good olde days of the DeutschBank Championship (DBC), Northern Trust and the FedEx Cup Playoffs)?
  • When we toast bread, it’s just “Toast.” But, if we’re talking about bagels, it’s a “toasted bagel,” and not Toast.” … Which brings this post about “Toast” to its key point. Why, when something is done, over, useless, defeated, is it “Toast?”
  • Why doesn’t FIFA lay down a red line and two blue lines for Offsides?
  • Why don’t MLB teams have a top of the 4th inning stretch well ahead of the traditional 7th inning stretch? Everyone definitely needs a stretch before the middle of the 7th.
  • Many of us aspire to compete on Jeopardy! – the great American television game show that tests knowledge in broad areas of concern. Now get this: FOX television is now proudly promoting the Nation’s Dumbest, a new reality competition show. The goal of contestants on the show is to lose. Figures.

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: And, you ‘all thought I’d go with “Saturday in the Park” by Chicago. The answer is – No.

  • Since I attended two Goose concerts this week, did I see Goose or Geese?
  • In case you didn’t know, Goose and Tedeschi Trucks Band are the two best and most talented bands touring this summer.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 28

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

a close up of a soccer ball on a field
Photo by My Profit Tutor on Unsplash

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

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

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

USA Today Photos

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No teams are in positive figures in the AL Central

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

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

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

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

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 21

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

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

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

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

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

I could go on and on and on.

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

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

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

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

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

KESWICK AMERICANS SPECIAL for FATHER’S DAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A group of men in kilts marching down a street
Photo by Sebastian Pociecha on Unsplash

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

Dear Tartan Army,

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

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

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

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

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

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 14

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Alex Cora

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – In the Summer of 2018, night after night at Fenway Park and when the Boston Red Sox hit the road, you just couldn’t believe the number of victories the team recorded. By June 14, they were 48-22 on the way to a 108-win season.

Just last year, on June 14, the Red Sox started slowly and were 36-36, just hitting the .500 mark on the way to making the 2025 MLB Postseason when they lost to the New York Yankees 2-games-to-1 in the AL Wild Card. On July 4th, a summer ago, the Red Sox were 44-45 and sputtering.

This past April 25, with the Red Sox only 10-17 (.370) after a 17-1 thrashing of the Baltimore Orioles, manager Alex Cora and five of his coaches were sent packing.

Heading into June 13th play, the 2026 Red Sox were 28-39 (.418). and playing less than inspired baseball under interim manager Chad Tracy. That 28-39 record included an 11-21 mark at Fenway and a 17-18 record on the road. The Sox are 6-14 against the American League East.

Thus, it can be concluded, it’s not Chad Tracy’s fault and it certainly wasn’t Alex Cora’s fault that the current Sox club is bordering terrible.

The Sox situation and the stats beg us to ponder a bigger question.

Why do we look to place blame on people, to point “the fickle finger of fate” at someone, such as a baseball manager, when there’s little or no explanation for the occurrences taking place. But, nevertheless, the blame and finger associated to that blame are pointed outward – never inwardly.

A deeper dive into the expression “Fickle Finger of Fate,” show it surfaced in the 1930s on college campuses in the Unoted States, combining 1860s slang of a “fickle finger” and 1870s slang of “fickle fate.” In the 1960s, the television show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” created an award, presented weekly to salute bureaucratic stupidity or ironic institutional blunders. Rarely did that involve the bad luck or losing of a professional sports team.

Fate is usually caused by the whims of misfortune. In the base of Alex Cora, it was a combination of bad weather, injuries to the likes of Cy Young candidate SP Garrett Crochet, shortstop Trevor Story, the franchise’s cornerstone prospect and big game hitter, Roman Anthony and a ping pong of bullpen pitchers who all bounced back and forth from injury, rehab starts and plain, old-fashioned incompetence. Not a thing Cora could do about it.

The other factors in the “deep dive” are “uncontrollable twists and just plain bad luck.” The Red Sox encountered all of the above on the way to that flimsy 10-17 start.

It wasn’t (and still isn’t) Alex Cora’s fault paltry batting averages of .209 (Duran), .201 (Durbin), .220 Mayer, .229 for the oft-injured Anthony and .238 for Yoshida – all above the Mendoza Line but under the club’s expected productivity line.

On the pitching side, the ace, Crochet, is out indefinitely with a shoulder soreness/”lat” inflammation injury that is highly likey to sideline him through the all-star break. Sonny Gray, a glimmer of hope for the club, missed 14 games with a hamstrong strain and the middle relievers have been on-and-off the MLB IL if and when they are not being treated as Piñatas by opponents.

RHP Bryan Bello was optioned to AAA Worcester after stinking up the joint while off-season acquired Ranger Suarez has been inconstsitent and youngsters Connelly Early and LHP Payton Tolle have shown promise, but it has not translated to wins.

The bullpen has a 3.72 ERA to date.

Add it all up and point the finger elsewhere. It’s not Alex Cora’s fault that the Red Sox are four games buried in the AL East cellar.

TIP of the HAT: A tip of the hat goes to the incredible Boston Red Sox PR staff as they tossed a perfect, fitting 77th birthday party to longtime WBZ-Radio reporter Jonny Miller. Many Sox fans remember the wonderful tradition of having Miller begin each postgame press conference with the “honor” of asking the first question, much like the late Helen Thomas (1920-2013) of UPI who had that same honor in the White House briefing room when there was a semblance of decorum. On Saturday, to celebrate Miller’s 77th, there were tributes, a rare standing “O” of applause (tossing the no cheering in the press box rule to the side), and some Major League cake and cupcakes in Fenway Park glory (CITGO (in vanilla and chocolate; Wally; Baseballs and a few other icing pictorials). Nicely done and God Speed to the great Jonny Miller, who WWYI met in 1981.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Radio reports in Boston spoke of an (obviously) Scottish couple, a.k.a. “Man in Kilt,” strolling through Mattapan in downtown Boston. To say that was a safe walk in the park might be an error. Mattapan started as community for Native Americans known as the Mattahunt Tribe. Early in 20th century, immigrants traveling in New England found Mattapan to be a “good place to sit.” Irish, Jewish, and Haitian immigrants called the neighborhood home. That is largely the case for Haitian immigrants ‘til this day, and, in fact, Boston has a huge Haitian population, and Massachusetts ranks third in the USA for Haitian immigrants.

  1. Florida – 544,043 (2.4% of the state population)
  2. New York – 176,287 (0.8%)
  3. Massachusetts – 77,054 (1.1%)

It just so happens, at 9:00pm on Saturday, June 13, Haiti will face Scotland in an important World Cup preliminary match. The Group C in which they compete also includes Brazil and Morocco, not a Group of Death but you might say, a respirator will be attached to the team losing the opening match in the stadium formerly known as Gillette in Massachusetts (far away from Boston, not so far away from Providence).

On Friday night, there were more “Men in Kilts” at Fenway Park than there were Fenway Franks. The Red Sox scored 10 runs and held the Rangers of Texas to a single run. It was only the third time this season the hometown team managed double digits in the run column. Maybe there was some luck or inspiration in ‘dem ‘der kilts? On Saturday morning, hundreds – maybe thousands – of Scots boarded trains at Moynihan Station near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden to travel on the northbound tracks to the sticks of Foxborough – a long trip. The last time Scotland qualified to play in the World Cup was 1998. That’s a Knick-a-load-eon amount of time passed, as the Knickerbockers made it to the NBA Finals in 1999 and – yes – again this year.

TIDBITS & NOTES: Position Sports, in partnership with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, announced that St. John’s and Arizona will tip-off in the Hall of Fame Series New York City on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. The December 5 matchup will also mark the first of two Hall of Fame Series meetings between the programs, with St. John’s and Arizona scheduled to meet at the Hall of Fame Series Phoenix in 2027. Obviously, JoJo will have to leave his home in Tucson to attend the 2027 game. … Did you know? Paul and the late Linda McCartney owned a historic Tucson ranch, located in the foothills of the Rincon Mountains.

ONE on ONE: Teams of 1×1 hoopsters representing Atlanta, Baltimore, Miami, and Washington, DC advanced through the second round of three championship events at Tracy McGrady’s Ones Basketball League (OBL). The playoff took place at Ridge High School in Orlando.

TALK the TALK: There’s been a fair share written in this column about minor league baseball, from Cape Cod to the Pioneer League to the American Association of Professional Baseball. The focus is usually about the teams and players, but sometimes the “behind the scenes” of sports finds a gem in the minors and AAPB alumni on the field aren’t the only ones finding success after their careers in the league. Denning Gerig, the AAPB Broadcaster of the Year in 2021 with the Cleburne Railroaders, has been named director of broadcasting for Wichita State University Athletics.

FENWAYS: Just like they do at Fenway Park, here in Boston, the Chicago Dogs of the same AAPB celebrated the music of Neil Diamond with pre-game performances and sing-a-longs, tagged “Cracklin’ Rosemont.” … In Boston, the Red Sox now feature Diamond’s work in a pregame salute to the 250th anniversary of the USA with a music video montage, entitled, “America.” … And, yes, the CITGO sign has been torn apart in an effort to move it 120 feet and raise it 30 feet higher as it remains in Kenmore Square. “CITGO may think of this as their Sign, but in Boston, we think of it as ours,” Boston City Councilor Sharon Durkan, who represents Kenmore Square, said in a press release about the sign’s move. … Nowadays, the WHOOP sign is the most visable of billboards and it’s been rigged up to glow in white light or go “Red, White and Blue” for the 250th.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 7

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CHESTNUT HILL – There’s been a lot of talk about the secondary ticket market for New York Knicks home games at Madison Square Garden. Those ticket prices are peaking for Games 3 and 4 of The NBA Finals with Game 3 being played Monday night.

Should the Knicks win Monday night and go up 3-0 in their best-of-seven series against the upstart San Antonio Spurs, the prices for Game 4 will sky-rocket. Should the Knicks lose Game 3, the ticket prices for a potential clinching Game 6 at Madison Square Garden will set new high marks for the toughest and most expensive ticket in New York sports history.

On the eve of Game 3, the highest price ticket listed for sale on Ticketmaster, the official online ticket sale and secondary market partner of the NBA, was selling a pair of Courtside seats for $180,187.20 in Row A (not Row AA). Some of the seats in the same area are going for the bargain basement price of $82,000+ and some others, with a few of the back of TV commentator Richard Jefferson’s (6-foot-7) head.

The proverbial “Get In Price” for Game 3 is running between $8,800 per seat (400 level) to $9,100 for some soul looking to dump 200-level seats.

That’s all fine and good.

In this day and age with legal secondary ticket sales online, the ticket is worth whatever price someone is stupid enough to pay for it. Like the NBA’s official ticket sales commercial spot says, “the game is never sold out.”

This columnist harkens back to buying tickets for the 1974 and 1976 ABA Championship Series. The New York Nets sold tickets in strips for all games, but more commonly, on a night-by-night basis. When the Nets won in the semi-finals, young ticket buyers would sprint from their seats to the Nassau Coliseum ticket office window where a line would form to purchase tickets for the next two home games.

The best value at The Coliseum was a Row A (front row seat) in any of Sections 306, 320, 326 and 340. They were all mirror images. The ideal seats were on the aisle, closest to the court. No obstructions. Great seats.

The price tag?

Not $180,187.20 or even $82,000 but a hefty $3.25.

A lower bowl seat in the 200s was something like $6.00 and a seat (in the 100s was an obscene $12.00.

We never missed a game, and the games would eventually sell out.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: All this ticket mayhem in New York made me think of the “toughest” tickets to get in New York sports history. The list I’ve compiled is a modern day listing, and doesn’t include real old time boxing, or Murderer’s Row Yankees World Series games from the 1920s.

As always, the column is quite open to additions, suggestions, criticisms, whatever. Just keep it clean as this is a family publication with plenty of children, students and the like.

For the most part, the list is geared to the magnitude of the event not the ticket scalping price. Here’s one man’s look at tough tickets in New York, and that means at a New York City venue, not in Buffalo.

  1. The Beatles Play Shea Stadium – (August 15, 1965) – The Beatles changed rock music forever when they played in front of a raging, screaming 55,600 fans at Shea Stadium, former home of the New York Mets. “At Shea Stadium, I saw the top of the mountain,” said The Beatles’ lead guitarist and joint vocalist, John Lennon of the show.
  2. New York Rangers – (June 14, 1994) – The Rangers broke the spell and won the NHL Stanley Cup, ending a 54-year drought (1942).
  3. New York Mets – (Oct 16, 1969) – After losing Game 1 at Baltimore, the Mets took four straight to clinch MLB’s 1969 World Series, the franchise’s first ever title.
  4. New York Knicks – (May 8, 1970) – Forever to be known as the “Willis Reed game,” the Knicks took the 1970 NBA title with a Game 7 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The injured Reed limped out from the locker to join his team in warm-ups, then proceeded to hit the first two jump shots of the game. Knicks all-star guard Walt Frazier had 38 points and 19 assists.
  5. Ali vs. Frazier – (March 8, 1971) – Billed as “The Fight of the Century,” Muhammad Ali and Smokin’ Joe Frazier battled for the heavyweight championship of the world at Madison Square Garden. The fight is considered the biggest boxing match in history, and arguably the single most anticipated and publicized sporting event of all time. It was the first time ever that two undefeated boxers who held the world heavyweight title fought each other. Frazier won in a 15-round unanimous decision.
  6. New York Giants vs. Baltimore Colts – (December 28, 1958) – The 1958 NFL Championship, widely known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” was a thrilling overtime victory for the Baltimore Colts over the New York Giants, 23-17, at Yankee Stadium. It was the first NFL playoff game to go into sudden-death overtime, nationally televised, and is credited with skyrocketing the NFL’s popularity, featuring legendary performances by quarterback Johnny Unitas and the late Raymond Berry, who passed away May 15, 2026.
  7. The 1973 Belmont Stakes – (June 9, 1973) – It was the 105th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, Running in a field of only five horses, Secretariat won by 31 lengths going away, the largest margin of victory in Belmont history. A crowd of 69,138 spectators came out to see the Triple Crown finale and most never cashed their $2.00 betting stubs. Secretariat’s winning time of 2 minutes and 24 seconds still stands as the American record for a mile and a half on dirt.
  8. Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Celebration Concerts – (Friday, September 7, 2001, and Monday, September 10, 2001) marked Michael Jackson’s shows at Madison Square Garden – arguably the toughest concert tickets in world history. Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, and Destiny’s Child all performed along with Michael and five of his brothers, marking the last time they performed together on one stage. The shame of it all was the fact the attacks on the USA on September 11, 2001 came only hours after the Jackson concert on the Monday night concluded.
  9. Derek Jeter’s final baseball game at Yankee Stadium – September 25, 2014 – In the bottom of the 9th of a game against the Baltimore Orioles, the game was tied 5–5, and the Yankees had Antoan Richardson on second base. On the first pitch he faced, Derek Jeter lined a single to right field that scored Richardson and the Yankees won, 6–5, on a walk-off single in Jeter’s final game in front of 48,613 fans who had somehow secured tickets.
  10. Barbra Streisand’s Concert at The Garden – (June 23, 1994) – Less than two weeks after the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup and the New York Knicks lost a hard-fought seven game series to the Houston Rockets, the biggest show in modern day history graced the Garden’s stage.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: For those who tune-in to The Memorial on CBS on Sunday (today), you’ll see the greatest golfer of all-time, Jack Nicklaus, greeting the current players as they finish on the 18th hole, and then congratulating the tournament winner. For most golfers, it is the greatest honor of their careers. Jack will be wearing his tradition Sunday yellow or gold golf shirt, a signature of his Golden Bear look, along with his golden locks and burly build that won 18 Majors and 73 PGA Tour events during his illustrious career.

The Yellow Sunday has another meaning and the players all join in, as the tournament benefits children’s hospitals fighting cancer. Back at the 1986 Masters, Nicklaus chose his famous yellow shirt in memory of a young boy who had died from cancer a short time before the tournament. Nicklaus said, “The boy’s name was Craig Smith, and before he passed away, he told me he loved watching me play on Sundays and how he liked it when I wore a yellow shirt because it always seemed to bring me luck.” … “I remember Barbara (Nicklaus, Jack’s wife) telling me to wear yellow that Sunday morning, that it would bring me good luck because of Craig,”

Players, caddies and fans will all be wearing yellow or gold at Muirfield Village.

GIDDY-UP: Kentucky Derby champ Golden Tempo won the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, capturing the third leg of the Triple Crown five weeks after winning the ‘Derby and making more history for trainer Cherie DeVaux.

Jockey Jose Ortiz was aboard, as Golden Tempo went from last to first down the stretch at Saratoga Race Course, the track pinch-hitting for Belmont Park which is in the final year of renovations.

DeVaux, after becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, is the second in four years to do so at the Belmont. DeVaux is the first woman to win multiple Triple Crown races.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 24

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MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA trophies (Photo by T. Peter Lyons/Digital Sports Desk)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Darkness on the Edge of Causeway

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

The Celtics “Owe Us One.”

The Boston Globe Sports Section of May 3 told the Story (Boston Globe)

But, it gets worse.

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

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

Let us count the ways:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bruce Springsteen (file photo)

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

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

They’ll pass you by.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Game 1: Wednesday, June 3

Game 2: Friday, June 5

Game 3: Monday, June 8

Game 4: Wednesday, June 10

Game 5: Saturday, June 13*

Game 6: Tuesday, June 16*

Game 7: Friday, June 19*

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

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

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 17

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Greetings from Boston, Massachusetts where the Red Sox are on the road and struggling mightily, the Bruins were eliminated from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs by the once-lowly Buffalo Sabres and the Celtics are watching Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals from their beach chairs in Cancun.

Embed from Getty Images

That brings us to this weekend’s PGA Championship in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, just a few miles north of Philadelphia. (Little known fact about Newtown Square, PA – not to be confused with Newton Centre, Massachusetts – is that it’s the place your favorite columnist made his Keswick Americans debut on the Dek, circa 1977). And, yes, I put a couple in centering for Holy Trinity mates Greg Pannell and Matt Feeney, but we lost to the Glenolden Gents of Philly in the semis.

I digress, although I’d love to be in Philadelphia.

The PGA Championship is run by the PGA of America, not to be confused with the PGA TOUR. The PGA of America is the governing body for all the club professionals working the thousands of golf courses in the USA, teaching and caring for the game. The PGA of America is also responsible for fielding the USA Ryder Cup teams and organizing the tournament when it’s staged in America. The President’s Cup comes in there, too, but we’ll leave that for another Presidency.

This year’s PGA Championship, the 108th, is being played at Aronimink Golf Club, a former PGA Tour venue for the BMW Championship.

The Thursday and Friday opening rounds were beyond challenging as a 1/2 inch of rain Wednesday night made for very soft, wet conditions in the deep rough. Morning round golfers paid the price, as did their counterparts on Friday when cold, blustery (14-20 mph winds) weather took its toll on the scorecards of even the very best – like Scottie Scheffler who bogeyed three of his first four holes (started on the Back 9) before grinding out a (+1) score of (71) after shooting (67) the previous afternoon.

As tough as the course and the rough played, it was the difficult pin placements which caused the most grief amongst the field. “You see it, you’re like, oh, wow, they’re pushing these things as far as they can,” Scheffler said of the pin locations. “Most of the pins today were, I mean, kind of absurd,” Scheffler added. “They were just so far into the areas where we thought the pins were going to be. This is the hardest set of pin locations that I’ve seen since I’ve been on Tour,” he said, “and that includes U.S. Opens, that includes Oakmont.”

Each of golf’s Majors had their signature attributes, but the PGA Championship was sort of lost in the shuffle without any single identity. Yes, the Wanamaker Trophy has its place amongst the great trophies in all of sports, but the fact the PGA moved around so much, and then was shifted from August to May in the PGA Tour schedule made it less important.

The Masters has the glory of Augusta National and its positioning in April is a sure sign of Spring. The players adore the course and the acceptance of the corny Green Jacket.

The U.S. Open (organized by the United States Golf Association or USGA) has been the most difficult and the courses utilized have become known as the hardest, or even “unfair” by some players.

The Open (a.k.a. British Open) is organized by the The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and is known as the R & A. The Open has the all the great golf courses, it has the history and the prestige associated with winning The Open is second-to-none. It’s golf’s version of Wimbledon. Whether it’s the Old Course at St. Andrew’s (host 30 times) to Prestwick (24 times) or the prestige of Muirfield (16 times), or Royal St. George’s Golf Club (15), or Royal Liverpool (12 times), The Open is the most distinguished of all tournament and it has the Claret Jug Trophy, The Open has cemented its place – not only in golf – but in all of sport.

That leaves The PGA Championship as “the fourth Major,” which is quite alright. The PGA of America’s hierarchy is proud of their tournament and its 107-year past history. This weekend, the Aronimink Golf Club is shining brightly, although you’d never know it from the Thursday and Friday weather. The 2026 edition of the PGA is shaping up to be two different tournaments, the first to get through the qualifier in the winds, then the weekend of great weather, some breeze, but overall – paradise on the golf course.

This week, 98 of the top 100 players in the World Golf Rankings teed-it-up. Only Lucas Herbert (#89) and Shaun Norris (#95) are missing.

Thirty-six hole leader Maverick McNealy faltered on Moving Day and shot (+1) but his co-leader, Alex Smalley, kept up his pace (-2) and it’s Smalley who leads the PGA by two strokes over five golfers tied for second. Saturday saw the big names jump up the leaderboard, a la Rory McIlroy who shot a (-4) to fight his way into contention after an opening round (74).

Five players shot (65) and six joined McIlroy in shooting a (66).

The take-away message channels the great line from the great Houston Rockets and Team USA coach Rudy Tomjanovich and that is to “never underestimate a major or a major champion.”

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: WWYIs believes it’s important to keep an eye on minor league baseball. Last week, there was some “investment advice” for the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneeer League. This weekend? It’s an update on the American Association. The sound of “Play Ball!” will be heard across the Midwest this week, as the American Association of Professional Baseball (@AA_Baseball) opened the 2026 regular season. There’s quite a newsworthy item of note to start the season; The Kane County Cougars will adopt an “alternate identity, the “Swedish Meatballs,” celebrating the strong Swedish population in Geneva, Illinois for games on June 13, July 31 and August 20.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced announced the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic will return to the MassMutual Center in downtown Springfield on Sunday, December 6. The games will feature UMass vs. Wake Forest and Brown vs. Central Connecticut State (CCSU). The event is made possible in partnership with Explore Western Mass, Springfield Business Improvement District, UMass, and the MassMutual Center.

This year’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies will be held August 14 (Mohegan Sun festivities) and August 15 (Springfield, Mass.).

Teams of 1×1 hoopsters representing the great basketball cities of Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, New York, and Washington, D.C. advanced at “OBL: Battle of the Cities,” the first of three Championship events for Tracy McGrady’s Ones Basketball League.

The six teams advance to the next phase of the championship, “Standing 6,” set for June 12. From there, four will move on to “For the Throne,” the July 1 finals. All the games are being staged at Oak Ridge High School in Orlando.

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YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Here’s a new one. On Saturday, the National Hockey League issued a very stiff penalty in regard to the leaague’s media relations rules. In a statement, the NHL notes, “As a result of flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs media regulations following Game 6 of their second round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, May 14, the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit a second-round pick in the 2026 (Upper Deck) NHL Draft. In addition, Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella has been fined $100,000.”

The statement continued, “The imposition of these penalties comes after previous warnings were issued to the club regarding their compliance with the media regulations and other associated policies. Vegas has been offered the opportunity to appeal these penalties to the Commissioner’s Office. That appeal would be held in person next week in New York.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. – Napoleon Solo took honors in the Preakness on Saturday. The horse came into the race known for his impressive win in the 2025 Grade 1 Champagne Stakes. but with a questionable results in the Wood Memorial and in the Fountain of Youth Stakes when he finished 11 lengths and change off the lead. Mr Solo is trained by Chad Summers and was ridden to victory by Paco Lopez. The Preakness was run at Laurel in Maryland as Pimlico is undergoing renovations much like Belmont Park which shifts the third leg of the Triple Crown to Saratoga. Of course, thre was no intrigue for a Triple Crown winner this year as Derby winner, Golden Tempo, trained by Cherie DeVaux and ridden by José Ortiz, was not entered at Laurel Park. The 158th Belmont Stakes takes place on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

Second-seeded Notre Dame outscored Johns Hopkins 9-3 in the second half to break from a 6-6 tie and the Fighting Irish advanced to NCAA Lacrosse Championship Weekend for the third time in four years, topping the Blue Jays, 15-9, in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon at Hofstra. Syracuse advanced as well.

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THIS JEST IN: According to the Associated Press, St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol believes in a “no shirt, no problem” mantra. His club was boosted to a win over the Royals Friday night and again on Saturday by a group of college players in the right-field seats who took off and waved their shirts as they sang, chanted and drew others into the fray. Marmol loved it so much that he bought tickets for shirtless revelers this weekend.

“Last night’s atmosphere was electric. Let’s run it back this weekend,” Marmol said in a social media post. “I’ll buy tickets for fans who want to sit in the right field Loge and bring the energy.”

It all began when the Stephen F. Austin club baseball team, known as the Lumberjacks, was in nearby Alton, Illinois, for the National Club Baseball Division II World Series. The Cardinals offered tickets to the team, and 17 players attended. The college players were back Saturday, when they shouted Marmol’s name numerous times along with “M-V-P!” when Jordan Walker came to bat. Other fans in the stadium joined in on the fun.

“I heard it pretty clearly,” Marmol said. “Welcome back to Busch. It was cool to see them back. The environment was awesome. We feed off that.”

Will he keep buying tickets?

“I’ll go broke,” Marmol quipped.