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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Jan 4

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – There are some really tough jobs in the sports industry. They are often thankless and low paying in comparison to what someone would make in a similar position “in the real world.” So many of the jobs in sports require extra long hours, working every weekend and holiday and being away from family on important dates (graduations, weddings, birthdays) and many of the holidays.

That is the price you pay for a challenging job in sports, hearing the “roar of the crowd,” and you usually know the job description and travel requirements before you sign up.

To be successful on the job, you need a tremendous support system behind the job and that is the family – a very understanding family to say the least.

Looking at tough jobs, there’s Charlie Baker of the NCAA.

Baker is the former Governor of Massachusetts and current president of the NCAA. He served two terms in the Commonwealth and signed up with the NCAA in March, 2023. He has an impossible job – the kind that has zero chance of being 100% successful as he serves far too many constituents in the world of collegiate athletics.

Simply put, Baker has too many mouths to feed. He also has four Power 4 obstacle courses to navigate (remember when it was Power 5 – a la the Pac 10-12)? Yes, the commissioners of the Power 4 football conferences, along with the newly created hierarchy of the College Football Playoffs, undermines the power of the NCAA. And, it’s getting worse by the day, by the season – across more sports than just football.

Local Boston sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy had a chance to sit down with the former Guv’nah and asked about the thankless job Baker endures: “There’s a lot about it that’s frustrating,” Baker said to Shaughnessy over lunch last week. “But I spent most of my career in healthcare and government, and those can be frustrating environments, as well. OK?“

Shaughnessy also sought insight from Peter Roby, a lifelong sports administrator as A.D. at Northeastern and Dartmouth who spent a five-year stint on the NCAA committee for men’s basketball and Roby did not disappoint: “No one talks about education or personal development at the highest levels. It’s about transfer portal, NIL revenue sharing, and the need for congressional intervention. Schools continue to complain about rising costs and the need for more revenue, yet they are paying out multimillion-dollar buyouts for fired coaches and hiring coaches at $12 million per year.

“The way things are trending, the NCAA will not exist in its current form in the next few years. It will only manage sports championships. All the legal settlements have resulted in billions of dollars being paid out over the next 10 years, and that money is coming from the NCAA and member schools. This has resulted in (fewer) programs being offered to students, coaches, and administrators by the NCAA, while rendering the NCAA powerless to pass overarching legislation or enforce current rules for fear of more litigation. All of this comes as a result of the failure of (University) presidential leadership and overreach by boards of trustees,” said Roby.

As the NCAA has morphed into a championship event organizing company – and a good one at that – the rest of the US collegiate sports industry turns its lonely eyes to yesteryear, seeking some common sense rules and general leadership. But, with the landscape and mega-dollars going the way they’re going (straight up – 📈), Baker has no chance to succeed as the head of a true national governing body for college sports.

Caught directly in the crosshairs is Division I collegiate basketball. They’re playing at the mercy of the big brother and major money-maker of football and the power has been slip-sliding away. Only the commissioners of the Power 4, the BIG EAST and West Coast Conferences stand a chance at carving out some reasonable existence in this big, bad world of footy-driven administration.

What does that leave to the (formerly) powerful National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC)?

It leaves them to do what they do best – Complain but do nothing.

The complainer-in-chief is Coach John Calapiri, the head coach of Arkansas (after see-saw stints as head coach at UMass, Memphis, Kentucky and a pro try-out with the (then) New Jersey, now Brooklyn Nets franchise.

Typing a transcript of Coach Cal’s December 29 beef would not do it justice, so here it is to watch and listen ‘til your heart’s delight:

Isn’t that fabulous? Calipari turned a Fayetteville, Arkansas post-game press availability into a cry for help at the U.S. Capitol or Arkansas State House. While some called it a tirade or rant, I’d label it as pleading for help, for leadership in athletics and guidance to police the college coaches from themselves.

You really have to agree with Coach Cal or UConn Coach Danny Hurley who suggested college basketball “could really use a commissioner.” A commissioner for college basketball (one job) would need to hire a No. 2a and 2b to oversee the men’s and women’s divisions, while also needing a top-notch labor lawyer. Properly done, college basketball could then former a Labor Relations Board who could hammer-out a common sense, reasonable Collective Bargaining Agreement which would even the playing field and account for USA citizens and international students. (Note: Calipari kept singling out European players, but there’s talent coming from every corner of the globe and most have never heard of an NCAA handbook.

“It’s such an incredible sport,” said Hurley. ““We’ve got the greatest sport(ing) event that this country has on a yearly basis that catches the imagination of the whole country, casuals, non-sports fans. Everyone’s got a bracket. You’ve got this incredible product that’s marketed horribly outside of March. It’s an incredible sport. We need a commissioner.

“A (Roger) Goodell or a David Stern. Somebody that’s gonna make decisions and start making moves that are in the best interest of college basketball, not just having coaches and players do what’s in the best interest of them,” said the outspoken Hurley.

Upon further review, it must be said that the college football and “Olympic sports” side would be much tougher to resolve than the problems of basketball and it’s not realistic to name a “Commissioner” for every sport, all reporting into Baker and it’s quite evident, in football, no one is going to give up power and that includes the highly paid commissioners of the Power 4, Notre Dame (as a whole), the TV industry (with existing or future contracts in hand), school presidents and athletic directors and a growing breed of player agents. All have their piece of the pie and aren’t planning to give up a slice.

Plus: what’s good for college football or basketball won’t work for baseball or softball and rules for all of the sports above (football, baseball, basketball, and softball) might not be good for college soccer or tennis or lacrosse or swimming or volleyball and so on. And, what’s great for the Big 12 might not work in the Atlantic 10.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few went so far as to suggest Congress weigh-in on the issue, saying, “Our lack of leadership has really shown,” Few said last Sunday after his team beat Pepperdine University 96-56. “Now it’s probably time to get some help from Congress, but they’re more screwed up than the NCAA.”

As it relates to Baylor’s signing of James Nnaji, the NCAA issued a prepared statement to college basketball site “Field of 68″,” declaring: “Schools are recruiting and seeking eligibility for more individuals with more international, semi-pro and professional experience than ever before and while the NCAA members have updated many rules following the House injunction, more rules must likely be updated to reflect the choices member schools are making. At the same time, NCAA eligibility rules have been invalidated by judges across the country, wreaking havoc on the system and leading to fewer opportunities for high school students, which is why the Association is asking Congress to intervene in these challenges.”

Congress considered one small slice of the debate earlier this year, as the Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsement (SCORE) Act fractured the Republican side of the aisle and garnered opposition from Democrats. Earlier this month, House leadership canceled a vote on the SCORE Act, which would have regulated compensation student-athletes receive from NIL deals.

Earlier, the College Athletics Reform Act (CARA) was introduced by Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-Mass-5th), and the bill attempted to protect athletes’ rights and create a sustainable system for college sports. It included provisions to establish federal standards for NIL rights and enhance opportunities for women’s and Olympic sports. It went nowhere.

So much for Congressional relief.

What’s the solution?

Here’s WWYI’s take for a road map to sanity:

  1. Take Hurley’s recommendation and hire a Commissioner for NCAA Basketball.
  2. That job should go to Joel Litvin, former President of Basketball for the NBA.
  3. Allow Litvin to hire any combination of labor lawyers, advisors and “basketball people” to become his Labor Relations Board (include Jim Tooley/Sean Ford of USA Basketball, Tommy Amaker, head coach at Harvard, retired Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Stu Jackson, Commissioner of the West Coast Conference. An advisor named Russ Granik would chair the meetings and head up the Labor board for both men and women.
  4. Prompt the basketball players (both men and women) to hire labor lawyers.
  5. Negotiate a fair Collective Bargaining Agreement to govern the sport(s).
  6. Prompt the NABC to form a labor division.
  7. Negotiate a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the coaches.
  8. Name Dan Gavitt as the head of NCAA men’s basketball championships, a job he’s done quite well with since 2012.
  9. Continue with Amanda Braun, director of athletics at Milwaukee, to chair the women’s committee for championships.
  10. In addition to her role as Commissioner of the BIG EAST, ask Val Ackerman to chair the Labor Relations Board for women’s basketball.

Executing the items from the Top Ten list will take some serious doing and it would be followed by months and months of very hard work and lengthy negotiations, but it will set a firm, new path to actual sanity for the sport of college basketball. It would set clear-cut rules for basketball operations, the signing of players and payment structure. It would address incoming players, both transfers and first-year (domestic and international). It would institute a maximum team salary cap for schools to operate and abide by, and that could be done conference-by-conference with different salary levels for Div. II and III. It’s not a cookie cutter approach.

Once negotiated, Litvin would oversee the entire legal, basketball and business operation of the NCAA division for basketball on an on-going basis with the staff of his choosing to govern both men’s and women’s basketball

The Patriots parted with Bill Belichick, giving Jerod Mayo a one-year audition as head coach before firing him and hiring Mike Vrabel in January 2025 (file)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Two pro teams faced two tough decisions. The New England Patriots fired their coach, popular former player Jerod Mayo, after only one season when he finished with a 4-13 record. The firing came about a year ago. Mayo was the hand-picked successor to the great Bill Belichick and New England Patriots team owner Bob Kraft has a few years to consider his choices as the Belichick era of Patriots football limped to a close after 24 seasons, six Super Bowl titles, nine AFC championships and 17 AFC East titles, including 11 consecutive division crowns.

Last January, Kraft pulled the trigger on Mayo’s firing and the hiring of Mike Vrabel on January 12, 2025 – possibly Kraft’s best move since writing his name on contracts addressed to Belichick and retired quarterback Tom Brady, a.k.a. – The Franchise. Vrabel had played linebacker for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and was an integral member of three of the six Super Bowl championship teams. After retiring as a player, he served as Tennessee Titans coach from 2018 to 2023, posting a 54-45 regular-season record and 2-3 mark in the NFL Playoffs, including a trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.

It was a tough decision to pull the rug out from under Mayo after only one year at the helm, but hiring Vrabel was the right decision at the key time and Vrabel proved Kraft right by leading the Patriots to a surprising AFC East Division title in 2025-26, and there might be more to come.

Down in New York, there was a tough coaching decision but it was at the opposite end of the spectrum of winning. The New York Knicks had eliminated the defending champion Boston Celtics in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals and NY advanced to the Conference Finals where they lost to the youthful Indiana Pacers, 4-2.

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau completed his fifth season with the Knicks, improving each and every year since 2021-22 to a 50+ win season and New York’s best finish since losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 NBA Finals.

Knicks front office guru Leon Rose decided to make a change and dismissed Thibs and hired Mike Brown who has New York atop the NBA’s Atlantic Division whiel guiding them to an NBA Cup title in December.

Again, a very difficult decision, but the right one. A gutsy call by Rose.

Brown is playing a more open offensive style while utilizing more players in his rotation. The defense stressed by Thibodeau has not been forgotten by the same core crew to upend the Celtics last spring, but undoubtedly, the Knicks will have fresh legs and ample offense to take on all opponents come April.

Two difficult coaching decisions with two outcomes – both the best for each team.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The injury bug keeps biting the NBA. Aside from all-stars like Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton being out indefinitely, Dallas’ Anthony Davis being in & out of the lineup all season, the league took a major hit with the fact Denver’s incredible Nikola Jokić is out for some three-to-four weeks with a hyper-extended knee injury. The injury came days after Jokić posted a 56-16-15 line in a Nuggets victory over

A non-comprehensive list of players currently OUT or questionable because of injury include (Player, Team):

  • Trae Young, Atlanta
  • Jayson Tatum, Boston
  • Miles Bridges, Charlotte
  • Josh Giddey, Chicago
  • Coby White, Chicago
  • Larry Nance, Jr., Cleveland
  • Max Strus, Cleveland
  • Anthony Davis, Dallas
  • Dereck Lively, Dallas
  • Kyrie Irving, Dallas
  • Dante Exum, Dallas
  • Aaron Gordon, Denver
  • Nikola Jokić, Denver
  • Christian Braun, Denver
  • Seth Curry, Golden State
  • Fred Van Fleet, Houston
  • Obi Toppin, Indiana
  • Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana
  • Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers
  • Bradley Beal, LA Clippers
  • Rui Hachimura, LA Lakers
  • Austin Reaves, LA Lakers
  • Zach Edney, Memphis
  • Scottie Pippen Jr., Memphis
  • Ty Jerome, Memphis
  • John Konchar, Memphis
  • Tyler Herro, Miami
  • Taurean Prince, Milwaukee
  • Terrence Shannon Jr., Minnesota
  • Dejounte Murray, New Orleans
  • Mitchell Robinson, New York
  • Josh Hart, New York
  • Landry Shamet, New York
  • Jaylin Williams, OKC
  • Isaiah Hartenstein, OKC
  • Nikola Topic, OKC
  • Jalen Suggs, Orlando
  • Franz Wagner, Orlando
  • Kelly Oubre Jr., Philadelphia
  • Grayson Allen, Phoenix
  • Jalen Green, Phoenix
  • Jerami Grant, Portland
  • Scoot Henderson, Portland
  • Jrue Holiday, Portland
  • Damian Lillard, Portland
  • Zach LaVine, Scaramento
  • Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento
  • Devin Vassil, San Antonio
  • Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio
  • Jacob Poeltl, Toronto
  • Ace Bailey, Utah
  • Walter Kessler, Utah
  • Georges Niang, Utah
  • Cam Whitmore, Washington

That’s a major league list of injuries, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made note at his NBA Cup media availability that the number of injuries this season are down from a year ago.

“All I can deal with is the data itself, and the data we have so far this season is we have the lowest number of injuries in the last three years,” said Silver to a pointed question on league-wide injuries.

“I’ll stop there and say, regardless where the level of injuries stands versus prior years, of course the soft tissue injuries concern us. All injuries concern us, for that matter. The most frustrating issue right now, and the one that we have seemingly the least control over, is keeping star players on the floor.

“I think we have made progress. We’ve made adjustments in scheduling. We’ve made adjustments in the sharing of information among teams. We’ve made adjustments in the care of players. But there are no silver bullets here.

“I think we have to be true to the data. So when people say because of the Cup the season was denser leading up to now — it wasn’t, full stop.

“The level of density up until this point in the season is roughly what it’s been for the last decade. It’s just factually not true that, as a result of Cup scheduling, the first part of the season created a denser schedule.

“We are seeing an increase in pace of play. You could measure that in different ways. But measured by speed in which players are bringing the ball to half court — yes, that’s up. That may be causing some additional injuries. But what do you do about that? That’s something we’re looking at.

“Also part of your question, we’re very focused with our team doctors on the data we’re seeing and the evidence in terms of the wear and tear on players’ bodies when they get to the league. I think, as you said, we’re seeing young players now specialize at 10 years old and up as opposed to a generation before them that — I’m looking at James Jones — the top athletes played a different sport in every season and they developed their musculature in a different way.

“We think that’s preventative when you have a balanced system. Now it’s not even just that athletes aren’t switching from — young athletes aren’t switching from season to season, they’re literally playing year-round.

“Even modern NBA players, they finish the season, they take a day off and they’re right back in the gym. It may be that over time that with better data, this may be another area where AI can ingest enormous amounts of data and video and look at patterns, might be able to solve some of these problems.

“So the answer is it’s frustrating. It’s frustrating for our teams. It’s frustrating for our fans. But I do think we have to be true to what the evidence is as opposed to saying there’s a narrative out there that injuries are up or injuries are up because of scheduling. They’re not.

“But, we continue to slice and dice the data in every way we can, plus we look at qualitative information. People who have been around this game for a long time, what are they seeing? Are players training differently? Are there better techniques out there to keep players healthier? By the way, this is not a problem unique to the NBA. It’s tremendously frustrating in all sports to see star players in particular go down, but of course any player.

“We’re very focused on it. There’s no amount of money we’re not willing to invest in it to make those investments to see if there’s better resources out there. I would say also, Andre Iguodala and the Players Association have been tremendously cooperative, as well. We all have a common interest in keeping players on the floor.

MAKE NOTE: with Nikola Jokić of Denver and Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio injured and their February playing futures unknown, the International team at the NBA All-Star Game might take a major hit to its potential “Starting 5.” Initially looking like a lock to win the NBA’s new All-Star Classic, now, it’s a toss-up once again. The Internationals still have the advantage (think: Shai).

HOW MANY DAYS? Here’s a look-see at the number of days between January 4th and …

33 – Days Until Opening Ceremonies of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics

37 – Days Until Pitchers & Catchers Report for MLB Spring Training

49 – Days Until the Gold Medal Game for Men’s Ice Hockey at the Olympics

61 – Days Until the annual MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (Seaport)

70 – Days until NCAA Selection Sunday

81 – Days Until MLB Opening Day

89 – Days Until Red Sox Home Opener (vs. SD Padres)

106 – Days Until the Boston Marathon (Patriots’ Day)

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Dec 28

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The lads welcome in the New Year (file photo)

 

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The year twenty-twenty-five was a difficult year. The news was grim. We lost too many favorite people, actors and rock stars but the sports scene was a constant source of entertainment and solace.

January 2025 brought terrible wild fires in California with the Palisades fire destroying a legendary neighborhood near Los Angeles. It worsened with the inauguration – but that’s a column for another day.

We lost the lovable, boxing great and entrepreneur/grill salesman George Foreman. Midyear, we lost rock legends in Beach Boys leader and songwriter Brian Wilson and Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne.

We lost President Jimmy Carter and every living POTUS attended his funeral to pay proper respects to a wonderful man who set the standard for life after a Presidency.

Astronaut Jim Lovell, the captain of the ill-fated yet miraculous Apollo 13, passed away at the age of 97. In September, we lost one of Hollywood’s most admired legends with the death of Robert Redford and not too much later, we lost actors Diane Keaton and a personal fave – Val Kilmer (Top Gun (1986), The Doors (1991), Tombstone (1993) and Heat (1995). We lost the great Gene Hackman and then heard of the terrible death of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner.

After the death of beloved Pope Francis, 88, Pope Leo XIV, the first United States-born Pope, brightened spirits for a new generation of Roman Catholics, never mind lifting the hopes for championships in his native Chicagoland and at Villanova University, near Philadelphia, where the Pontiff attended college as “just a guy” named Robert Francis Prevost.

The war in Ukraine/Russia rages on and National Guard hit the streets in five US cities, with two guardsman shot and killed in an ambush in Washington DC in November. On a dark December New England Saturday, two students at Brown University were shot and killed while nine others were wounded by bullets and an entire region was wounded without scars – but mentally. A day later, the same gunman shot at MIT Professor and the mass shooting numbers for the United States, alone, swelled to 470 for 2025. The same weekend, crazed gunmen in Bondi Beach, (near Sydney) Australia, killed 16 and wounded at least 40 others in an attack on a gathering of people of the Jewish faith celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.

There were jewel heists and constant bickering over the release of the Trump-dreaded Epstein files which were ruled to be made public by Congressional decree.

As noted the world of sports provided some incredible moments and entire seasons. The Philadelphia Eagles upended the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl and Baseball had an amazing 2025 season and postseason. The current NFL season is primed to provide an unpredictable playoffs to culminate at the Super Bowl (Santa Clara) in February 2026.

My beloved St. John’s won the BIG EAST (regular season and conference title) to enjoy their best season in 30 years. The Johnnies had The Garden rocking as they went undefeated on their home court, but lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament (to Arkansas), putting a quick end to March Madness in Jamaica Estates.

Rory McIlroy won The Masters and, in doing so, clinched a Career Grand Slam of wins at golf’s four major championships.

The Florida Gators took the NCAA men’s tournament while the UConn Huskies won their 12th NCAA women’s tourney in grand fashion with a statement victory over the tough South Carolina Gamecocks, 82-59. In the NBA, regular season and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the OKC Thunder to the 2025 NBA title.

NBA Basketball School opened its doors on Dec. 26, 2025 (file photo)

Lastly, on another personal adventure, the NBA played a pair of exhibitions in Abu Dhabi and – together with longtime basketball friends – we were able to attend one of the games while we launched the NBA Basketball School of Turkiye and managed to win the U-17 young men’s tournament in the UAE. Remember, Gold Medals are a good thing.

Twenty-twenty-five is almost over and that’s a good thing. Let’s be sure there are much better days ahead.

2026 year represented by numbered cubes on metallic surface.
Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

HERE NOW, THE NOTES – Picking up from last weekend’s January-to-June 2025 Part I of the list, here’s what was written in WWYI from July-to-December:

July 6:

  • The Kaitlin Clark Effect
  • PGA TOUR adjusts tourney purses upward

July 13:

  • Savannah Bananas Invade Fenway and it was fun
  • Fred VanFleet Named NBA Players’ Assn. President

July 20:

  • STAND UP to Cancer
  • WNBA: “Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail.”

July 27:

  • House of Reps Order = Real March Madness; Govt. should stay out
  • Gotham City

August 3:

  • FedEx Cup Playoff Preview
  • WNBA in Boston? Not So Fast

August 10:

  • Seasons Change: A Look at Fall Sports
  • JIMMY Fund Radio/Telethon

August 17:

  • HARD KNOCKS is Back
  • BU vs. BU

August 24:

  • The New ESPN App
  • Whole Lotta Streaming and $

August 31:

  • Ryder Cup Preview | Bradley Family
  • College Football Preview

September 7:

  • Basketball Hall of Fame | Jeff Twiss
  • NFL Preview

September 14:

  • U.S. Open Tennis
  • What it Takes to Watch Sports on TV

September 21:

  • What Happened to Penn State?
  • Ryder Cup Preview at Bethpage Park (Black Course)

September 28:

  • USA Ryder Cup Blues
  • College Football Report
  • WNBA Uprising vs League, Officiating

October 5 (Special Edition):

  • Dateline: Abu Dhabi
  • NBA Basketball School Tournament

October 12:

  • Thoughts from Abu Dhabi – Post Trip
  • The Story of “I Love This Game”
  • NBA and NHL Look-Aheads

October 19:

  • College Basketball 2025-26
  • St. John’s with High Ranking, Higher Expectations
  • MLB Gold Gloves

October 26:

  • Federal Gambling Investigation Involving Basketball
  • Paul Newman and The Sting tribute

November 2:

  • Load Management Issues Examined
  • BC vs. ND
  • CFP Schedule and Look-Ahead

November 9:

  • Thank You to Baseball for an Incredible Season of ‘25
  • Penn Gaming Flops
  • NBA on NBC (Peacock Network) Plays it Straight

November 16:

  • NBA in “Good Trouble” with dominant International Team Set for All-Star ‘26
  • MLS Calendar Change Upcoming

November 22 (Thanksgiving Day Preview):

  • TL Thank-You Column
  • Great TV

November 30:

  • The American Revolution Documentary
  • The Voices: Including Peter Coyote (Ken Burns’ narrator)

December 7:

  • The DIGGIES ‘25 – Great Rock Lyrics
  • Missing NYC

December 14:

  • Stuart Scott Remembered
  • FIFA World Cup Draw

December 21:

  • Fenway Sports Sold the Pittsburgh Penguins
  • Year in Review: Part I

BIG EAST HEADS-UP: The Villanova Wildcats are now 10-2, and the Seton Hall Pirates are a solid 11-2. The Butler Bulldogs are 10-3 and the UConn Huskies are 12-1 with their lone loss inflicted by Arizona back on November 20th. Only Marquette is playing sub-.500 ball. BIG East play begins in earnest on December 30th and it will be a challenge to wind up in the top four as of March 7, 2026 when the regular season concludes with a Providence at Georgetown game at 8:00pm at the Cap One Arena. Playing on BIG East Friday might determine NCAA bids (unless UConn gets upset on Thursday – as they’ll be “in” for sure. How will St. John’s fare? Your guess is as good as mine. As of Dec 24th, the Johnnies had some coal placed in their stockings and fell out of the Top 25.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: After some calculations, Major League Baseball handed out its postseason cash awards for the teams participating in Baseball’s Playoffs. The Red Sox divided their bonus into 91 shares. Here’s the breakdown for the teams nice, rather than naughty. Note: Amounts are distributions per full share, rounded to the nearest dollar, with the number of full shares in parentheses:

  • Los Angeles Dodgers: $484,748 (82)
  • Toronto Blue Jays: $354,118 (70)
  • Milwaukee Brewers: $168,853 (70)
  • Seattle Mariners: $182,376 (69)
  • New York Yankees: $47,318 (71)
  • Detroit Tigers: $46,865 (75)
  • Philadelphia Phillies: $52,043 (64)
  • Chicago Cubs: $48,741 (70)
  • Boston Red Sox: $9,346 (91)
  • Cleveland Guardians: $11,056 (71)
  • San Diego Padres: $10,711 (68)
  • Cincinnati Reds: $11,528 (69)

ANOTHER SHAMELESS PGA TOUR BRUNCH PLUG: Say Happy New Year to your favorite golf fan with A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION to PGA Tour Brunch. Posted to in-boxes six days a week (not Tuesdays) for lunch or brunch-time reading, PGA Tour Brunch provides fans of the PGA Tour (and its growing list of Fantasy, gambling and DFS players, too) with a one-stop, mobile friendly e-news to help navigate the hundreds of golf news sites available. PGA Tour Brunch is short and sweet, a couple mobile page scrolls and it provides all the basic information, like tee times, the field, odds, player notes, leaderboards, and even some breaking news. It’s designed by @terrylyons with a blessing from the popular @SoxLunch creators. Discount for 2026 is HERE.

PREMIER LEAGUE PREDICTIONS: In Major League Baseball, fans circle the standings on the 4th of July as foresight to the eventual pennant race winners and post season participants. In the English Premier League championship, Christmas Day or Boxing Day is a time to look at the ladder and to put a tuppence or more down for a bet on the EPL champ. As of December 25, 2025, here’s a look at the odds to win the title in 2026:

  1. Arsenal – (-140)
  2. Manchester City – (+140)
  3. Aston Villa – 22/1
  4. Liverpool – 28/1
  5. Chelsea – 40/1
  6. Manchester United – 80/1

However, as USA Network’s Premier League tv coverage and The Athletic pointed out Saturday morning, “In the Premier League era, leading at Christmas has not always meant getting the job done in May. Those that have topped the table on December 25 have gone on to be crowned champions in 17 of the past 33 seasons, meaning just under half of the league leaders at this stage have been pipped to the post.”

TL’s Sunday Notes | DIGGIES ’25

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The Lyrics Edition:

While We’re Young (Ideas) Offers Up Some Great Lyrics in Rock History

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Quoting the Monty Python TV show, “now for something completely different.”

Warning Sports Fans: The start of this column is 100% music – not sports – and, it also needs a qualifier – one used frequently while making lists of favorite this or favorite that. The qualifier is that if I were asked to list my favorite lyrics in rock history for 365 consecutive days, you’d get 365 different versions, some with repeats, but many without a single repeating entry.

So, my obvious qualifier: On December 7, 2025, these are the “TL-Top 40” lyrics in my personal catalogue of musicology. That catalogue runs pretty deep, especially from my formative years of the late 1960s to early 1970s. Many of my entries reflect memorable rock ‘n roll songs burned into my memory while many a stylus burned grooves into vinyl albums, an amazing number of them from 1971.

Figuring you get the picture, here are the TL DIGGIES of Rock Lyrics – 2025 edition.

The listing is a TL Top 40 award listing for some of the great and meaningful lyrics in my personal history of listening to great Rock n Roll songs (they are listed in the random order of identifying the songs I wanted to highlight, not great to greatest nor anything else. Only the final listing of the group comes with a deep explanation of it being my all-time fave and the column cover photo might give you a hint:

(1) – “We learned more from a three-minute record, baby Than we ever learned in school.” Bruce Springsteen, “No Surrender,” 1984 (Submitted by column contributor Natly, and it matched yours truly, Tee Els, exactly – so this the listing placed at #1)

(2) – “Sunday’s on the phone to Monday, Tuesday’s on the phone to me” The Beatles, “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window,” 1969

(3) – “You got rats on the west side, bed bugs uptown, what a mess, this town’s in tatters,” Rolling Stones, “Shattered,” 1978

(4) – “You know the day destroys the night, Night divides the day, Tried to run, tried to hide, Break on through to the other side.” The Doors, “Break On Through (To the Other Side), 1967

(5)- “I’ve been waiting so long, to be where I’m going, In the sunshine of your love.” Cream, “Sunshine of your Love,” 1967 (Jack Bruce)

(6) – “I watched with glee, while your kings and queens, Fought for ten decades, For the gods they made … I shouted out, ‘Who killed the Kennedys?’ When after all It was you and me.” Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil,” 1968

(7) – “And as we wind on down the road, Our shadows taller than our soul, There walks a lady we all know, Who shines white light and wants to show, How everything still turns to gold, And if you listen very hard, The tune will come to you at last, When all are one and one is all. To be a rock and not to roll.” Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven,” 1971

(8) – “I’ve been walkin’ Central Park, singing after dark, People think I’m crazy! Stumbling on my feet, shuffling through the street, Asking people, “What’s the matter with you, boy?” Rolling Stones, “Miss You,” 1978

(9) – “Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face, With stars to fill my dreams, I am a traveler of both time and space, To be where I have been.” Led Zeppelin, “Kashmir,” 1975

(10) – “Why don’t you come with me little girl, On a magic carpet ride? Well, you don’t know what we can see, Why don’t you tell your dreams to me, Fantasy will set you free, Close your eyes girl, Look inside girl, Let the sound take you away” Steppenwolf, “Magic Carpet Ride,” 1968

(11) – “This is our last dance, This is our last dance, This is ourselves. Under pressure, Under pressure. Pressure.” Queen and David Bowie, written by Freddie Mercury and Bowie, “Under Pressure,” 1981

(12) – “I had a job, I had a girl, I had something going, mister, in this world, I got laid off, down at the lumberyard, Our love went bad, times got hard, Now I work down at the car wash – Where all it ever does is rain – Don’t you feel like you’re a rider, On a downbound train?” Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Downbound Train,” 1984

(13)- “Excuse me, while I kiss the sky.” Jimi Hendrix, “Purple Haze,” 1967

(14) – “I know a man ain’t supposed to cry, But these tears, I can’t hold inside. Losin’ you would end my life, you see, ‘Cause you mean that much to me, You could have told me yourself, That you loved someone else, instead, I heard it through the grapevine, Not much longer would you be mine, Oh, I heard it through the grapevine, And I’m just about to lose my mind, Honey, honey, well.” Marvin Gaye, “Heard It Through the Grapevine,” 1969

(15) – “Oye como va, mi ritmo / Bueno pa’ gozar, mulata” Tito Puente, “Oye como va,” 1962 (covered by Santana, 1971)

(16) – “No one knows what it’s like, To be the bad man, To be the sad man, Behind blue eyes” The Who, “Behind Blue Eyes,” 1971 (written by Pete Townshend)

(17) “All you need is love, love, Love is all you need” The Beatles, “All You Need is Love,” 1967 (Lennon-McCartney)

(18) – “Sing us a song, you’re the piano man, Sing us a song tonight, Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody, And you’ve got us feeling alright” Billy Joel, Piano Man,” 1973

(19) – “So goodbye yellow brick road, Where the dogs of society howl” Elton John, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” 1973

(20) – “A boy is born, In hard time Mississippi, Surrounded by four walls, That ain’t so pretty” Stevie Wonder, “Living for the City,” 1973

(21) – “Hold me closer, tiny dancer. Count the headlights on the highway, Lay me down in sheets of linen, You had a busy day today” Elton John, “Tiny Dancer,” 1971

(22) – “The song is over, It’s all behind me” The Who, “Song is Over,” 1971 (lyrics by Pete Townshend)

(23) – “Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter, Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here, Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo, here comes the sun” The Beatles, “Here Comes the Sun,” 1969 (lyrics by George Harrison)

(24) – “She’s a good girl, loves her mama, Loves Jesus and America too, She’s a good girl, who’s crazy ‘bout Elvis, Loves horses and her boyfriend too” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Free Fallin,’” 1989

(25) – “To everything turn, turn, turn. There is a season turn, turn, turn, And a time to every purpose under Heaven” The Byrds, 1965 (Cover of song written by Pete Seeger, with words from the Book of Ecclesiastes)

(26) – “So far away, Doesn’t anybody stay in one place anymore, It would be so fine to see your face at my door, Doesn’t help to know you’re just time away” Carole King, “So Far Away,” 1971

(27) – “Ran into the devil, babe, he loaned me twenty bills, Spent the night in Utah in a cave up in the hills. Set out runnin’ but I take my time, A friend of the devil is a friend of mine, If I get home before daylight, Just might get some sleep tonight” Grateful Dead, 1970 (Written by Robert Hunter, Jerome Garcia, John C Dawson)

(28) – “Can you hear me calling out your name? You know that I’m falling And I don’t know what to say” Fleetwood Mac, “Everywhere,” 1987 (Lyrics by Christine McVie)

(29) – “South City midnight lady, I’m much obliged, indeed, You sure have saved this man whose soul was in need” Doobie Brothers, “South City Midnight Lady,” 1973

(30) – “Gotta keep those lovin’ good vibrations a’happenin’ with her” Beach Boys, “Good Vibrations,” 1966 (Composed by Brian Wilson, with Mike Love)

(31) – “Father, father, We don’t need to escalate You see, war is not the answer For only love can conquer hate, You know we’ve got to find a way, To bring some lovin’ here today, oh (Oh)” Marvin Gaye, “What’s Goin’ On,” 1971

(32) “When the night has come, And the land is dark, And the moon is the only light we’ll see, No, I won’t be afraid, Oh, I won’t be afraid, Just as long as you stand, Stand by me” Ben E. King, with credit to Sam Cooke, “Stand By Me,” 1961, (Lyrics by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller)

(33) – “Do I have to tell the story, Of a thousand rainy days since we first met, It’s a big enough umbrella, But it’s always me that ends up getting wet, Every little thing she does is magic, Everything she does just turns me on, Even though my life before was tragic, Now I know my love for her goes on” The Police, “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic,” 1981 (lyrics by Sting – Gordon Sumner)

(34) – “Wake up, Maggie, I think I got something to say to you, It’s late September and I really should be back at school” – Rod Stewart, “Magiie May,” 1971

(35) – “Sometimes I’m right and I can be wrong, My own beliefs are in my song, The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then, Makes no difference what group I’m in I am everyday people, yeah, yeah” Sly and the Family Stone, “Everyday People,” 1968

(36) – With or without you, With or without you, ah-ah. I can’t live with or without you” U2, With or Without You,” 1987

(37) – “These days, These days I sit on corner stones, And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend. Don’t confront me with my failures, I had not forgotten them” Gregg Allman, “These Days,” 1973 (Lyrics by Jackson Browne, originally for Nico, 1967)

(38) – “Early morning, April 4, Shot rings out in the Memphis sky, Free at last, they took your life, They could not take your pride” U2, Pride (In the Name of Love), 1984

(39) – “Well, I sat there at the table, And I acted real naive, For I knew that topless lady Had something up her sleeve.” John Prine, “Spanish Pipedream,” 1971 (Submitted by column contributor “The Invincible Claude”)

(40) – “Crossroads, seem to come and go, yeah.” Allman Brothers, “Melissa,” 1967 (Words and Music by Gregg Allman)

**** And, “The End,” possibly the greatest of the great finishing lyrics in the history of recorded music of any genre, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make” by The Beatles on the amazing Side B of Abbey Road. The album side concludes with such amazing features. Following “Here Comes the Sun” and “Because,” The Beatles recorded and mixed a series of songs, mostly known as The Medley.

“You Never Give Me Your Money” opens the medley and it is brilliantly followed by “Sun King” and “Mean Mr. Mustard,” then “Polythene Pam,” an incredible John Lennon song, sung with his Scouse/Merseyside accent – all Liverpool. “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” comes next, a song about crazy fans finding their way into Paul McCartney’s house, followed by “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and the previously noted, “The End.”

The album takes a silent break before “Her Majesty” finishes off the epic side of The Beatles’ very best and – thus – my A-#1 lyric.

Apologies to: Yesterday, (Paul McCartney); The Way It Is and Look Out Every Window, (Bruce Hornsby); My Girl, The Temptations, Reach Out, The Four Tops (Lyrics by H-D-H – Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland; Songs by The Mamas and The Papas; If You Leave Me Now and 24 or 6 to 4, (Chicago) (Lyrics by Peter Cetera for the former and Robert Lamm for the latter); and a zillion others.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: It’s tough to follow-up that collection of Rock Hall of Fame lyrics with some sports notes, but let’s cover some business, first.

PGA TOUR Brunch – You’ve read about the special – Cover Everything – PGA Tour missive a few times in this column. It’s a six days a week e-News sent directly to your Inbox and it’s designed to give PGA Tour fans mobile-first, mobile-friendly tournament previews, betting odds, news updates and the most important URL links to content to save time and help you navigate the world of pro golf right from your device over lunch, brunch or whenever. Compiled and written by this reporter (Terry Lyons) who enjoys weekly competition in a couple Fantasy Golf leagues, too. Sign-Up or gift PGA TOUR Brunch to your favorite golfer or PGA TOUR fan and receive a special 2026 discount by visiting HERE. (Notification: PGA Tour Brunch is not affiliated with the Tour and is a publication by Digital Sports Desk and Terry Lyons).

NETFLIX: This week, it was announced that Netflix will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO Max, HBO and archives. United is the leading streaming entertainment service with Warner Bros.’ iconic stories, bringing some of the world’s popular titles and properties, like Harry Potter, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, films like Casablanca, series like Game of Thrones and the DC Universe, all together with a bundle of other programs. What the potential merger (if approved by USA and other world regulatory authorities) will not sell are the cable TV stations like CNN, TNT, TBS and others. They will be re-packed into a publicly sold company. The deal has an enterprise value (including debt) of approximately $82.7 billion, with an equity value of $72 billion, the companies said. Who knew that the one-time – mail a DVD of a movie to customers offering – would become the kingpin in an $82 billion dollar take-over? But, Netflix said it expects to see $2-to-$3 billion in cost savings annually by the third year after the WB deal closes. Raise your hand if you saw this coming.

MISSING NYC: A e-newsletter by Will Leitch, stating the things he missed about New York City after moving away 12 years ago prompted me to think of a short list of things that I miss, too.

First, Will’s list:

  1. Good Sushi
  2. Seeing first-run movies a week before the rest of the country
  3. Walking everywhere
  4. Walking everywhere
  5. Walking everywhere

A very worthy list.

Cosmo (photo by Andrea P. Martin)

Now, my list, not including the important stuff like friends, family, people and Cosmo:

  1. Christmas in New York and Rockefeller Center (NBA office was at 51st & 5th)
  2. The Tree
  3. Madison Square Garden
  4. The Beek – a.k.a. The Beacon Theatre for rock shows
  5. The West Village; Corner Bistro, Bar & Books, etc.
  6. Restaurants where you can get whatever you want, anytime you’d like to eat
  7. St. John’s games at The Garden or a trip out to campus and Carnesecca Arena
  8. St. Patrick’s Cathedral (I saw it everyday for 26+ years)
  9. Inside Park at St. Bart’s (my favorite indoor/outdoor place to meet for a beer)
  10. The 7 Train to CitiField and the Mets

And, Will is correct, it was great to not own a car, not pay for car insurance and gasoline and everything else and walk everywhere you needed to go, or grab a quick subway ride.

TL’s Halloween 🎃 Sports Notes | Nov 2

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The Reservoir near Boston College (Photo by Victoria Lyons)

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CHESTNUT HILL – Today’s column begins with a simple question. Why is the NBA and its players singled out for the practice of “Load Management” while many other sports employ the same treatment but remain unscathed of criticism?

I think load management started with Track and Field and Boxing, to allow the athletes plenty of time to recover from prior races or bouts. I don;t think any of us have any issue with that practice, although I do remember former San Antonio Spurs and USA Basketball Dream Team center David Robinson quizzing USA champion hurdler Edwin Moses on his sparse schedule on a Dream Team bus ride returning to the Ambassador Hotel from the Barcelona ‘92 Opening Ceremonies.

The Admiral shook his head, hearing Moses didn’t compete between the Olympics and Worlds while the Spurs might face the Lakers (Shaquille O’Neal), the Rockets (Hakeem Olajuwon), the Knicks (Patrick Ewing) and the Celtics (Robert Parish) within a week or two.

Taking that exchange aside, Load Management is utilized in a number of other sports besides track or boxing. In fact, it’s used in the toughest of sports – ice hockey – where your starters only play 1/3rd of a game, and share time with 3 or often 4 lines, Defense has 6 guys splitting the time. Goalkeepers need two guys to carry the load.

In baseball, starting pitchers only play every four or five days, and their catchers never play in a day game after a night game. All baseball players frequently get a day off. In the bullpen, relievers and closers rarely pitch two days in a row and the prized closers can only throw for three outs, lasting one half an inning.

In American football, the lineup of players (11) are divided into two groups, so 22 guys play instead of 11. There are offensive units and defensive units and also special teams are entirely different players to manage the load and help avoid potential injury. The teams play one game a week.

Of course, in the NBA, the great Michael Jordan swore he HAD to play, as he didn’t want to disappoint a fan who saved a ton of money and bought a ticket months before the scheduled game. MJ set very worthy barometer and played all-out nearly every single night of his career with that fan/ticket buyer in the back of his mind for motivation.

Other examples?

Thoroughbred Race Horses are load-managed with the best of ’em, so much that even the three weeks off between the Preakness and Belmont seems far too short for a Triple Crown contender.

I’m just not sure why basketball gets singled out?

Do you know why?

BC vs. ND: Your roving reporter had the pleasure to attend the Boston College vs. Notre Dame college football game on Saturday. BC’s campus was glowing, and Alumni Stadium – the place Doug Flutie built – was sold out.

It was an absolutely gorgeous New England day with a pure, postcard blue sky. When the game began, Notre Dame was a 29.5 point favorite over the hometown Eagles, but at the half, BC trailed 12-7 and was very much in the game. Then, when Boston College’s Luca Lombardo kicked a 25 yard field goal late in the third quarter, the 10-1 Notre Dame over BC fan ratio was silenced as the scoreboard read ND 12-10.

Boston College had every opportunity to take the lead in the fourth quarter but failed to convert on two 4th Down and 1 yard plays. ND countered with another touchdown to make it, 18-10.

ND broke it open when Jeremiyah Love ran 94 yards with 11:07 remaining in the game. BC could do no more. It was the strongest effort of the season by the Eagles but that effort did nothing for the “win column,” as only an opening week of the season victory over Fordham has been the winning effort.

It was an incredibly exciting event.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: It’s getting late in the 2025 College Football season and both Indiana and Vanderbilt are legit Top 10 and College Football Playoff Bowl bound, for sure. The next thing you know, St. John’s will be ranked No. 5 or No. 6 in College Basketball. … This season, the college football playoffs feature a 12-team format where the five highest ranked Conference Champions and the next seven highest-ranked teams will qualify. The four highest-ranked teams overall receive a first-round bye and are seeded 1-4, while the teams seeded 5-12 play in the first round, with higher seeds hosting the games on campus. The quarterfinals and semifinals are played in the big time bowl games. Here’s the schedule so you can plan ahead.

  • First Round: December 19–20, 2025
  • Quarterfinals: December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026
  • Semifinals: January 8–9, 2026
  • National Championship: January 19, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Florida

TIDBITS & NUGGETS:Does everyone have their complete set of NBA team #Hashtags for the 2025-26 season? If not, here they are:

If we’re going to rank a few, how about a Top 5:

  1. #TakeNote for the Utah Jazz
  2. #RepTheDistrict for the Wash DC Wizards
  3. #FearTheDeer for the Milwaukee Bucks (longtime fave)
  4. #WeTheNorth for the Toronto Raptors (Another longtime fave)
  5. #LakeShow for the LA Lakers (Third longtime fave)

NBA CUP: We are all about to be overtaken by the NBA Cup and its artistic dominance of basketball courts at every NBA arena. This season, many of the courts have the same overall design and differ only in colors and the names of the team cities emblazoned at center court. Here in Boston, we long for a simple design with some parquet flooring as the main play. Not this year. Elsewhere, the red tones are just too much and do not reflect well. In other locales, such as Los Angeles, the Lakers’ gold (call it yellow) glows in the dark. Many fans like the gray motif, and Brooklyn does it well, along with Chicago, Golden State, Memphis, OKC, Orlando, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio.

COSM: The late David Stern, NBA Commissioner from 1984 to 2014, had a dream of broadcasting NBA games to make every viewer in the world experience the game as though they were sitting in a courtside seat. That dream is a step closer to reality and the league announced its latest tech deal to take that small step, or giant leap – depending on how you see it.

The NBA and Cosm, an immersive technology, media, and entertainment company, announced a new long-term partnership to produce and distribute live NBA games in shared reality at Cosm’s immersive entertainment venues through 2030 and beyond. During the 2025-26 NBA season, Cosm will produce and present key national games across the league’s broadcast platforms via ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video as well as select games and events during NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals.

In February 2023, the NBA became the first-ever professional sports league to partner with Cosm ahead of the opening of the first immersive entertainment venue in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Park in July 2024. Cosm has since opened its second venue in Dallas at The Colony’s Grandscape and is slated to open three additional venues in Atlanta, Detroit, and Cleveland in 2026 and 2027. Other future locations are yet to be announced..

Last year, Cosm reimagined the way NBA fans can experience games, leveraging its innovative camera and production technology to capture and distribute live games back to its 87-foot-diameter, 12K+ LED domes. Cosm venues blend state-of-the-art visuals with the energy of the crowd to create an arena-like atmosphere that provides fans with a view of the game from a range of unique angles, including behind the bench and under the rim. In particular, the Los Angeles venue in Inglewood will be a marquee destination for fans during NBA All-Star activities in February 2026.

“The response from fans at Cosm domes last year demonstrated what an incredible way it is to experience an NBA game,” said Teddy Kaplan, Vice President, Head of New Media Partnerships at the NBA. “We couldn’t be more excited to extend our partnership and look forward to working in lockstep with Cosm to engage our fans as they expand their footprint to different markets across the country in the coming years.”

“The NBA took the leap to be our first league partner, and we are honored to extend the foundational partnership that started it all,” said Jeb Terry, President and CEO at Cosm. “With our shared spirit of innovation, passion for the fan experience, and belief in the power of Shared Reality, we will continue to super-serve NBA fans for many years to come, and in many more locations.”

WNBA LABOR AGREEMENT – TIMEOUT: With the expiration date of the WNBA’s current collective bargaining agreement upon them, the WNBA players association agreed to the extension with the league as previous talks had stalled in an attempt to strike a new deal. According to a news reports from ESPN and The Athletic, the WNBA and WNBPA reached a resolution on a 30-day extension after considering it for two days. The prior agreement expired on October 31.

Keep in mind, the W signed a new 11-year media deal with Versant in late September. The agreement potentially tips-off for the 2026 season and includes at least 50 WNBA games annually and portions of the WNBA Playoff and WNBA Finals games during select years. Versant, the parent company of cable networks and brands soon to be spun off from Comcast has been rapidly acquiring sports rights and diving deeper into women’s sports in particular. The latest agreement expands upon a previous broadcast package between the WNBA and Versant’s USA Network signed in 2024.

REDFORD TRIBUTE: Anyone sick of NFL football, yet? Probably not, but that’s why God invented the DVR (a.k.a. Tivo, Thank-you). Tune in or record, you’ll have a great time watching all the hits!

The Sting is a personal favorite, but The Way We Were is an amazing motion picture, often overlooked.

NOVEMBER 2 – TCM’S TRIBUTE TO ROBERT REDFORD

6:00 AM A Bridge Too Far (1977)

9:00 AM Barefoot in the Park (1967)

11:00 AM Downhill Racer (1969)

1:00 PM The Candidate (1972)

3:00 PM All the President’s Men (1976)

5:30 PM The Sting (1973)

8:00 PM Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

10:00 PM The Way We Were (1973)

12:15 AM A River Runs Through It (1992)

2:30 AM The Hot Rock (1972)

4:30 AM War Hunt (1962)

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: This will mark two weeks in a row with movie clips, as last week was a clip of The Sting. If you’ve seen the motion picture featured today and you can make it through this clip without tearing up, you are NOT human. Here’s to Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand – two of the all-time greatest.

While We’re Young (Ideas) is a weekly (every weekend) collection of Sports Notes and News written by Terry Lyons. The posting of each notebook harkens back to the days when you’d walk over to the city news stand on Saturday night around 10:00pm to pick-up a copy of the Sunday papers. Inside, just waiting, was a compilation of interesting sports notes, quotes and quips in a column that always sold a few newspapers. Wire Service reports are utilized within the column.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Oct 26

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Credibility. It’s such a powerful word yet it comes with such a fragile state of being. One’s credibility can be built-up over a lifetime but lost in a minute or two. Even if you’re not involved with a situation whatsoever, if you don’t voice a strong opinion on that newsworthy issue, you can lose credibility just by not saying a single word.

It is with that in mind, I think I’m almost obligated to write today on the NBA’s season opening (alleged) gambling bombshell that exploded on the third day of the 2025-26 season, not even 12 hours after 7-5 San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama put up 40 points and 15 rebounds in a 125-92 Spurs’ thrashing of the Dallas Mavericks on October 22.

Yet, the morning of October 23, the word began to circulate in NBA and mainstream news circles that “NBA Players” were involved in a gambling scandal. Social media carried the ball, a palm, spin and travel that would’ve made Earl “The Pearl” Monroe quite proud. Word circulated quickly that Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was involved and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested the morning after a DNP-coaches decision in Orlando where the Magic slipped past the Heat, 125-121 in their exciting season opener.

Two hours of online mayhem led to a 10:00am (ET) news conference by the Feds of the Eastern District of New York – complete with beady-eyed FBI Director Kash (Don’t call me Cash) Patel in the center of the dog-and-pony show laying out indictments which included accusations against Billups, Rozier and retired NBA guard Damon Jones. The Rozier and Jones indictment is HERE.

Interestingly, the inclusion of Jones, once a member and teammate of Cleveland Cavaliers (now LA Lakers) superstar LeBron James, allowed media speculators to drag NBA royalty into the mix at no extra charge.

In regard to Billups, the charges were related to a conspiracy to rig illegal poker games. The games took place in New York City, East Hampton, Long Island, and throughout the United States and a total of 31 defendants were arrested in 11 States, including members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese organized crime families. The charges were filed by the US Justice Department at the Brooklyn headquarters of the Eastern District of New York which also has offices in Central Islip, Long Island.

The multiple card games at the alleged locations caused losses to the many victims of at least $7,150,000. It is alleged that Billups’ role was to act as a “Face Card,” or in other words, as a lure to attract unsuspecting victims and to add a sense of professionalism to the atmosphere at the gambling games of chance.

In terms of charges in the card game portion of the bombshell indictments, crimes of fraud, money laundering and extortion have been tacked on to the basic illegal gambling and wire fraud counts.

Now, for some perspective:

No. 1 – I do not know anything about this case other than from watching the press Eastern District of New York press conference and reading the court documents.

No. 2 – It is important in these situations to know that speculation is wrong and there are very few people who know what is at the root of these cases. For that reason, the feds choose not to comment regarding the on-going investigation and league and team legal and security teams must keep their mouths shut, yet cooperate with the investigators.

Remember one of the most important lessons from reading this weekly missive: “Never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut.”

No. 3 – Social media (and to a great extent, the mainstream media) in an effort to fill the airwaves with opinions, innuendo, erroneous assumptions and, generally, useless information that fans/readers/listeners/viewers consume, often break the golden rule of justice in these United States. That is the fact the accused person is assumed innocent until proven guilty through a court of law, usually by a jury of their peers.

Now, a few things that I learned over years of experience in the sports world:

No. 1 – When the indictments are unsealed, they look awfully convincing and the accused seem so guilty of the charges written on the papers. However, prosecutors must prove the case in court, and we all (anyone who has ever served on Jury Duty) know that there is often some “reasonable doubt” left open by the prosecutors and pointed out by the attorneys of the accused.

No. 2 – In cases involving organized crime, the feds (and sometimes local or state police) will use people accused of lesser crimes to turn and testify against those facing more serious charges – prosecuting the “big fish” by using the “little fish.”

Overall, it is very important not to jump to conclusions.

This week, more than once, I read online – in stories by legitimate reporters and in posts by total dimwit fans – the question of “how could a player who has made millions do such a thing?”

Let’s slice that up?

No. 1 – A statement such as that is already assuming the player is guilty. The assumption is being made without a single ounce of evidence put forth by the prosecution.

No. 2 – In many cases involving organized crime, a player/celebrity – or really anyone – can be used by the “bad guys” just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, or – sadly – because a longtime friend or relative (no matter how close) has dug themselves into a hole on the wrong side of the law.

In many cases, the threat of harm or public exposure to the athlete, his immediate family, his friends or a threat to hurt his career can become powerful tools used by organized crime to sink their hooks into a player/celebrity. Often, the “ask” of said player/celeb is something very simple and seemingly legal. As in, “All you have to do is come over to the house at 9:00pm and socialize with our guys, have a drink, relax, watch tv, watch the game and hang out for an hour or two.”

Or else.

The “or else” can be underlined with pictures of the player/celeb’s kids at school or the local playground, maybe a photo or short motion picture on an iPhone of a wife, daughter, girlfriend or – they’ve gone as far as – a mother shopping at the local grocery store to prove, “they know where you, your friends and family live.”

The verbal threat of violence – often never even considered to be carried out by the mobsters – is enough to draw the player/celebrity into the scheme.

So, the “how could a player making tens of millions do such a thing” is understood a little more if the full story is told in the court of law. As it should be and, hopefully, will be if the charges stand.

Remember? Sometimes, a case can not be made and – even though an indictment from a Grand Jury has come down – prosecutors can not “make the case” and must dismiss the charges.

white clouds and blue sky

THE SKY IS FALLING: From a distant memory, maybe call it a totally un-related comparison, I can remember back to 1987 when a fax machine in the NBA office was spewing out a multi-page Maricopa County indictments of 13 people, including Phoenix Suns players, former players and even the team photographer for the club.

As I read the indictments – which seemed so convincing, and were the very first time I was going to be “in the room where it happened,” – I thought that a number of people would be going to jail. I ran the pages of the indictment down to the Commissioner’s office as they came in, maybe two or three pages at a time, so they could be reviewed. When they were all complete, I awaited instructions for what would come next – a statement, Legal instructions on our official comment when answering media calls, maybe arranging a media conference call or drafting an NBA statement.

When it all played out, months later, here’s a synopsis of what resulted:

Player testimony: Suns player Walter Davis, who was cooperating with authorities after entering a rehabilitation program, provided grand jury testimony that led to the indictments. He was not charged but was suspended by the team after suffering a relapse. Suns rookie center William Bedford was also granted immunity in exchange for his testimony.

Dismissed charges: The case against most players ultimately fell apart due to lack of evidence, and no one went to trial. Suns veterans James Edwards and Jay Humphries entered a deferred prosecution program, and charges against them were later dismissed.

Probation: Suns reserve Grant Gondrezick and two other individuals pleaded guilty to lesser charges and received probation.

The enormity of the charges as they came across the fax machine seemed insurmountable. The reality? It was a very thin case and little, if any, evidence was produced. The charges were dropped.

At that time, four players had been dismissed from the NBA because of violation of the NBA/NBA Players Association anti-drug program. The situation with the Suns resulted in the NBA initiating a Player Programs Department – the first ever in professional sports – and Celtics legend, Tom “Satch” Sanders was hired to head-up the department and staff-up to be able to properly serve the NBA and its players.

Arguably – not – it was one of the most important decisions the late David Stern ever made and the hiring of Sanders was – possibly – the most impactful in league history.

What to Expect? – The season will not be pretty for the Portland Trail Blazers. The league placed Billups and Rozier (both active in the league) on mandatory suspension and the Blazers asked assistant coach Tiago Splitter to step up as interim coach. The Heat will “hear it” from the opposing fans as they travel through the 82 game schedule for 2025-26.

It will take time for legal proceedings to move forward, in part because of a busy schedule in NY’s Eastern District. The accused are promised a fair and speedy trial with full legal representation to defend the charges. The feds will have to build and present their case. No timetable has been made public.

In Closing: I have to advise to all readers to follow the case closely but to make no judgements. After writing this column, I plan to keep my mouth shut because I have no information and do not plan to seek out information.

It would be wise for others – not in the know – to do the same.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: On the heels of a gambling scandal in the pro ranks, the NCAA approved a rule change on Wednesday that will allow its athletes and athletic department staff members to bet on professional sports. Two weeks after a Division I cabinet approved the change, Division II and III management councils signed off on it, allowing the new rule to go into effect Nov. 1. The ruling doesn’t change the NCAA rule forbidding its athletes from betting on college sports. The NCAA also prohibits sharing information about college competitions with known gamblers. The NCAA also doesn’t accept advertising or sponsorships of NCAA championships by betting or fantasy sports gambling sites. Go figure?

The South Bay Lakers selected 2025 NBA champion Dillon Jones (6-5, 235, Weber State) with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA G League Draft. The Osceola Magic selected Tyler Smith (6-9, 224, NBA G League Ignite) with the second overall pick, while the Greensboro Swarm selected Ace Baldwin (6-1, 190, Penn State) third overall pick. Jones, the No. 26 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, appeared in 54 games for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. The Weber State product also averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in four games for the Washington Wizards at NBA Summer League.

Michael Baiamonte, the Miami Heat’s in-arena public address announcer and the second longest tenured PA man in the NBA, will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. Baiamonte has announced more than 1,500 professional basketball games including six NBA Finals.

Lawrence Tanter of the LA Lakers is the longest tenured public address announcer in the NBA, working for the Lakers since 1982-83.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: As it relates to future prosecution in the feds’ gambling cases against some 31 defendants, the National Security Law firm notes, “Federal prosecutors are always looking to build cases that allow them to climb the criminal enterprise ladder. They may cast a wide net, targeting individuals with the hope of flipping them to build a case against higher-level offenders. Defense attorneys can turn this dynamic in their clients’ favor.” … In EPL action, Liverpool matched their worst EVER run at Brentford when they lost, 3-2, to the home but 10th place club on Saturday. It was Liverpool’s fourth consecutive league loss.

Tom Aspinall, the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion, had a disastrous start to his title defense on Saturday, as his bout ended in a no-contest at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. Aspinall (15-3) was unable to continue after title challenger Ciryl Gane (13-2) accidentally poked his right eye during an exchange at 4:35 of the opening round. Aspinall was provided five minutes to recover, but referee Jason Herzog stopped the show once the champ said he couldn’t see. Aspinall was immediately transported to the hospital post-fight.

While the sports industry, media and fans all poo-poo the NBA for its start-of-season gambling scandal, the vast number of media outlets leads their NFL coverage with “Best Bets,” “Sleeper Picks,” “Fantasy Football Props,” and other teases for sports gambling on Sunday’s NFL schedule. … Jimmy the Greek would be proud.

El Clásico – be there. It’s on TV (ESPN2 or ESPN+) Sunday at 11:15am.

Embed from Getty Images

THIS JEST IN: North Carolina still hasn’t won a game against an NCAA Power Four Football opponent under Hall of Fame pro coach Bill Belichick, but Saturday’s 17-16 overtime loss to ACC rival and No. 16, Virginia, showed some improvement. The Tar Heels dominated Virginia at the line of scrimmage, racking up six sacks and largely stopping Virginia’s ground game, but UNC a failed 2-point conversion in overtime which proved to be the difference. Belichick was going for the victory in the final play.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: There’s no TACOS in Texas! According to the Associated Press, Texas Tech is banning the throwing of tortillas by fans on kickoffs after the 14th-ranked Tech Red Raiders were penalized twice and fined for objects being thrown onto the field in their most recent home game. TT Athletic director Kirby Hocutt said the fans entering the stadium would be instructed to discard tortillas, and there would be reminders before kickoff for anyone who took tortillas in to give them to stadium workers in order for them to be thrown away. Anyone caught throwing tortillas would have their ticket privileges revoked from the rest of the academic year across all sports, Hocutt said. The announcement came a little more than a week after the Red Raiders were given two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after kickoffs in a 42-17 win over Kansas.

Dateline | Abu Dhabi

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

ABU DHABI – Greetings from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The city is hosting a pair of NBA Preeason games between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers. Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the UAE, and the largest and most populated of the seven emirates. It is quite an amazing place.

Is it hot? Yes, like Las Vegas during the prime heat of the NBA Summer League (July) or USA Basketball training (August), but it doesn’t have the “strip.” It does have the Grand Mosque, one of the most spectacular sights ever seen. Photos do not do it justice.

Here’s an attempt to help set the scene:

Grand Mosque exterior (file photo)

Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi (photo by T. Peter Lyons)

While the Knicks vs. 76ers game was certainly the marquee event of the trip, as with most NBA international preseason games, there is a whole other ancillary program working all around the games. Here in Abu Dhabi, there’s:

  • The NBA Experience – It used to be called “Jam Session”
  • NBA House – The highlight of the NBA Experience
  • NBA Store – Great, 5th Avenue-like NBA Store in nicest Mall ever
  • NBA Basketball School – Tournament

The NBA Basketball School tournament is HUGE. It’s run at three venues, all world class level training facilities with multiple courts, one of which is on site at New York University (NYU)’s Abu Dhabi campus. There are competitors at the U-15 and U-17 levels for both boys/young men and girls/young women. There are teams from all over the world: Australia, Dubai, India, Poland, Italy, Lebanon and a “combo” Europe team. There’s also start-up NBA Basketball Schools here – without team – all learning from the experience for future beginnings, and that includes a great program that just began last week in Tiblisi, Georgia (former USSR). Tbilisi is near and dear to this writer’s heart as it was one of three cities (Moscow, Tbilisi and Vilnius (Lithuania) the Atlanta Hawks toured in 1988, but that is a column for another day (the stories are endless).

The reason your roving reporter/columnist is here this week is to assist/advise NBA Basketball School – Türkiye, via a very longterm relationship born on the basketball court at the 2002 FIBA Worlds in Indianapolis (Türkiye played quite well, the USA did not). That tournament was sponsored by Turkish Airlines and that airline later became the title sponsor for EuroLeague Basketball.

My friend and contact is Devrim KIVANÇ who coaches basketball for many, many years and then started his own “MVP” camps for youth. It is quite a successul program, based mostly in Istanbul – a city that is even more amazing that Abu Dhabi, and that’s a pretty serious statement.

Coach Devrim also ran some great camps in conjunction with the Philadelphia 76ers going back a decade but it came to an end because of COVID-19 and trouble getting USA visas for students/campers. Coach Devrim and I have been working with the NBA to plan for an NBA Basketball School to begin in Istanbul very soon. More to come on that.

Team Boxscores: (surf around on “other games, too) —> HERE

This column is being written anout 60 … countdown to 45 minutes before a scheduled Team Türkiye meeting (5:00pm Saturday) in advance of a 5:30pm team bus to compete in the championship/Finals of the event.

To that end, the U-17 team (4-0) – the players are playing together for the very first time. They’ve run a fluid offense, played hard with a tough defense and have the results to prove it. The good news was winning games – the bad new, the event schedule called for the U-17 Finals to be held at 7:00pm tonight, the same time of Game 2 of the Knicks vs 76ers gme at Etihad Arena – a great facility in which the NBA has played multiple years and USA Basketball played leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. It’s great, and thankfully VERY well air conditioned.

Time zone differences, time constraints pre-game and post game will not allow for While We’re Young (Ideas) to report the results of the tournament, but this is the important part:

Every team of the NBA Basketball School program has already won. In fact, they’ve all won – Gold, Silver and Bronze in the most important aspects of such an experience. I’ll rattle off just a few of an endless list, and I’ll do it via stream of consciousness.

Here we go:

  1. The experience of playing ball, working within a team structure and learning the key life lessons that basketball can bring to the youth of the world has been accomplished in ways I couldn’t even dream of in 1980 when I started at the NBA in New York. I couldn’t even dream of it post-1992 when the Dream Team captured the world’s imagination and allowed athletes from all over the world to experience the very best the NBA had to offer. Post 1992, the NBA hit a springboard for global growth, and I was asked to switch from NBA Media Relations to International Communications, beginning in February of 1993.
  2. The players from each country were given ample time to interact with each other and learn even more about different nations and cultures. That was the best take-away from this event.
  3. The NBA has created an unbelievable program and its “back of the house” is so well planned, produced and offered to potential new schools (and the existing ones, of course) and it includes handbooks and software programs to allow for cohesive sign-ups, communications and sharing of information primarily for the individual camp, but also to share with the league and the other schools. In the biz world, they call it “Best Practices.”
  4. The teams/players getting to see the NBA game was probably a “once in a lifetime” experience for the players. Although preseason games can be a bit rough around the edges on the front end of October (they’re quite better when we used to take Texas teams to Mexico City on – say – October 30/31), the spectacle of an NBA game, music/game operations, dance teams, mascots and all the ancillary programming is quite amazing for the kids – and the adults.
  5. (Side note) – It wasn’t until I sat down in the arena with a “premo” center court seat that I realized it was the first NBA international preseason game I ever attended when I could sit in the stands and have fun (rather than be working and worried about every second and every activity – including my No. 1 concern back then – NO INJURIES, please). PS: The cold Amstel Light wasn;t bad, either.
  6. The competition was very good, pretty high level and well coached. The traveling parties from all the different countries operated like pro-level event companies. The players were polite and respected each other and their chaperones.
  7. A good handful- especially from Australia – travlled with parents of the players who all shared the unbelievable experience. We had a small handful of parents for Türkiye, but actually are doing a conference call with the parents as a surprise “pre-game motivational talk” for the guys at the meeting – now only 20 minutes away.
  8. I could list another 100 things, but will stop now because of the fact, it’s time to freshen up, get the game face on, grab my pass (I always hung my credentials on my hotel room door knob or door lock during my days with USA Basketball at the Olympics so I’d never forget the pass), and I’ve been doing it here – a HUGE throwback in my mind’s eyes to the Olympics and 120+ international preseason games I worked between 1985 and 2008.
  9. It’s GAME TIME!

HERE NOW … No MORE NOTES!

We’ll be back next week wit your regularly scheduled programming.

Go Türkiye. 🇹🇷

This event has been one of those “pinch me!” Is this actually happening – moments of my life and I hope I’ve shared just a small glimpse of that experience with you.

 

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Sept 21

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While We’re Young (Ideas) | The 25th Anniversary of the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games and Vince Carter’s Dunk

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – This Thursday, it will be a solid 13,148,730 minutes since the baddest dunk of ‘em all. The date was September 25, 2000 and the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics were scheduled rather late to catch the very beginning of the warm weather Down Under.

That’s 9,131 days or 1,304 weeks and three days, but it seems like yesterday.

Let me tell you, those 13,148,730 moments have been so dear, but how do you measure – measure 25 years?

In Summer Olympics, it’s been Sydney-to-Athens-to-Beijing-to-London-to Rio-to take a little break-to Tokyo, and then it was on to Paris.

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee?

How about men’s Olympic team coaches?

From Rudy Tomjanovich-to-Larry Brown-to-Mike Krzyzewski-to-Mike Krzyzewski-to-Mike Krzyzewski-to-Gregg Popovich-to-Steve Kerr.

That’s a lot of miles and a lot of basketball, especially when you add in the friendlies and the qualifiers. This columnists worked 1984 and ‘88 on USA soil, helping prep the “college guys” with short summer tours within the US vs. a hodge hodge group of NBA players in the various locales. It was fun.

From 1992 in Barcelona to ‘96 in Atlanta to 2000 in Sydney to 2004 in Athens I was on the team bus for the whole ride. (If you want, add the ‘94 Worlds in Toronto, a skip of the ‘98 Worlds in Greece as Patrick Ewing, super-agent David Falk and a group of other high-ranking player agents held the USA men’s senior team hostage for unrelated NBA labor stoppage reasons, then the continuation in 2002 in Indianapolis and even 2006 in Sapporo and Saitama, Japan.

Back on Olympic time, I waved good-bye to the USA Basketball contingent when they departed Las Vegas for Beijing in ‘08 but re-joined the group on USA soil when we announced the team and prepped for Rio in ‘16. I remember that summer well. I welcomed and enjoyed the reunion with the team, but my MacBook Pro did not, but that’s another story.

Let’s get back to Sydney and the current 25-year anniversary of the Summer Olympic Games that I believe were the best. That means the best in my opinion of my personal experience.

Sydney was fan-tastic. The weather, the organizing committee, the venues, the transportation, the crowds, and the vibe. The USA results weren’t bad either, as we brought home the gold in both men’s and women’s basketball against tough competition on the other side of the world.

We stayed out in the ‘burbs – in Parramatta – a town 24 kilometers (about 15 miles) outside of Sydney. Let’s call it the “Astoria, Queens” of Sydney. Great little town and a nice, secure commuter-type hotel we called home. Reserve forward Vin Baker BBQ’d for us, the Canadian TV crews welcomed us at their Outback Steakhouse looking watering hole. The VB and Crown beers were cold and there was not a sight of a Foster’s (Australian for Beer) anywhere to be seen.

My bus-mates were a combination of Kevin Garnett (directly behind me), Ray Allen(directly across the aisle) and Allen Houston (directly behind Ray). What a group! KG kept us entertained, Allen Houston kept us updated on all things of historical significance and all of his day trips while Ray and his A+ personality kept us in line, and he looked out for everyone with his uncanny ability to see all and everything. That was our little crew – for about 40 days.

Most importantly, there were a bunch of great players and great people on the bus. Just focusing on the players, we had Alonzo Mourning and Antonio McDyess amongst the bigs, we had Jason Kidd (thank God) at the point, we had “The Glove,” Gary Payton to shut down any hot-shooting opponents and we had all-around ‘glue’ in Steve Smith who set the best screens (we called ‘em picks) of all-time.

At practices, we’d be sitting at the make-shift scorer’s table, doing some work and maybe charting some stats that Rudy T wanted to look at after each session, and he’d turn around – all excited – and say to us, “Watch this, watch this!” The play would run and Steve Smith would just take out the defender while standing still with a screen. It was amazing. And, if you took out a defender trying to guard Ray Allen or AllenHouston, it was an 18-20 foot lay-up for those sharp-shooters.

Over the years, I came to realize that judging by all-around skills in the international game, Jason Kidd, Ray Allen and David Robinson were the USA’s best players. Yes, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant were not of this earth in the focus and mental toughness they brought to every game they played. Steph Curry was someplace far above that at the Paris Games.

But, for this column, at this time – leading into this coming Thursday – let’s take a look at Vince Carter.

On the way to Sydney, I spent quite a bit of time with Vince – mainly in Japan where he was in serious demand for appearances and – generally, was the most popular player on the USA team. The crowds followed him and idolized him. A bit of the sensation came from Carter’s “Half Man, Half Amazing” performance at the 2000 NBA Slam-Dunk Contest in Oakland, held just a few months beforehand.

Carter was left off the nine-man roster for the 2000 Olympics and then was disappointed when USA Basketball settled on Alonzo Mourning, Grant Hill and RayAllen to fill the 10th-11th and 12th roster spots. But an ankle injury to Hill opened up a roster spot and Coach Tomjanovich lobbied heavily for the scoring Carter would bring to the team.

Rudy T was right as Carter led the 2000 USA Olympic team in scoring with a 14.8 ppg average, and he scored every tough, important basket needed during the tournament (with the exception of an amazing, medal-saving offensive rebound and put-back by Antonio McDyess in the exciting USA semifinal win over Lithuania (85-83, September 29, 2000).

But, it was one moment in time during the final preliminary game that is remembered the most.

On September 25, 2000, the USA faced eventual silver medalist France in a Group A matchup. The final score was USA 106, France 94, but in the thick of the closely fought game, Vince Carter made a steal in the front court and there was only one defender – France center Frederic Weis – in between Carter and the basket. It was time for Vin-sanity.

In the aftermath of that dunk, a couple things struck me:

  1. It is, indeed, the greatest ‘in-game’ dunk of all-time.
  2. Carter almost struck teammate Kevin Garnett right in the face in his celebration after the play.
  3. After just a few seconds, Carter totally regained his composure and “dee’d up.”
  4. And a memory, when we got the locker room, Carter damn near broke me in half with a hug, still psyched out of his mind and he’d yet to see a replay.

The epilogue on Vince Carter – from direct, first-hand observation: He was a go-to guy who loved the pressure and thrill of competition. He was a pleasure to work with while we had our run with the Olympics team, a tremendous experience. He was a good teammate to the other 11 players and he was highly coachable via Rudy T as they developed a very nice rapport.

Carter’s mega-dunk at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games will live on forever and it’s “only” 25 years and counting.

The USA defeated France, 85-75, in the gold medal game on October 1. Lithuania took the bronze with an 89-71 victory over the hometown Australian Boomers.

It was an enjoyable flight home.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Next Sunday, the column will revisit the 2000 Sydney Olympics in “stream of consciousness” mode, truly testing the old memory bank.

The Government of the United Kingdom and the NBA announced a landmark £10 million investment to grow popularity in the sport of basketball in England, marking the first time the UK Government has committed dedicated funding for the sport under its Community Sport Facilities Programme.

The deal, unveiled during the recent State visit of the US President and First Lady, will see £5 million allocated by the Government in 2026-27, with the NBA matching that investment with £5 million through 2028.

As part of the UK Government’s £400 million Community Sport Facilities Programme, £5 million will be committed to basketball facilities in 2026-27. The funded sites will include a multi-sport offering “so they are accessible and appealing to get as many people active as possible.”

This represents a new approach for the Government, which has previously focused the program on football-led facilities. The NBA will match the investment with £5 million into expanding its grassroots programs, which currently reach more than 50,000 young people across the UK each year.

On the professional level, basketball continues to struggle in Britain amongst in-fighting and – to date – no team has emerged to play in the EuroLeague. There has been rumors of a London-based pro team being part of the plans in the NBA (and FIBA) choose to launch their own league in Europe.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Did you know? The A’s major league baseball team, temporarily relocated to Sacramento after leaving Oakland, lost 20 of 21 games between May 14 and June 4 but were the third best team in the Majors from July 24 to the present day, with only Philadelphia and Milwaukee having better records. The A’s took two-of-three from the Red Sox at Fenway this past week, severely damaging the Sox chances of catching the AL East leading Toronto Blue Jays and Wild Card leading NY Yankees. … The Cleveland Guardians have won 14 of their past 15 games, including a make-up game against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon. They have the second of a same day twin bill Saturday night.

EIGHT DAYS A WEEK: The 2025 Major League Baseball regular season will conclude in eight days. Many of the Division titles and Wild Card berths will probably be decided on the final weekend of the season. A good look at The standings (they call it a “ladder” in Europe), shows who is in and who’s been eliminated. Click HERE. The final statistics will reveal a number of significant accomplishments. Heading into Saturday’s full schedule, consider these, among many other feats:

  • Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) – 48 Home Runs with 104 RBI and a league-leading .327 batting average.
  • Cal Raleigh (Seattle) – MLB-leading 56 Home Runs, crushing the single season HR record for catchers.
    • Other leaders include:
      • 48 Sal Perez (KC Royals
      • 45 Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds)
      • 43 Javy Lopez (Atlanta Braves)
  • Max Fried (NY Yankees) – MLB leader in Wins – 18
    • Other leaders include:
      • Garrett Crochet (Boston) – 17 – (Also leads MLB in Ks (249)
      • Freddie Peralta (Milwaukee) -17

Going into Saturday games, the Boston Red Sox are:

  • Are 60-49 vs. right handed starting pitchers
  • Are 24-21 vs. left handed starting pitchers

THIS JEST IN: In case you weren’t paying attention, it’s only Week 3 of the NFL regular season schedule and the following QBs are currently injured or have missed time:

  • Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) – toe surgery
  • J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota) – ankle
  • Justin Fields (NY Jets) – concussion
  • Brock Purdy (San Francisco) – shoulder/toe – questionable
  • Jayden Daniels (Washington DC) – knee

All, except Purdy, are listed as OUT for games of September 21.

CAN’T MAKE IT UP: You can’t fire the team and you shouldn’t fire the coach, so just who is left? The Bison! Colorado’s new live buffalo mascot made her debut at Folsom Field last night when Colorado played against Wyoming.

She’s officially named Ralphie VII, although a unique nickname is soon to come after her first run. Ralphie VII is the latest in a string of field-storming live mascot buffaloes, a storied tradition and one of college football’s most iconic. The running of the buffalo has been a must-glimpse event at the school for the past 58 years. The one-year-old bison steps in for Ralphie VI, who went into retirement before the start of season after showing little enthusiasm toward making the gallop around the field.

TL’s Sunday Notes | Sept. 14, 2025

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

BOSTON – “What’s Goin’ On?”

Last weekend before the U.S. Open men’s singles final, the United States Tennis Association issued a statement to request media outlets refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity.

Embed from Getty Images

The USTA Statement read in part:

“With respect to Broadcast Coverage, the President will be shown on the World Feed and the Ashe Court Feed during the opening anthem ceremony,” the USTA said in the memo, which has been viewed by multiple publications.

“We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity, including ENG coverage.”

Quoting U.S. Open champion John McEnroe years ago when he stormed the courts and argued with chair umpires, “You’ve got to be kidding me?”

While I understand the USTA back pedaled and pretended the request was akin to asking cameras at all sporting events not broadcast a drunken fan running out on the field of play, being chased by the Keystone Cops, I could read the lines themselves and see in between the lines that they were sending the media in attendance a preemptive strike – surely requested by The White House – to not show the chorus of boos which accompany the current President of the United States (POTUS) nearly everywhere he travels.

The ridiculous act of censorship, thankfully, was not adhered to by ESPN and other media on site, covering the event as the news it is. But, the USTA’s reprehensible action immediately leads to the question, “Just what is next?”

Let’s ask Grok?

“Censorship has indeed escalated in recent years, manifesting in various forms across governments, corporations, and institutions. This includes direct bans on platforms and content, algorithmic suppression, legal pressures on social media companies, and self-censorship driven by fear of repercussions,” wrote the AI guru.

As so many media members state on the airwaves these days, “there’s a lot to unpack,” so let’s dice it up for a second.

Governments, Corporations and Institutions – directly placing a ban on content. The verdict here, in these United States – GUILTY!

Bans on platforms and content – GUILTY!

Legal pressures on Social Media companies – GUILTY!

Self-Censorship (by media) driven by fear of repercussions – GUILTY!

What happened to “telling it like it is with he thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. News crews covering … the human drama of athletic competition? Maybe Wide World of Sports should’ve added, “unless the fans boo one of the competitors or boo a newsworthy happening in the stands which reflects negatively on a corrupt politician.”

USA Today’s Nancy Armour wrote of the boo-birds, “Resistance takes many forms.

“Sometimes it’s people taking to the streets in protest, as they did this weekend in Chicago and its suburbs. Sometimes it’s governors banding together to ensure their citizens have access to vaccines that have been thoroughly vetted, as the governors of California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii have.

“And sometimes it’s ABC and ESPN not muting the full-throated chorus of boos that occurred when the president of the United States was shown at the U.S. Open on Sunday.

“The U.S. Tennis Association’s request that broadcasters “refrain from showcasing any disruptions to the President’s attendance in any capacity” was an embarrassment. This is not North Korea or Russia, and it is not ABC’s, ESPN’s or any other broadcaster’s job to stroke President Donald Trump’s ego.

“To suggest otherwise was wholly inappropriate by the USTA and, worse, served to overshadow the anticipation for the latest meeting in what has become tennis’ next great rivalry. Instead of talking about Sinner and Alcaraz, the focus before the match was on the USTA’s clumsy attempt at censorship,” she wrote Monday morning.

Let’s take look at what the records show:

  • Nearly 4.8 billion people (60% of the global population) faced some form of restriction in 2024.
  • Social media saw 360 censorship instances across 76 countries from 2006-2023, accelerating mostly after 2018.
  • U.S. Federal agencies, such as The White House and FBI coerced Meta (Facebook, etc), Twitter (pre-Elon Musk era), and others to censor what they believed to be “misinformation.”
  • In 2024, U.S. libraries faced 821 challenges targeting 4,190 titles on race, gender, and sexuality.
  • The general censorship moved to the State Houses as 56 bills were filed in U.S. State legislatures in 2024, all restricting discussions on race, gender and American history. Of those, 22 were enacted in 16 U.S. States by mid-2025, citing “divisive concepts” in higher education and the classrooms.

If you think the Colorado Rockies have had a bad year, consider the American Civil Liberties Union. Founded 105 years ago, the ACLU has been set back the full century, maybe more. Then again, the ACLU hasn’t had a big win since Miranda v. Arizona in 1966.

Going forward, the media companies and their leaders need to grow a spine. News divisions must stand up for the rights of the people they serve. Sports media needs to cover the news of the event, not the news that event organizers prefer you cover.

When you hear the sentence, “Instead of that, you should be covering,” media need to run to their laptops, cameras, tape recorders and editing machines to report the very news they’ve witnessed, live and in color. Report the truth and nothing but the truth.

The truth should never be censored. Observations and opinions should not be censored and crowd reactions, peaceful assemblies and protests should never be censored.

Of course, later in the week leading into this weekend missive, the United States saw another murder by long gun in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This columnist must admit to having never even heard of Kirk before the news of his death. Regardless of political ideals, the “must relate” was as a father of two – his kids just toddlers. What, possibly, can Kirk’s young wife tell those two little kids?

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As a follow-up to a previous column on the WNBA and a potential move of the Connecticut Sun to Boston after former Celtics team owner Steve Pagliuca made an offer to purchase the franchise for $350 million. when the news broke, many a Boston-area politician and pundit was considering it a done deal. “Not so fast,” said the WNBA league office. Then, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey really jumped on the bandwagon, claiming, “we’re ready for the WNBA. Well, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) thinks otherwise. The Senator sent a letter to the WNBA this week “officially warning the league” to stay out of negotiations, and that “any attempts by the WNBA to block efforts to keep the Sun in Connecticut could violate federal antitrust laws,” he wrote.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (file photo/NBA)

TELEPHONE LINE: Here’s another very bad example of the misinformation circulating regularly on “X,” the once called Twitterverse. The story starts with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver conducting a short press conference to update NBA media (and thus the fans) on the news stemming from the NBA Board of Governors meeting held this week. Topics of discussion included: The Board ratifying slight changes to the replay rule (in regard to last second heaves (now to count as a Team FG attempt, rather than an individual attempt).

In the misinformation world, a snippet of Silver’s full press conference made its way around social media and – guess what? No one bothered to read the full, well thought out and thorough answer to the question. Instead, Silver was tattooed for the snip where he said “the NBA is very much a highlights driven league.

What he really said, was a full 180-degree opposite of the words he is being criticized for saying in the midst of a much broader point – focusing mainly on the fact that in 2025-26, the NBA will have more free-to-air broadcasts (off full games) than anytime in recent history. Here’s the full transcript:

Q. It’s become very expensive to watch the NBA as a fan, not just going to games but also in order to — there’s different streaming services you have to subscribe to, some of the RSNs are expensive. I know that there are other points of entry for fans to interact with the NBA. There’s social media, and a lot of younger fans, that is how they’re experiencing the sport. But I wonder how much you think about that and how that will shape the next generation of fans?

ADAM SILVER: “I think about it a lot. I will say, I saw the story your publication ran. You took all the different streaming services and added them up and what those costs would be. I look at it a little bit differently, because most people can only consume so many games. By way of one example, in these new media deals, we’re going from essentially 15 exposures on broadcast television to 75. So to the extent someone wants to put little rabbit ears on their television, you can still get 75 marquee games in essence for free in the marketplace.

“I’d say in addition to that, and this is an ongoing issue for the league, there’s a huge amount of our content that people essentially consume for free. This is very much a highlights-based sport, so Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, you name it, any service, the New York Times for that matter, to the extent that your content is not behind a paid firewall, there’s an enormous amount of content out there. YouTube, another example that is advertising based that consumers can consume.

“I think this is a new world now of streaming media. I think we’re paying a lot of attention to that. It was one of the discussions we had with our media partners, not just the cost of the games — and I think most people are conditioned to paying a certain amount for high-value content — but also the discovery of those games.

“Again, I’m a fan of many different sports. I think we’ve all had that experience where you’re going to Google to find the game you want to watch because the world has changed it’s not just automatically in the place you thought it would be.

“But ultimately, I’ll talk about it in terms of reach and how you reach your consumers. It’s interesting — because of the disruption in the regional sports network business, I never would have predicted this was coming 10 years ago, but a lot of our local games are moving back to broadcast television. In fact, we have more games on broadcast television locally than we’ve had anytime in recent history.

“We’re continuing to look at it. But the ultimate answer is we think a lot about it. We know where we have mass appeal. On a global basis, we’re literally reaching billions of people. We don’t want to disenfranchise people by working with partners that are creating price points that make it inaccessible to them.”

So, those who clipped and pontificated on the “highlights” failed to underline the main point of making more full games (what was 15 will now be 75 free-to-air broadcasts).

Shame on those who regurgitated the snippet as though it was Silver’s only comment.

UNDER FURTHER REVIEW: The accusatory line of questioning directed at Adam Silver for the NBA’s new TV deal seemed to lean towards a money-grab without regard to the best interests of the fans. Yet, many of the same people accusing Silver and his NBA Board of being greedy think that the sun rises and sets on College Football, the bands, the pageantry and the, ahem, wagering. But, to watch a full day of NCAA college football on Saturday, September 13th, a fan would need to have his remote wired and his subscriptions paid up to watch a rather weak schedule of college football games televised by (hold your breath):

  1. ABC
  2. CBS
  3. FOX
  4. CBSSN
  5. ESPN
  6. ESPN2
  7. ESPN+
  8. SECN+
  9. ESPNU
  10. FS-1
  11. Paramount+
  12. Peacock Net
  13. HBO Max
  14. YouTube TV
  15. truTV
  16. TNT
  17. Spectrum Sports
  18. Big Ten Network
  19. SEC Network
  20. SECN+
  21. ACC Network
  22. Mountain West Network
  23. The CW Network
  24. NEC Front Row

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: From the sports business file, SBJ on Friday reported a reorganization within the NBA league office structure. Such events occur yearly in the September 15 to Oct 1 zone. This year, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver focused his office on increasing viewership and global appeal. Key changes include integrating direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing teams with digital consumer products under Chris Benyarko, Head of Direct to Consumer Products, Technology & Operations. Additionally, media and brand teams, led by Janine Dugre and Andy Heatley respectively, will now report to Gregg Winik, President, Content & Executive Producer, to align with content and media partners. These adjustments are designed to enhance operations and strengthen the NBA’s strategy for a broader global audience and greater engagement with digital offerings.

CFP TOP 12, ACCORDING TO THE AFCA COACHES: As of week two of the college football season, here are the top 12 teams.

Rank, School/Team, (First place votes), Points from Voters, W/L Record

1 Ohio State (62) 1,668 2-0

2 Penn State (4) 1,576 2-0

3 Georgia 1,488 2-0

4 LSU (1) 1,472 2-0

5 Oregon 1,423 2-0

6 Miami (Fla.) 1,330 2-0

7 Texas 1,288 1-1

8 Notre Dame 1,041 0-1

9 Illinois 1,019 2-0

10 South Carolina 1,007 2-0

11 Clemson 995 1-1

12 Florida State 843 2-0

THIS JEST IN: After visiting the Gulf of America, then playing a few rounds of golf near Mar-a-Lago, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced in a press conference that the office building where he calls home base will now be called the Octagon. “We’re planning to add a few sides,” said Hegseth when informed the word Octagon would indicate eight sides as opposed to the five-sided building now standing. … There’s no word on whether the United States Military Academy will change its name from ARMY to ICEY.

TURTLES: Mark Volman, the singer who co-founded the popular 60s rock band, The Turtles, died at the age of 78. Reps for Volman confirmed the death to Rolling Stone, citing a “a brief and unexpected illness.” In 2020, Volman was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, but continued touring and only announced his diagnosis in 2023. In fact, when promoting his memoir “Happy Forever: My Musical Adventures with the Turtles, Frank Zappa, T. Rex, Flo & Eddie, and More” in 2023, Volman went public with his 2020 diagnosis of Lewy body dementia, a disease that results in a decline in cognitive ability, affecting reasoning, memory and movement. Here’s a tune.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: For decades, the European Basketball championship final would feature the likes of Spain, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Italy and Lithuania. This year? It’s reigning FIBA world champion Germany against an upstart national team from Türkiye. … Dating back to 1935, Türkiye has medaled only one time. That silver medal came in 2001 when the tournament was played on their home court.

In what looked to be a much closer matchup (on paper) turned into a one-sided affair, with Turkey winning 94-68. Greece had trouble scoring all around, finishing with three players in double figures, but none with more than 15 points, including NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) who was held to 12 points, on 6-for-13 shooting.

Türkiye’s Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets) had 15 points in the victory but Ercan Osmani (Efes Pilsen-EuroLeague) was the star, tallying 28 points and playing a stellar defensive game against Antetokounmpo.

Head coach Ergin Ataman (Panathinaikos-EuroLeague) had some choice words: “As I said, this isn’t the NBA. In European basketball, if you prepare well, protect the paint, and your players stay aggressive, you can be successful, it’s not that hard to stop him (Antetokounmpo). I think Osmani played excellent defense against Giannis. I don’t know if my friend, the GM of Anadolu Efes, will be in trouble because many NBA teams might come after Osmani to stop Giannis. But I believe he’s happy at Efes. He stopped him really well, with both intelligence and aggression”

Türkiye will face Germany in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Final at 2:00pm (ET) today (Sunday, September 14).

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | 8/31

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

NORTON (Mass) – The stars are aligning in the game of golf. Let us count the ways:

  • The PGA Tour concluded with a very entertaining FedEx Cup Playoffs (won by England’s Tommy Fleetwood in grand Fashion).
  • The LPGA tour is cruising through Massachusetts during this great Labor Day weekend as the best female golfers in the world compete in the FM Championship at TPC Boston – formerly the site of a PGA Tour/FedEx Cup Playoff round.
  • The Ryder Cup is on the horizon and United States Ryder Cup captain, Keegan Bradley, had a very difficult decision this week as he made is choices for Captain’s picks to round out the 12-player USA team. England’s Luke Donald will do the same and make his Captain’s selections on Monday (September 1). The Ryder Cup will be contested between Europe and the USA from September 26-28 at Bethpage State Park on Long Island, NY.
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While readers of WWYI might’ve expected a full column on the Baseball home stretch, the start of college football or a preview of the NFL season ahead, you’ll be keen to know that an amazing connection to the PGA Tour-LPGA Tour-and-Ryder Cup walked right into the path of your intrepid columnist earlier this week. Thus, footy can wait a week or so and WWYI will educate you on the great Pat Bradley, aunt of Keegan, and one of the classiest athletes in history – any sport, anywhere. Ms. Bradley was publicizing the 2025 FM Championship when WWYI ran into her and reminisced about rainy summer days on Long Island.

From this observer’s point of view, the FM Championship at TPC Boston is the LPGA equivalent of the Traveller’s Championship, held each June at TPC River Highlands near Hartford.

Why?

They are both the best run, organized, challenging but reward for risk golf tournaments on the circuit. The Traveller’s is a Signature Event (elevated purse) and it comes at a challenging time, usually right after the U.S. Open. Nevertheless, the pro golfers all turn up, as the tournament has the best reputation of taking good care of the golfers and their families.

So it says for the (relatively) new FM Championship for the LPGA. Raised purse, great course in a great place (players stay in locales near either Boston or Providence). The sponsors have dedicated time, hard work, money and Human Resources (volunteers as good as they get) to staging what will surely be the model for all future LPGA events in the years to come.

Bradley was on hand as the media met the powers that be in staging this weekend’s FM Championship in Norton. She was fabulous and this columnist remembers watching her play on Long Island at the Meadowbrook Golf Course in the Western Union International (1979-1982). Pat Bradley was often high on the leaderboard and came from the Commonwealth and was quite accustomed to golf in the Northeast.

“I remember playing the LPGA Championship at Pleasant Valley in 1975 when I was on tour, so the history of professional golf has always been strong in Massachusetts,” said Bradley. “To be back here at TPC (Boston) is a huge treat. The talented athletes are great ambassadors, not only to the game of golf, but to the world of golf. It’s a joy to walk the fairways and watch them do their thing.

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“I am celebrating my 50th year on the LPGA Tour, and when I think back, gee wiz, when I joined the tour in ‘74, the LPGA was about 25 years and here we’re celebrating 75 years. It’s been a tremendous organization and it gets stronger and stronger every year. And, when you have sponsors like FM believing in you as an organization, as athletes, as golfers, it just makes your heart grow and full. You just can’t wait to play these fairways.”

Bradley was joined by Brockton, Massachusetts native Megan Khang who proudly noted she winters in Boston, although it’s a short break with the fact the LPGA Tour runs from about January 18 to November 24. This weekend, Khang sits T-18 after a (-3) score of 69 on Saturday.

“I love being around Massachusetts,” said Khang. “It’s where my family is. For me, being from Massachusetts and playing MassGolf growing up, it’s cool to say, you don’t have to move somewhere warm full-time.’

Bringing it back to Pat Bradley, the 1981 U.S. Open champion, she’ll always have eyes on the LPGA, but this week she was watching her nephew on television, first at the TOUR Championship where he finished T-7 and pocketed a cool $1,121,667 for his efforts after shooting 70-64-63-70 on the championship weekend. Despite his No. 11 ranking on Tour, (No. 8 if you only look at USA golfers), Keegan did not pick himself to play on the Ryder Cup and his aunt had faith in his decision.

“If I said anything to Keegan, it was whatever decision you make, it will be the right decision,” noted Aunt Pat, keeping the family business as close as a Corleone might practice. “I know he’s been dealing with it (Ryder Cup pressure) and he’ll be dealing with it for a little more time. Keegan is the right guy for Bethpage Black, and he and his team will bring the Cup home. He’ll let the fellas know to keep their focus, because otherwise Bethpage Black will let them know.

“It’s been a tremendous moment for Keegan and his family,” added Ms. Bradley. “I’m so proud of all that he has done. I’ve never been so proud of him than the day he took that phone call (to be the US Ryder Cup captain) a couple years ago.

“When a young man goes into Yankee Stadium with a Red Sox baseball cap, you know he’s got guts,” she concluded in her sum-up of the USA’s captain.

FOR THE RECORD: These United States pro golfers made the Ryder Cup team by points earned during the past season:

  1. Scottie Scheffler
  2. J.J. Spaun
  3. Xander Schauffele
  4. Russell Henley
  5. Harris English
  6. Bryson DeChambeau

Then to round out the team, Bradley’s Captain’s picks were: (in alphabetical order)

Sam Burns

Patrick Cantlay

Ben Griffin

Collin Morakawa

Justin Thomas

Cameron Young

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There’s been no better moment for the college football season than watching the retiring ESPN commentator and former coach, Lee Corso,make his final pick of the week in front of 100,000 Ohio State fans on Saturday at Noon. ESPN College Game Day ranks neck and neck with the Inside the NBA crew of Turner Sports as the best two wrap-around shows in the business. Game Day might have the edge, as it’s always a live remote on a pumped-up college campus, always the “biggest” game of the week, the best match-up, the most important game. It was no surprise to see Corso pick Ohio State to please the hometown fans. Corso donned the head piece of Brutas the Buckeye mascot to a standing ovation, possibly the loudest in college sports. Second to the Lee Corso tribute, was the college football pageantry on display at the legendary “Horseshoe” in Columbus. Saturday proved to be a perfect, 70-degree, 44% humidity, deep blue postcard blue sky day. Can you imagine being a first-year student just enrolled at The Ohio State University and on campus for a week or two? (Corso was correct, by the3 way, as Ohio State defeated No. 1 ranked Texas, 14-7).

On the other hand, the vaunted Army Black Knights football team suffered one of its most stunning defeats in history, falling 30-27 in double overtime to the Tarleton State Texans football team, an FCS program.

PREDICTIONS: Making these College Football Playoff prediction with the benefit of seeing the Ohio State win over Texas, here are the WWYI thoughts for CFB Playoffs 2025-26:

  1. Ohio State
  2. Clemson
  3. Penn State
  4. Georgia
  5. Notre Dame
  6. Texas (lost Saturday)
  7. Oregon
  8. LSU
  9. Alabama (lost Saturday)
  10. Miami (Florida)
  11. Texas Tech
  12. Arizona State

TL’S – In the Hunt: Illinois, South Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Ole Miss and SMU.

NFL Predictions will come next week.

THIS JEST IN: The bat tossed in the air by a New Jersey Little Leaguer to celebrate a home run which earned him a suspension (lifted by a judge in appeal) was sold Friday for nearly $10,000 at auction. The proceeds from the sale of 12-year-old Marco Rocco‘s autographed bat will be donated to the program he plays for, Haddonfield Little League. The auction was conducted by the reputable firm of Goldin Auctions and it drew 68 bids. The winning bid was $9,882, but the name of the winning bidder was not announced. Marco’s bat flip on July 16 in the final of the NJ Little League sectional tournament resulted in an ejection, a one-game suspension and a legal fight won by the flipper.

THIS JUST IN: In Saturday’s semifinal of the AmeriCup men’s basketball tournament, the United States (3-2) fell to Brazil (4-1), 92-77, in Managua, Nicaragua. Canada and Argentina were playing in the other semifinal at press time. The USA will face the loser of that game for the 2025 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup bronze medal.

Over in FIBA EuroBasket 2025, the Group stage is just being completed and the tournament will advance to the Final phase this week. See the STANDINGS.

Celtics fans want to know: Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 16.7 points per game while playing 26.8 minutes per game for Latvia. The Celtics traded Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks this past June in a three-team deal that sent TeranceMann and the No. 22 pick (Drake Powell) in the 2025 NBA Draft to the Nets, while Georges Niang and a second-round pick headed to Boston. In another move to clear additional salary off the books, the Celtics subsequently sent Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for rookie wing RJ Luis Jr., out of St. John’s.

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CAN’T MAKE IT UP: As reported annually by the Associated Press with a dateline of BUÑOL (Spain), thousands of people from all around the world seeking a challenging date for their Tide detergent skills and a messy thrill to boot, spent one fun-filled hour flinging bushels of overripe tomatoes at each other during Spain’s “Tomatina”celebration this week. It was dubbed, “the mother of all food fights” as a packed street in the town of Buñol went deep red as revelers squished, smashed and hurled 120 tons of the overripe garden favorite. Tarps covered building fronts as an estimated 20,000 people let loose amid screams and laughter. The gazpacho didn’t stand a chance, but it beats getting gored by an angry Bull.

STREAKING: Heading into today’s (Sunday) series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates, arguably the worst hitting team in MLB, the Boston Red Sox have lost five home games in a row. That’s after the Sox won nine of the previous ten (July 26-August 16). Adding to the woes of inconsistency for this hometown team, the Sox have lost four of their last seven series after winning four straight series from July 25-August 6. … Boston has scored three or fewer runs in 11 of their last 16 games. Boston is now (75-62) and are positioned as the American League’s 2nd World Card team, trailing the New York Yankees by one game. Boston is 3.5 games back of AL East division leader Toronto (78-58) … The Seattle Mariners are the 3rd Wild Card team and trail the Red Sox by 2.0 games.

IF THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN TODAY: Here’s the way the teams would match-up if the MLB postseason began today.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

(1) Blue Jays vs. winner of (4) Red Sox vs. (5) Yankees

(2) Tigers vs. winner of (3) Astros vs. (6) Mariners

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

(1) Brewers vs. winner of (4) Cubs vs. (5) Padres

(2) Phillies vs. winner of (3) Dodgers vs. (6) Mets

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Aug 17

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – HBO’s “HARD KNOCKS” is the best sports television show in history. It’s not even close. While Ernie (Johnson, Jr.), Charles (Barkley), Kenny (Smith) and Shaq (O’Neal) of Turner Sports fame can make you laugh out loud every time, not one of the “Inside the NBA” shows has ever made me feel like running through a wall after watching the show. Hard Knocks does that. Every episode.

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Just hearing the Hard Knocks theme song gets me revved-up and there’s been no highlight show or team documentary that has ever come close to unearthing such emotion. Hard Knocks often features a team I couldn’t care less about in the fixtures of the NFL, yet each summer I, along with legions of sports fans, come away from a few episodes of a weekly TV show rooting like hell for the team that’s been featured.

That is happening this year as the Buffalo Bills are featured and Tuesday night marked just the second episode of the 2025 version of the show which debuted in the “Way Back Machine” with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001.

The NFL and HBO have called Hard Knocks “the first sports-based reality series” in television history. That’s B.S. because long before 2001, anyone and everyone in the sports industry realized we had the best reality programming in history, and it was our games themselves.

CBS reality series – Survivor – premiered on May 31, 2000. Executive Producer Mark Burnett hatched an idea that – somehow – has lasted 25 years, with the property gaining and keeping its loyal audience while also spinning out other reality shows on everything from cooking/chefs to swamp people.

Facing facts, reality shows can easily be taped and watched at a later date, although office water cooler talk might spoil a surprise ending. Sports, on the other hand, has to be watched live. Every sports fan knows it and it’s impossible to steer clear of the score of a game unless you’re asleep and watch the game before leaving your bed or touching your phone device.

Hard Knocks married the two and has become must see TV, especially as avid NFL fans countdown the days to the opening weekend of football. The Hard Knocks theme song prompts the visceral reaction of the human mind and body.

The theme was written for NFL Films by David Robidoux, a music composer who hails from the tough town of Reading, Pennsylvania. Robidoux is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music with degrees in audio engineering and film scoring. He began working for NFL Films in 1991 and is a 40-time EMMY nominee and 15-time EMMY Award winner. He’s created nearly 3,000 compositions for the NFL alone but has done everything from a Dressage routine for US Olympian Laura Graves in the Rio 2016 Olympics, featuring “Man Of War” to a “40 Years of NFL Films Music” 10 CD Box Set.

If the theme doesn’t cement you in your armchair for an hour, then the voice of narrator Liev Schreiber will provide you with chills throughout every episode. Schreiber, best known for his acting role as Marty Baron – editor-in-chief of the Boston Globe in the Academy Award winning movie, Spotlight, was so perfectly cast to be the voice of Hard Knocks. Back in 2023, when Hard Knocks was featuring the New York Jets, then-Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers referred to Schreiber as “the voice of God” for his efforts in the series, and rightfully so, as the actor has been with the docuseries each and every episode – all but one season. In 2007, he didn’t narrate and turned the duties to Kansas City Chiefs fan Paul Rudd.

Schreiber’s only on screen performance came in that J-E-T-S season when he choppered over to NYJ training camp for a look-see and meet & greet with the Jets players and coaches. This year, with the Bills, Schreiber is back in the familiar place of narration – Thank God.

That brings us to the content (and buzzword 🚨 alert) storytelling. Hard Knocks covers training camp of NFL teams, but its secret sauce is the character development created on each and every episode. Sure, a fixed camera in the GM’s office secretly filming a player being cut from the team has been the type of behind the scenes access NFL fans dreamt they watch, but the more compelling storylines are the deep dives into the off field lives of the players. Often depicted with their families or pictured in everyday life, shopping or mixing up a breakfast smoothie for a roommate/teammate, the bond created by Hard Knocks with the rank and file players of each team, create that magical fan to player love affair that is the very root of all sports.

Yes, sometimes, that player/character who became the unexpected star of an episode is later cut from the team and it draws on a fans raw emotions, fully understanding what a player and his wife/family have gone through during camp.

One such player was John Connor, aka “The Terminator.” Then-New York Jets coach Rex Ryan tagged the nickname on Connor (not to be confused with Arizona Cardinals running back, James Conner). Fans of the J-E-T-S fell head over heels for Connor when, as a fullback, he was assigned to be a lead blocker and clear a hole for his running backs. Connor didn’t make a block, he often hit defenders so hard, they’d drop to their knees and be carted off the field, dazed and confused by the alien that just ran them over – thus, the nickname, “The Terminator.”

Of course, the reality of NFL camp took over when Connor was sidelined with an MCL sprain and hamstring injury and was released by the Jets a month into the 2012 season. He bounced from New York to Cincinnati, back to New York for a short stint with the Giants and Jets (again), before playing his final NFL camp with the Buffalo Bills where he was among the final cuts on September 4, 2015.

Connor’s career stat line in the NFL consists of 108 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, along with 12 receptions and a pass receiving TD. His game did not stand out for NFL teams, but, through Hard Knocks, his name will live on forever.

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HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Boston University is facing a lawsuit from Baylor University over a logo battle. The complaint was filed this week in Waco, Texas – where Baylor is located – and it seeks to prevent Boston University from using an “a specific interlocking BU design that is identical or strikingly similar to Baylor’s federally registered marks.” Baylor University noted it’s been using the interlocking BU letters since, at least, 1912 and the school registered for a trademark in 1987. The lawsuit says Boston University initially opposed the application, but the schools reached an agreement and Boston University has been using the letters side-by-side in its logo.

But the settlement went South, the lawsuit alleges, as Baylor found out – back in 2018 – that Boston University was using the interlocking BU on different hat styles in its campus store. Baylor asked Boston University to cease and desist in 2021, but the request was ignored. “Rather, its use has continued to expand, and a very large number of such goods now appears on the Defendant’s website,” Baylor said in the complaint.

A spokesperson for Boston University told WBZ-TV in Boston that the school does not comment on pending litigation. Meanwhile, Baylor is asking a judge to permanently stop Boston University from using the interlocking BU, and to destroy any products or signs with that specific logo.

WWYI wonders if Baylor would settle the case by playing an ice hockey game, with the winner getting rights to the BU. Surely, Baylor would rather play football.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: Close to the old homestead, and alma mater is fact St. John’s President, Reverend Brian J. Shanley, OP, has been named Chair of the Big East Conference Board of Directors. This prestigious role is a testament to his leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to both academics and athletics. … In other words, St. John’s better get all the close calls on the court this coming season. … Former PGA Tour TV guru and WNBA Commissioner (2005-11) Donna Orender is trying hoops again. Orender is Commissioner of The UpShot League, a development league for women’s basketball (a la WNBA). The league is scheduled to play in May 2026. The UPSHOT League’s regular-season schedule will consist of 40 games, including 20 at home and 20 on the road for only four teams. Currently, the clubs are:

  • UpShot Charlotte
  • UpShot Greensboro
  • UpShot Jacksonville
  • UpShot Savannah – (Might they be named the Savannah Roseannadannas)?

The new league is being organized by Zawyer Sports & Entertainment, a firm that owns, manages, and operates the Jacksonville Icemen, Savannah Ghost Pirates, Greensboro Gargoyles, 32 Degrees Marketing, Community First Igloo, Charlotte Checkers, and Gastonia Ghost Peppers. Zawyer Sports is in the business of hosting family based entertainment. Investors include, Cheryl Miller and Anne Meyers Drysdale, among others.

SOX STUFF: Aside from the hot, hot, hot Milwaukee Brewers (NL), the Boston Red Sox are second-best in the majors and an AL-best 26-12 since July 1. … At Fenway Park, the Sox are a scorching 16-2 in their last 18 games, 18-3 in their last 21 home games, and 25-6 in their last 31. … Not surprisingly, the Red Sox have sold out for their last 13 games, with Saturday’s crowd of 36,192 the most recent crowd. … The Red Sox starting pitchers lead the American League with 57 quality starts. … Boston ace Garrett Crochet will take to the mound vs the Marlins on Sunday (1:35pm).

JIMMY FUND: Monday, Aug 18 and Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025 mark the annual WEEI-Radio/NESN Radio Telethon to benefit The Jimmy Fund (Dana Farber Cancer Institute). Since 2002, the generous support of Sox fans and WEEI listeners/NESN viewers has raised more than $74 million to support pediatric and adult cancer care and research at Dana Farber. Tune-in and contribute, if you can: Visit HERE