While We're Young Ideas

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Olympic ⛳️

August 4, 2024 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

FROM the LYONS’ DEN in BOSTON – It’s time to “tee-up” a patented TL timeline of a column. It works when there’s any Olympic golf tournament, staged in Paris, France, and the time zone change brings live golf into your quiet, basement TV at three in the morning – a little like Ryder Cup times.

You know the rules. (There’s none).

Here we go:

August 1, 2024

4:11am – After my iPhone alarm had been moved to snooze twice since its 3:00am setting, a large cup of coffee – let’s call it Cafe au lait for the occasion – was made with the care of a Parisian shoppe owner while doing everything humanly possible to not awake our two wonderful canines.

As one would expect, the early bird – that’s the lève tôt pour moi – was rewarded with the 4:11am ET/10:11am (local) tee time threesome – trio – of World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler of the USA, Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg being introduced to the crowds of Le Golf National, located at Saint Quentin en Yvelines, to the west/southwest of Paris.

To set the scene properly, it’s important to note, the starter at Le Golf National could easily double as the cropier at the Casino de Monte-Carlo’s Baccarat table. You might remember the scene from the 2018 Ryder Cup (17 1⁄2 – to – 10 1⁄2 win by Europe), as the Albatros Course looked and played in near perfect condition.

5:00am – There’s a few general thoughts running through your columnist’s mind. They’ll be addressed now, and presented in stream of consciousness mode.

Golf returned to the Olympic Games in 2016 (Rio) and is being contested for only the fifth time in the modern Olympics. The sport was first played in the Olympics in 1900, as the 1896 modern Olympics in Greece did not have a suitable golf course to play. In 1900, at the Compiègne Club in France, both men and woman competed in the sport. Only four nations were represented (France, Great Britain, the United States and Greece).

Charles Sands, a representative of the St. Andrews Golf Club in Yonkers, New York finished the 36 hole tournament, shooting (82)+(85) for (167), defeating Walter Rutherford of Jedburgh, Scotland (Great Britain) by one stroke. In the women’s competition, Margaret Abbott of Chicago Golf Club. Abbott (born in Calcutta) shot a (47) to win and became the first ever American female to medal in the Olympic Games. The bad news was that she received a gilded porcelein bowl as a trophy, rather than a gold medal. The incredible news, Abbott’s mother finished seventh.

St. Louis was celebrating the World’s Fair in 1904 and hosted a two country (USA and Canada) golf tournament at the Glen Echo course in St. Louis. A 20-year-old American, H. Chandler Egan, a Harvard student and the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, was the heavy favorite to claim the gold medal in match play format. Egan met Canadian George Lyon in the 36-hole final but lost 3 and 2 in difficult conditions.

Golf was not included in the Olympic Games for 112 years after St. Louis. Fast forward 90 years to October 9, 2009, in Copenhagen when the 121st IOC session determined golf would be reinstated to the Summer Olympics and for plaqnning purposes, the sport returned in grand form at the 2016 Games at Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Interestingly, the USOC’s Bob Condron was named venue chief – a very smart move for the brand new course constructed for the event.

Britain’s Justin Rose and Korea’s Inbee Park took the gold medals in Rio.

Of course, the global pandemic wreaked havoc but golf returned in 2021 at the Tokyo Games when Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda, both representing the United States of America, won the men’s and women’s events. They remain defending champions until medals are awarded this week.

Keep in mind, unlike the usual PGA Tour, DP World Golf or LIV Golf event when some 50-70+ players will have a slice of the sizable purse, this week, only three players in both the men’s and women’s events are recognized as winners. In other words, you get the same prize for fourth as you do for 60th – “nuthin.”

5:55am – The featured group of defending champion Schauffele – winner of two of ‘24’s four majors in the PGA Championship and the recent Open Championship – was placed with Spain’s Jon Rahm who won his first LIV Golf title only a week ago, and Norway’s Viktor Hovland, the reigning FedEx Cup Champion and winner of a cool $18 million for his efforts, joined the party.

Remember, for their entire PGA Tour careers, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, winners of 25 majors and 135 tour titles, earned a combined $7,595,888. (US).

6:06am – France’s Mathieu Pavon teed-off as the hometown hero but he was overshadowed a bit by his playing partners, Collin Morikawa of the USA and MattFitzpatrick of England.

6:15am – Two – yes, count ‘em, two dogs woke up and sought me out in our home basement and both were happy to cuddle-up and return to sleep for a while. Both Penny (Lane), our 3.5 year old Irish Golden Doodle (heavy on the Golden Retriever and Poodle side) and (Mighty) Max of Silver Hammer fame, our 1-year old english Springer Doodle, of the happiest, mellowist, craziest dog of all-time fame, remained silent, observing golf’s most important rule – “No Barking” at 6:15am.

A second wind cup of (Dunkin Donuts – original) coffee was brewed and poured into an Ember ceramic mug. BTW, the Ember Cup might be the greatest invention of the century, and I applaud (sis-in-law) for her generous Christmas gift. The glowing blue light, turned white hot, somehow keeps the coffee at its perfect temperature which can be set to the desired degree (120-145 degree Fahrenheit and that’s 48.9-62.8º degrees in Celsius – for all my many subscribers spread across the globe or those covering the golf tournament in the outskirts of Paris.

Speaking of which, please don’t categorize this as a rant. It’s a sincere wish.

HOW in the WORLD can an Olympic Golf tournament be staged without a one-day team match play event for gold, silver and bronze medals? Each country to qualify would pick two players to compete in a bracket-type, Match Play tournament, not unlike the WGC tournament which used to be on the PGA schedule. It would add a lot to the golf experience at the Olympics, and maybe add two days for the players to remain on the road. … Mixed doubles would be great too. (Four Ball).

It’s “on” to the rest of the morning:

6:30am – The “regular” alarm clocks ring. Thursday, August 1, 2024 is now, officially beginning in this Boston household.

6:39am – The final threesome of the day – Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay, Joel Girrbachof Switzerland, and Tapio Pulkkanen of Finland – are the first tee. Meanwhile, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama became the clubhouse leader for the first round by shooting an (8-under) (63), three strokes ahead of a group of two players at (-6) and four players (and growing) at (minus 5).

By days end, Hideki Matsuyama, the Japan native and popular PGA Tour player, carded a bogey-free, 8-under (63) to top the 60-athlete, first-round leaderboard on a sultry day in the outskirts of Paris. Round 1 was victim to two weather delays.

August 2, 2024

The second round saw American Xander Schauffele card a 36-hole total of (131), tying the low 36-hole Olympic mark that he recorded at the 2020 in ‘21) Tokyo Olympics. Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan closed with a double-bogey (6) for a 3-under (68) in his Friday play, but he leads the field with 15 birdies through the opening two rounds.

Fatigue was kicking in on the second day of the 4:00am (ET) wake-up, never mind the third day.

August 3, 2024

Spain’s Jon Rahm posted his second consecutive (66) and he hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation. Rahm leads the field in Greens in Regulation (87.04%) and Driving Accuracy (80.95%) through three rounds.

Schauffele’s third round score (68) marked his second consecutive Olympics when he, at least, had a share of the 54-hole lead. Not bad. Schauffele can become the first back-to-back medalist in the men’s Olympic golf history.

Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick of Great Britain withdrew from the Olympic men’s golf competition after he shot an (81) in the third round. He was nursing a thumb injury.

That leads us to the posting of WWYI (Saturday night at 10:00am ET) and the start of the final round of the tournament, beginning at 3:00am but highlighted when the leaders tee-it-up at 6:39am ET). So, if you’re reading this Saturday night, you know the deal.

If you’re reading it on Sunday morning, turn on the Golf Channel.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Buzzword Bingo for NBC’s coverage of the Men’s Olympic basketball tournament. Here’s a Top 10.

International basketball is catching up. (psst, that happened at least 24 years ago).
They check their ego at the door. (psst, there’s no ego check closet).
The level of talent, is incredible. Twelve alpha-dogs.
The USA hasn’t had all that much time to prepare.
They have to play the right way.
They’re playing for one another.
This is bigger than me, individually.
Take care of the basketball and defend the way you can.
You’ve got guys that are willing to sacrifice.
The coaching staff has done an amazing job. (a comment that can go 180-degrees if there’s an upset in the next round when it’s “On to Bercy”

RIP: There’s been far too many Rest in Peace notifications in this missive, but it’s a must to convey sincere condolences to the wife, Taryn Faith, and three daughters of Andy Jasner, a Philadelphia-based writer/reporter known to many of us through his late father, Phil Jasner, who wrote for the Philadelphia Daily News.

One minute Andy, 55, was filing a story on the Philadelphia Phillies, the next, he was gone, a victim of a massive heart attack which shook our world on Friday, August 2. The news spread quickly on Friday afternoon and the weekend. “I am simply speechless over this tragedy,” wrote one WWYI subscriber who emailed this morning.

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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 28

July 28, 2024 by Digital Sports Desk

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Just think how great it would’ve been. Instead of the Seine, we could’ve shown off the Charles. Instead of The Avenue des Champs-Élysées we could’ve shown the world that 128 and 95 are the same road. They’ll show off The Louvre but we could’ve polished up Fenway Park or the New England Sports Museum.

A studio in the sky for the Boston Summer Games could’ve looked live at Storrow Drive just as some BU kid drove his Ryder Truck into the overpass and sawed off his new Sleep by Number bed, fully Storrowed.

Face it. We blew it.

We (meaning the citizens of Boston) did what we always do. We complained. We complained about cost over-runs, we complained about traffic, we complained that the Olympics might interfere with Patriots’ Training Camp, for God’s sake. We would’ve complained about the Sox being on the road for two-plus weeks. Of course, it would’ve been the Olympics that cost the ‘24 Sox a Wild Card spot, not Kutter Crawford’s failing cutter.

Truthfully, the chances of Boston getting out of the first round of global IOC Olympic site voting was about as strong as the Bruins getting out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Paris had the deck stacked, as the ‘24 Games are the 100 year anniversary of the 1924 Games, when Paris last hosted the Summer Olympics. That’s good enough for me, but don’t blame WWYI for thinking there should be a nice new 12,000 seat stadium for the Revs and an upgraded Alumni Stadium for Boston College football and a brand spankin’ new Aquatics Center for swimming and diving that could’ve been a legacy venue for Boston to host future swim meets and world competitions. We’d have built it, but the IOC would’ve paid for it.

Just think? Boxing and Badminton at Fenway! Or maybe they’d bring back Baseball as a temporary exhibition sport, like they’re doing with Break Dancing and Skate Boarding in Paris.

For Boston, it wasn’t meant to be and that’s okay.

Just seeing semi-retired Boston Globe Olympic sports columnist John Powers’ byline from PARIS was enough for this Bostonian to be happy to kick-it-back, wake up at 4:00am (ET) or even watch the plausibly live taped turnaround coverage.

One thing enjoyed this morning was to re-program the “favorites” on the old remote, eliminating the March Madness leftovers of CBS, TBS, TNT and Tru which were replaced by NBC, USA Network, CNBC, and The Golf Channel on linear with Peacock ready for the OTT setup. No matter, the TV will be tuned in at all hours of the day.

Saturday morning, on USA Network, we had the treat of watching the US women’s water polo team defeat Greece, 15-6, in their opener. The best part was getting the play-by-play call from the great Kenny Albert who made the Water Polo sound like a New York Rangers’ NHL game. It was terrific. Maybe Albert can do double duty at Field Hockey and Water Polo?

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There’s going to be a ton written, reported and pontificated upon to readers and television audiences around the world during the great fortnight to come. The 2024 Summer Olympics is upon us and Friday’s Opening Ceremony sur le Seine was one of the great sights sporting audiences will ever see. It was an ode to “vive la différence’ in many ways.

It seems when polled, everyone wants something new and exciting. They want something different and original. They criticize the same old, same old and want a progressive world at their finger tips. But, when they get it, they complain that “it wasn’t an Opening Ceremony the way it should be.”

Go figure.

The most important thing from this vantage point is a wish for a safe and secure Olympics for all. Let the athletes play.

In terms of great moments and memories, there are thousands of them to recall. I had the great pleasure to work on eight Olympic Games with USA Basketball and attend four of those events (Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens). Without a doubt, they were the greatest experiences of my career – each and every one of them. Yes, the 1984 NBA Finals were the best basketball I’ve ever witnessed and we all care so much about our USA/Canada based pro sports results, but the Olympics and representing the United States as a member of the official delegation were – by far – the biggest thrill and most meaningful, humbling and gratifying moments of my career in sports. All the Games had incredible highs and some hit the depths of the lows (think Atlanta bombing).

And, thinking back on ’72, with the horrific terrorist attack on Team Israel in their dorms in Munich, that was the worst of it, without a doubt. On the court that same year, the USA was totally screwed out of a Gold Medal in Men’s basketball when Renato William Jones came down from his seat in the stands and decided to put three more seconds on the game clock, overruling the game officials. What a farce. Shameful. But, that was YESTERDAY.

The Opening Ceremonies, however, delivered so much hope, inspiration and promise. That ceremony started an Olympics of TODAY.

While we tend to look for the brightest of stars, the medalists, I found the Olympics to be more about a swimmer from Budapest, Hungary I was so fortunate to meet on an Olympic Village bus ride in Athens 2004. She had finished her heat in swimming and came in 46th overall. She was not expected to be in the Top 100. It was her personal best performance and she was so happy and proud. She did not advance to the next round of heats, but her team recognized the great individual effort and celebrated her accomplishment. It was a great moment for her and her team. It was the best day of her life, and she was so happy to share it with someone with USA on their shirt/jacket. She also spoke such perfect English and I was at such a loss not to be able to communicate better with her in her native language. We are so isolated in North America.

Overall, no other great shakes for this post.

My main message?

The Summer Games are here. Let’s enjoy them instead of complaining about ridiculous distractions from some non-source without a clue but with an agenda.

BRONZE TID-BITS, SILVER OBSERVATIONS AND GOLDEN NUGGETS: How cool is it to have two children of your friends compete in the Olympics? That is the case with Sam Coffey, the daughter of former New York writer/columnist extraordinaire Wayne Coffey. His daughter, who played college soccer at Boston College and Penn State, is a new member of the USWNT and a player to be reckoned with, for sure. She plays pro ball for the Portland Thorns and is part of the bright future for the USA women, whether at the Olympics or future World Cup. … Nic Fink, a swimmer, is the son of Peter Fink – a partner in crime and one of the best Events execs in NBA history. Peter was a guy who was always loyal, always respectful of his colleagues, knowing decisions made would effect a wider contingent than just the Events Department. He is experiencing the second act of his career, a bright one, but his son, Nic, is swimming (possibly for his last big time event) in Paris. Nic qualified through the various heats and will be swimming in the final of the 100m breaststroke as you read this Sunday morning. (or, if you’re on it Saturday night, set your alarm).

By the way, Nic stood out as a collegiate swimmer at the University of Georgia and earned a degree in Engineering while he was at it. Check out his career – HERE.

While We’re Young (Ideas) | Lyons Den

July 14, 2024 by Terry Lyons

people sitting on green grass field during dusk — Minor League Baseball Americana : MiLB Photo by Frankie Lopez on Unsplash

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

PORTLAND (Maine) – As much as we’d all like to find some time, a few minutes or – even better – hours, days, and weeks to relax during the hot, Dog Days of Summer, there’s always something else on the never-ending “What’s Next” list of life. There’s rarely a pause

As sure as the sports world turns, Wimbledon‘s men’s and women’s finals are being staged this weekend, the Tour de France is cycling away – starting in Italy and ending with a time trial from Monaco to Nice, France. It’s the first time the race doesn’t end in Paris because of the final preparations for the Olympics are nearly completed. The PGA Tour has travelled across the pond for the Genesis Scottish Open and next weekend’s “The Open,” and the WNBA All-Star break with its mid-season classic game scheduled for July 20 in Phoenix. Then, we’ll have a full Olympic Games break in the “W” from July 21 to August 14.

Of course, the highlight of the summer of 2024 are the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris and other select cities (like Lille for basketball) in France (July 26 to August 11).

As of Monday morning, baseball will take its break. While the vast majority of baseball’s rank and file will head to Cabo, the All-Stars will convene in Arlington, Texas for the Tuesday night classic at Globe Field. On Monday night, the players will have some fun with the annual Home Run Derby. Scheduled to compete are:

Pete Alonso, New York Mets
Alex Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies
Adolis Garcia, Texas Rangers
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Teoscar Hernández, LA Dodgers
Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta Braves
José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
Bobby Witt, Jr., Kansas City Royals

That’s a formidable group of sluggers, as long as you’re okay with the fact big league HR leaders like Aaron Judge (33), (New York Yankees), Shohei Ohtani, (28) (Los Angeles Dodgers), Anthony Santander (23), (Baltimore Orioles), Josh Naylor, (22), Cleveland Guardians, Juan Soto (22), New York Yankees, Christian Walker (22), Arizona Diamondbacks are all sitting out the competition, many with built in excuses of tight rib muscles or sore backs. (All HR Leader figures noted were as of Saturday morning).

Boston’s 3B Rafa Devers hit his 22nd homer of the season on Saturday at Fenway Park. It moved him to 11th in club history with his 194th blast. Popular catcher Jason Varitek relinquished the 11th spot. Devers, who announced he’ll be sitting out the All-Star Game due to a lingering left shoulder problem, obviously can not participate in the Derby, either.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: As we mind the gap for the Big Leaguers, there’s never a better time to turn our attention to the Minor Leagues (MiLB). The annual Futures All-Star Game is ongoing as this is being typed. Cincinnati Reds prospect Cam Collier crushed a 409-foot home run as the NL defeated the AL, 6-1. Collier, the 18th overall pick in the 2022 Draft, has 13 homers for High-A Dayton on the year.

Looking deeper into the world of MiLB, there’s a great story brewing in Iowa, of all places for you Field of Dreams fans.

Sioux City’s J.D. Scholten improved his pitching record to 2-0, and snapped Fargo-Moorhead’s American Association best five-game win streak. Scholten is a 44 year old Iowa State Representative in the State House. The political pitcher last suited up for the Sioux City Explorers in 2007 but gave up his baseball career for a job in politics. But the Rep couldn’t stop the itch of pitching a baseball and returned to pro ball in the Netherlands last summer before returning to his State House gig.

This summer, with only three hours notice before taking to the mound, Scholten accepted a spot start for ailing starter Jared Wetherbee.

‘They made ‘The Rookie’ about Jim Morris making it to the Majors with the Tampa Rays at age 35, J.D.’s story should at least merit a special on C Span,’ joked American Association Commissioner Josh Schaub. “The story unfolding, given the quality of players Scholten’s faced in both Milwaukee and now Fargo/Fargo-Moorhead, is quite amazing.”

The American Association of Professional Baseball is a 12-franchise independent league, with no direct affiliations to the major league clubs. In other words, everyone is a free agent and can be called to the Show. The American Association, Atlantic League, Frontier League and Pioneer League are all baseball leagues that have been designated as Partner Leagues of Major League Baseball.

A road trip to visit every AA club at its home field would make for quite an adventure. All teams are situated in the Midwest and cover nine states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin) and one Canadian province (Manitoba).

Fill up the gas tank.

CLOSER TO HOME: The Cape League is a personal favorite, not only for its close proximity to Boston but also for the pure baseball vibe in the idyllic setting Cape Cod towns from Bourne to Chatham.

Yarmouth-Dennis leads the Cape Cod East Division with a 15-7 record while the Wareham Gatemen are 15-7, as well. Wareham leads the Cape Cod West Division ladder, just two games (in loss column) ahead of the Cotuit Kettleers. The regular season runs through August 4, and a couple short playoff series decide a champion.

The clubs are mostly comprised of top-notch collegiate stars, many who will have their names called this weekend during the 2024 MLB Draft. The Draft has now become part of the All-Star Week. It includes a whopping 20 rounds, including the first two rounds, compensatory rounds, competitive balance rounds and prospect promotion incentive selections on the first night of the soiree.

Coverage begins with a preview show at 6:00pm (ET) tonight on MLB Network, MLB.TV, MLB.com and the MLB app. The actual Draft begins at 7:00pm (ET) and ESPN broadcasts the first round.

SEA DOGS are LEAD DOGS: The Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox are leading a service for blind and visually impaired fans and it might be something that can make a mark in all sports, especially MiLB and MLB.

We’re talking a major impact.

Noting an MiLB.com story on the service which explains, “The Double-A affiliate of the Red Sox plays in a park that’s down the block from the headquarters of The Iris Network, a nonprofit with the mission of “helping people with vision impairment or blindness attain independence and community integration,” and it includes “apartments where many with vision impairment live.” The Sea Dogs’ staff has long taken pride in bringing the joys of Minor League Baseball to everybody, and when a new company stepped-up with a service to assist those fans, the team jumped at the opportunity.

The company, Aira, and its board member Kevin Phelan, contacted the club before this season, and explained the system. The team felt the partnership was a no-brainer.

Says MiLB, “Aira’s app allows users to connect with live representatives who can utilize the phone’s camera to see the surrounding area and talk a user through, for example, finding a seat or the shortest concessions line.”

Case-in-point: “Randy and Sarah Bellavance love attending Double-A games at Hadlock Field in Portland. This year – the second year the diehard Portland Sea Dogs fans have had season tickets -their local ballpark feels more welcoming than ever.

“The Bellavances, a married couple who are both blind, typically take in the on-field sounds in front of their seats near first base while also chatting with the fans around them – lots of whom have become friends – while one of them listens to the Sea Dogs’ radio broadcast and relays key information to the other. As much as they’ve enjoyed the game day experiences for years and years, Hadlock has become an even easier and more convenient environment via the Aira Visual Interpreter app on their phones, available for free thanks to the team’s partnership with a tech company that specializes in accessibility (and takes care of the basic costs).

“I can tell you without a doubt – and I’m going to be honest here – I was so proud that I was able to make it down to the ladies room on my own with Aira,” said Sarah Bellavance, “and on my own I was able to figure out how to get back. That’s something I don’t do.”

THE TECH is THE KEY: Sometimes, it’s the simplest ideas that gain traction. Aira has found the key. Phelan, who moved to the Portland area over a decade ago to be near the Baxter School for the Deaf after his middle child didn’t pass a hearing screening, identified a need for a service like Aira’s in part through his own experience navigating the intersection of tech and accessibility.

He also realized that while federal funding has made sign language interpretation services widely available to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, there’s no such pathway for interpretation services for people who are blind or low-vision. This gap led to Aira, which offers a subscription model for things like in-home use but relies on successful partnerships with businesses and governmental agencies.

“If you look at the community in accessibility space, they’ve been told about so many new tech [products] … it’s all high-promise, and the tech is either too complicated, or it just doesn’t work,” Phelan said.

Aira works.

In the past, it’s helped a Boston Marathon runner (Erich Manser) completed the 26.2 mile race and qualified for the Iron Man Triathlon, all while getting guidance assistant from his sight provider based in Cleveland, Ohio.

“Aira has been around for almost a decade now,” noted Phelan. “Why it’s done well and why we’re the No. 1 product out there, is that it’s simple and the tech works. Tap a button, the phone camera turns on, and Randy and Sarah can get that information independently.”

Phelan hopes to take it further.

“The relationship between this community and sports… I’ve been blown away with how many people are blind and have a passion for sports,” said Phelan, who pointed out that his own love of baseball has been shaped in part by listening to Red Sox play-by-play broadcaster Joe Castiglione.

“I’ve attended games with people who are blind, and there are always other fans who are wondering, ‘Why are they at this game if they can’t see?’ But they’re following the game, they love the game and they know the game, and they want that experience. Aira is filling in that part of the experience where Randy wants to find his seat without going to guest services. Randy wants to find the shortest line for beer or a hot dog,” said Phelan.

For the Bellavances, who haven’t visited Fenway Park since Randy made a somewhat overwhelming trip there before the couple met, the experience Aira has delivered at Hadlock Field invites the notion of more accessible experiences at ballparks everywhere.

“I would like to see it at every park,” Randy said. “It would be my hope that, if you have it at one level, I think eventually you’ll get it into the next. I know people who live in Washington DC and Maryland who go to Washington Nationals games and they’d love to have something like this.”

MiLB and the Portland Sea Dogs are paving the foundation for a truly impactful step for professional sports. The Sea Dogs are becoming the “See” Dogs and MLB is taking notice.

So soon, will the other professional and collegiate sports, who can package the teach and match it up with the right sponsor for a win-win-win, all around. Fans like the Bellavances will win the most.

Here’s the full story from MiLB.com

TID-BITS AND GOLDEN NUGGETS: Hank Egan, a longtime NBA Assistant Coach, widely recognized for his fundamental teaching of the game was named as the recipient of the 2024 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) announced today.

Egan began his coaching career in 1966 as an assistant at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1971, he was promoted to Head Coach and served in that capacity for 13 seasons. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Coach, Gregg Popovich, both played (1966-1970) and served as an assistant coach (1973-1979) for Coach Hank Egan at the Air Force Academy. Coach Popovich credits a lot of his career success to his longtime mentor Coach Hank Egan.

“I’m thrilled that Hank Egan is receiving this well-deserved honor,” said Popovich, the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs. “During his 40-plus seasons as a coach, he taught, inspired and supported so many of us. His passion for basketball combined with his knowledge of the game, made him one of the best coaches I’ve ever encountered. I’m forever grateful for Hank’s mentorship and friendship.”

After winning nearly 150 games at the Air Force Academy, Coach Egan was hired to lead the University of San Diego basketball program. During the 1986-1987 season, Coach Egan led the San Diego Toreros to a 24-6 season, a regular season West Coast Atlantic Conference (WCAC) championship, as well as a trip to the NCAA tournament. He won back-to-back conference Coach of the Year Awards (1986 & 1987) and finished his career at the University of San Diego compiling a record of 156-126 as a Head Coach.

Coach Egan entered the NBA coaching ranks in 1994 with the San Antonio Spurs. During his first two seasons as an NBA Assistant Coach, Egan helped lead the Spurs to a 62-win season (1994-95) and a 59-win season (1995-96), as well as two consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances. Coach Gregg Popovich later became the Spurs Head Coach, during the 1996-1997 season, and Egan remained on his staff for six more seasons. In eight total seasons with the Spurs, Coach Egan amassed a record of 403-221 (.646) with seven playoff appearances, including winning the 1999 NBA Championship.

The Emirates NBA Cup Group Play Draw (NBA)

CUP of CUPS: The NBA Cup, complete with sponsor attachment by Emirates, held its pool play draw while all the NBA teams convened in Las Vegas for a combo of USA Basketball and Summer League play. One thing is for sure, Lady Luck shined upon the Boston Celtics, as the club fell into the weakest pool of opponents.

You can measure the groups by way of the graphic above, but here’s Boston’s draw in East Group C …

Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Bulls
Atlanta Hawks
Washington Wizards

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 7

July 7, 2024 by Terry Lyons

While We’re Young (Ideas) | On Breakfast at Wimbledon

BOSTON – If you’re lucky enough to have a long holiday weekend which started Thursday with a 4th of July (Independence Day) celebration and will conclude Sunday night when the Boston Red Sox visit Yankee Stadium in the Bronx for Sunday Night Baseball, you’ll appreciate thoughts of 4th of July weekends gone by.

Early memories are from pinics at Salisbury Park in East Meadow which was later named Eisenhower Park in honor of President Dwight Eisenhower, or maybe John Candy? That came soon after Idlewild Airport was changed to JFK. Come nightfall, the best fireworks display on Long Island was staged at Eisenhower.

Daytime hours were filled with playing golf, tennis, softball or street hockey at a great (big) rink which had an oval for roller skating wrapped around it. Yes, there were a few roller bladers tattooed with “MYLEC” from a errant, hard, orange hockey ball shot over the boards. My fingers are pointed outbound, because this scribe kept his shot low and on goal, except when picking the upper right hand corner with a good wrist shot.

That leads us to a special memory, reserved for the early morning hours on the 4th of July. It was marketed to viewers of NBC Sports as Breakfast at Wimbledon. The late, great sportscaster Dick Enberg called the action and “Bud” Collins Jr. was awaiting at courtside for interviews with the winners in a tiny alcove just outside the dressing rooms.

Although Wimbledon has such a storied past, dating back to 1877, the timeframe your Sunday Notes keeper recalls is know as the “Open Era.” Wimbledon was paused for World War I (1915-1918) and World War II (1940-1945), but the names of the winners in men’s singles resonate with many. Bill Tilden in the ‘20s, Fred Perry in the 30s, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and John Newcombe in the 1960s and ‘70s dominated the men’s draw.

Yet, in 1976, Björn Borg came along and for five straight years, and all other challengers were turned aside. Runners-up included tennis greats like Romania’s Ilie “Nasty” Năstase – a personal favorite, Americans Jimmy Connors, Roscoe Tanner and John McEnroe were turned aside. It wasn’t until 1981, when McEnroe took a four set victory over Borg (4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4), that the tennis world’s best could be an American again.

Soon after, legendary matches, pitting McEnroe and Conners, took place with McEnroe earning his reputations as the ugly American ‘brat’ for the ages. The kid from Douglaston, Queens, not far from tennis alcoves in Forest Hills, Flushing Meadow and right at the Douglaston Club as his father made a living of service in the United States Air Force.

It was the golden era of men’s tennis and it soon led to a similar status for the women’s game at the The All England Lawn Tennis Club when the likes of Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King, Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong gave way to Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

With Evert as a major rival, Navratilova reached the women’s (they call it ladies) singles finals 12 times, including nine straight seasons, with nine victories and a career total of 59 Grand Slam/Major titles.

The courts have been renovated, centre court has a roof and the tiny neighborhood town has given way to weather assured television programming. There’s never been a time for such a tournament, really a sport, to marvel in its glory years the way Wimbledon did with Navratilova and Evert, along with Borg, Conners and Ivan Lendl (on the Hard-Tru courts) – (with his alter-ego with similar playing style, Mr. Lendl-Lyons) headlining the draw.

Since those glory years, there’s been formidable champions. Just listing the men’s side, you have to consider these players to be among the all-time best:

Boris Becker
Pete Sampras
Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic

And, not to be overlooked on the women’s (ladies) side, Serena Williams cemented her stake as the greatest of all time. There will never be another Serena Williams. But, while the more recent men’s tennis rivalries deserve mention, none can match the drama and intrigue of the Borg-Connors-McEnroe era. It’s very possible none ever will.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Former super featherweight champion Ryan Garcia was expelled from the World Boxing Council (WBC) after making discriminatory remarks on social media. … “Exercising my authority as president of the WBC , I am hereby expelling Ryan Garcia from any activity with our organization. We reject any form of discrimination. I fear for Ryan well being as he has declined multiple attempts for our help with mental health and substance abuse,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaimansaid upon rendering the suspension. … Garcia later apologized and agreed to counseling. PGA TOUR rookie Hayden Springer shot some fireworks off for the July 4th crowds at the John Deere Classic. His opening round was highlighted by eight birdies and two eagles during his tournament debut, as the rook signed for a 12-under (59). … He’s the 13th different player (14 times) to shoot a sub-60 round on the PGA TOUR. Jim Furyk is the only player with 58 and 59. Springer’s round included: Hitting 10-of-14 fairways, 14-of-18 greens in regulation and 21 total putts (sank 112’ 6” of putts). His career-low round on TOUR came in his 19th start. His previous best was an 8-under (64) during R1/2024 American Express. … The USA Basketball Men’s U-17 National Team took a step closer to their goal of winning a gold medal at the 2024 FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup by beating Canada, 111-60, on Friday in Istanbul. The USA will take on New Zealand in the semifinals tomorrow, July 6, after the NZ defeated Lithuania 73-65 in the quarterfinals. … His friends can call him royal and his enemies can call him ancient, and they’ll both be correct. The R&A has named former rugby club CEO Mark Darbon as its new chief executive and secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, said the governing board in a statement this week. The Open will be upon us in two full weeks (following the Genesis of Scotland). If you’re keeping score at home, that two major golf executives to head to the 19th hole in two weeks, after Seth Waugh of the PGA of America stepped down. The PGA has begun a national search to replace Waugh.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 30th

June 30, 2024 by Digital Sports Desk

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Usually around Thanksgiving Day, this column waxes philosophic, taking stock of all the things to be thankful for as we face the challenges of life. Possibly lost in the shuffle or timing are the gifts of Summertime, a season of the year we should never, ever take for granted.

Yes, Fall in New England is a very special time of year. Brisk morning walks with our (two) dogs – Penny (Lane) and (Mighty) Max – start the day. We enjoy football Sundays and college football Saturdays on a cool October afternoon. The foliage is magnificent, at least until it must be raked and stuffed into bags of paper and placed on the curb come Monday night when yet another football game is being played.

But Summer. Ah, dear Summer, how can we thank thee?

Long days, filled with sun and 8:29pm sunsets … the smell of fresh cut grass … the robin red breast, a blue jay or a cardinal landing in the backyard … the chirp of the birds before sunrise … flowers blooming, especially the blue azaleas which took the year 2023 off but have outdone themselves this year … Cape Cod and Four Seas ice cream … new, clean and clear windows opened widely at night to cool the home from its midday warmth … checking the Major League Baseball standings on Memorial Day and cutting the standings out of the paper on the 4th of July to see how the old adage of first place on the 4th stands up come late September … a Fenway frank … keeping score of a major league game in Bob Carpenter’s baseball scorebook … the crack of the bat … red Twizzlers at a Little League baseball game … the annual NBA Draft and then free agency under a new set of rules governing maximum team salaries for the 2024-25 season … the travels of the Stanley Cup – sports’ most wonderful piece of hardware – as it travels the world to the hometowns of every single player on the NHL Stanley Cup championship roster … a double off the Green Monster or the proper fielding of a line drive off the historic wall at Fenway Park by a left fielder who promptly gloves and tosses the ball on a clothes line throw to second base, thus holding the batter/runner to a single … the 7 Line chugging into the old Shea Stadium – Willets Point stop and now a station to disembark to attend Citi Field, a wonderful ballpark in Flushing, Queens … soon – the same subway line will serve the patrons of the annual U.S. Open tennis tournament and the riders will walk towards Flushing Meadows instead of towards the home of the Metropolitans … that feeling on the 4th that Labor Day seems so far away … slicing Beefsteak tomatoes to decorate a sandwich … soft ice cream cones with a memory of Mister Softie trucks playing their tunes … Tom Carvel – aka Athanasios Thomas Karvelas – the business man from Hartsdale, New York who began selling ice cream from a truck in 1934 … Field 6 at Jones Beach … Ditch Plains in Montauk … radios on the beach, all tuned to the same FM station … Chatham, Mass … the opening of NFL training camps (July 23 for most teams) … the Farmer’s Market … corn on the cob with a bit of salt and pepper – hold the butter … cold gazpacho made from fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, red and green peppers with minced basil from the garden … the Arnold Palmer (half ice tea/half lemonade) over ice … summertime rock concerts at the Seaport, the Beach or maybe at Fenway Park … Blue Sky by the Allman Brothers Band … Saturday in the Park by Chicago … the signature carnival sound of the E Street Band … Southside at the Stone Pony … ice cold Rheingold or Shaeffer Beer … Gin & Tonic … the Jitney (isn’t it just a bus?) … Breakfast at Wimbledon … The Open ⛳️ … driving a JEEP in the open air on the beach … Gone Fishin’ … minor league baseball featuring the Chatham A’s vs Cotuit Kettleers – “Hey Cotuit” … hot dogs and burgers on the grill with watermelon for dessert … or the smell of a good NY Strip steak simmering on the grill … BLTs with corn salad … lightning bugs … the rooftops at Wrigley Field … smoked & grilled salmon on a cedar plank … waves breaking on the shore … the sounds of summer … wide open windows with a cool breeze overnight. Summer.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Boston College is rebuilding its swimming programs after a tumultuous year of 2023-24 when players on both the men’s and women’s teams were suspended for recruiting and hazing violations.

Dara Torres, one of the most decorated Olympians in United States sports history, has been named head men’s and women’s swimming & diving coach at Boston College. The announcement was made last week by William V. Campbell Director of Athletics Blake James.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dara Torres as our new head swimming & diving coach,” James said in a written statement. “From the moment we met with Dara, it was evident that she was exactly the fit we were looking for to begin a fresh, new chapter of Boston College swimming & diving. Her record as a world-class competitor is historic and her ability to clearly articulate her vision as a coach and leader will allow our student-athletes to develop and excel in and out of the pool.”

A six-time world record holder and 10-time American record holder throughout her competitive career, Torres made five appearances in the Olympic games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008), garnering a total of 12 medals – four gold, four silver, and four bronze. She made her first U.S. national team at age 14 and broke her first world record as a 15-year old in the 50-meter freestyle.

As a coach, Torres has helped coach and mentor swimmers of various ages and skill levels, while serving as an advocate in leadership roles for the sport.

“This is a full-circle moment for me,” Torres said. “I’ve learned from great coaches at every point in my career. This opportunity to share what I’ve learned, in and out of the pool, and pass along technique, confidence, and support as part of the Boston College Athletics Department is a dream. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.”

Boasting an Olympic career that spanned 24 years, Torres represented the United States as a 17-year old at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. It culminated with her becoming the oldest female swimmer – at 41 years of age – to compete in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In 2009, Torres earned a trio of major awards: the ESPY Award for Best Comeback, the Thurman Munson Award, given to New York City athletes for their achievements and humanitarian efforts, and the World Fair play Award for best sportsmanship at the Olympics.

The previous head coach, Joe Brinkman, left BC early this year, “mutually parting” company with the school after the hazing scandal.

BIG EAST STRIKES TV RENEWAL WITH FOX AND STREAMING WITH NBC/PEACOCK: (Note is from official Big East news release) – The BIG EAST Conference announced a new six-year media rights agreement that will ensure that the league maintains its position as one of the most televised conferences in all of college athletics. FOX Sports, the BIG EAST’s television partner for the last 11 years, will continue as the conference’s lead network provider, with NBC Sports and TNT Sports also providing comprehensive BIG EAST basketball coverage for the first time. The agreement was unanimously approved by the Presidents of the BIG EAST’s 11 member institutions.

The new agreement, which will span from 2025-26 through 2030-31, encompasses coverage on FOX Sports (FOX, FS1, FS2), NBC Sports (NBC, Peacock) and TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, truTV and Max). The agreement will provide major national broadcast, cable and direct-to-consumer streaming coverage of BIG EAST men’s and women’s basketball games and Olympic sport championship contests. The BIG EAST’s current agreement with FOX Sports is scheduled to expire after the 2024-25 academic year. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in eight of the country’s top 38 largest media markets and include Butler University, University of Connecticut, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University.

FOX Sports will feature at least 80 BIG EAST men’s and women’s basketball contests across the regular season and postseason beginning in 2025-26. In addition, the FOX broadcast network will remain the home of the BIG EAST Men’s Tournament Final through 2031.

Peacock will launch its coverage of BIG EAST men’s basketball in 2024-25 with a package of 25 regular season games and five early round and quarterfinal conference tournament games. Beginning with the 2025-26 season, Peacock and NBC Sports will present more than 60 men’s and women’s regular season and BIG EAST Tournament games.

TNT Sports will feature 65 regular season BIG EAST basketball games airing on TNT – as its primary network – along with TBS, truTV and Max, beginning with the 2025-26 season.

“Our new agreement that provides coverage by FOX Sports, NBC Sports and TNT Sports will allow the BIG EAST to maintain our already high level of national broadcast and cable exposure while adding first-time streaming coverage for men’s basketball games and expanded distribution of games on the women’s basketball side,” said Creighton University President and BIG EAST Conference Board of Directors Chair Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD. “The arrangement will provide enhanced revenue and long-term stability for the conference, create benefits for our student-athletes, and allow us to remain nationally competitive in our marquee sport: basketball. We are especially excited to continue our one-of-a-kind relationship with FOX Sports and look forward to building on the exceptional foundation we have established together over the past 11 years.”

“Everyone at FOX Sports is thrilled to continue our long-standing relationship with the BIG EAST, one of the nation’s top basketball conferences and a pillar of our college hoops lineup,” said Eric Shanks, CEO & Executive Producer, FOX Sports. “It’s a privilege to showcase these spectacular student-athletes and institutions alongside our new partners, NBC Sports and TNT Sports, while also fortifying our role as a leader in college sports.”

“BIG EAST Basketball is among the most prestigious in all of college sports, and we’re proud to be able to feature the men’s and women’s teams across our NBCUniversal platforms,” said Rick Cordella, President, NBC Sports. “The BIG EAST has a storied basketball history, and we look forward to showcasing these games as the conference creates more memorable moments.”

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 23

June 23, 2024 by Digital Sports Desk

While We’re Young (Ideas) with a Hodgepodge of Notes

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

CROMWELL – Summer was ushered into New England with a Rolling Rally for the 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, a “Signature” PGA Tour event in the Greater Hartford area, high 90s heat wave temperatures throughout the region and – off in the distance – a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.

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In case you haven’t been paying attention as the NHL skaters have been navigating their way from South Florida (USA) to the Province of Alberta (Canada) via the 2996.25 mile trip that would equate to a 44 hour drive. The Oilers were down 0-3 in the series and have now battled their way back to force a Game 7 in Sunrise, Florida on Monday night.

Closer to home (as in Boston, Massachusetts to Cromwell, Connecticut), we have The Travelers Championship – the 28th of 36 PGA Tour events on the regular season schedule – aka the road to the FedEx Cup Playoffs. If you put aside the dodging of T-Storms and start of summer heat wave, tucked in the ‘burbs of the insurance capital of the world is the best run, player-friendly, birdie festival known as The Travelers ☔️ (pretend the umbrella is red, please).

Although the golf tournament comes a short week after the U.S. Open and is sometimes in a difficult travel situation (Pinehurst, NC to Hartford, CT), the lone New England based golf tournament has endeared itself to the players with basic hospitality second to none, as well as the TPC River Highlands course that brings reward over risk, as long as you keep your golfball in the fairways. The decision-makers for the TOUR did their part as well, elevating The Travelers to Signature level, meaning there’s $20m in the purse and a cool $3.8m and 700 FedEx Cup points awaiting the winner. Aside from the obvious No. 1 in the world lock, Scottie Scheffler, FedEx Cup points will determine who makes the cut for the Top 70 players on Tour and eventually strokes at hand for the top players competing in the TOUR Championship (at East Lake GC in Atlanta) come August 29-September 1st. The current Top 10 (before points are awarded from The Travelers).

CURRENT FEDEX CUP POINTS LEADERS

Scottie Scheffler – 5,068
Xander Schauffele – 3,117
Rory McIlroy – 2,445
Collin Morikawa – 2,101
Ludvig Åberg – 1,935
Wyndham Clark – 1,915
Sahith Theegala – 1,833
Hideki Matsuyama – 1,815
Byeong Hun An – 1,620
Patrick Cantlay – 1,455

An withdrew from the Travelers on Thursday, citing illness. McIlroy withdrew earlier in the week after a disastrous U.S. Open outing where he blew two putts inside five feet and lost out to eventual champion Bryson DeChambeau.

The sports seasons are ‘a changin’ as we adjust from the winter sports calendar of ice hockey and basketball to the summer sport of baseball which is accompanied by WNBA basketball, soccer and tennis. The last time there wasn’t a scheduled game on the weekly calendar for the NHL, NBA or college basketball was Thursday, September 21, 2023. That’s 278 days on the annual sports calendar.

Monday will mark the 198th Game 7 in Stanley Cup Playoffs history and 18th in the Stanley Cup Final. It’s the first since the visiting St. Louis Blues defeated the hometown Boston Bruins when the Blues took their first and only NHL championship in 2019.

Of course, this summer we’ll all have the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Games of the XXXIII Olympiad which will take place from July 26 to August 11.

For the full weekly column of sports notes, please consider subscribing to While We’re Young (Ideas) via Substack – (link)

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | June 16

June 16, 2024 by Digital Sports Desk

While We’re Young (Ideas) Pays Tribute to Jerry West

Happy Father’s Day to All the Great Dads Out There

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – PROVIDENCE – NEW HAVEN – STAMFORD – NEW YORK – (Written on the Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 163) – It was a Wednesday night, and the date was April 29, 1970 – a school night – but we were allowed to stay up late and watch the New York Knickerbockers play the Los Angeles Lakers at The Fabulous Forum in Inglewood, California. The three hour time change be damned, because the Knicks were playing Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals. It was a tight one and the crucial momentum of the championship series was about to be determined.

The inbounds pass went to New York’s Walt “Clyde” Frazier who calmly dribbled as the game clock counted down from 10 seconds to five. Frazier zipped a pass to a cutting Dave DeBusschere who pump faked and then hit a 15-foot jump shot from the free throw line, making the score 102-100 (Knicks) with three seconds remaining in the game.

Wilt Chamberlain took the ball out of bounds and snapped a chest pass to Jerry West who took three dribbles straight down center court, lining up with his basket some 60+ feet away. West launched the shot with a running leap and swish. “The ballgame is tied,” announced Knickerbockers TV play-by-play man Bob Wolff, as DeBusschere nearly fainted and fell backwards in disbelief.

The Knicks somehow outscored the Lakers 9-6 in the overtime and won Game 3 by the score of 111-108 (OT). Willis Reed led New York with 38 points while West had 34 points. A year after winning the Most Valuable Player award for the 1969 NBA Finals, (the first time the award was presented and the first and only time it was presented to a player on the losing team (Boston defeated LA, 4-games-to-3), West’s Lakers eventually lost to the Knicks in seven games as West averaged 31.3 points per game, 7.7 assists per game and 3.4 rebounds per game while playing an average of 47.9 minutes over the seven grueling games.

West was a player feared and revered by opponents and opposing fans. On a team that also had Chamberlain and the great Elgin Baylor, West was the point guard and team leader. West and Oscar Robertson had been the pride of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team which won the gold medal in Rome and has since been enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Frazier was their equal in 1970 as the Knicks rose to prominence in the NBA.

West, a 14-time NBA All-Star, would go on to win his lone NBA title in 1972. He was honored on the NBA’s 35th, 50th and 75th Anniversary teams as one of the league’s all-time greats and a silhouette from a photo slide of his 6-foot-3 body was utilized to create the ubiquitous and globally recognized NBA logo.

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As great as his playing career, West followed with a full career as a front office/general manager and creator of championship-level NBA teams. For that talent, this year he was to be enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor, joining his inductions as a player and a member of the 1960 U.S.A. men’s Olympic basketball team.

As you’ve certainly heard by now, West passed away Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at the age of 86. It was the second shocking notification of the death of an all-time NBA great, following the terrible news of Bill Walton’s death over Memorial Day weekend. Two of Southern California’s adopted and favorite sons (West from West Virginia) and Walton (from San Diego) gone.

I last wrote of West when I was extremely enraged – yes, let’s call it apoplectic – over the depiction of the Lakers great in a now (and deservedly so) cancelled television series, called “Winning Time.” In that series, West was made out to be an unfit, cursing, maniac as he was played by actor Jason Clarke. The depiction caused those who knew and worked with West to walk off the set, agents – some who he negotiated against – wrote letters to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and nearly everyone associated with the NBA or the Lakers simply turned the series off in disgust.

Truth be told, West was a very intense and complicated human being, some of which he explained himself in his autobiography “West on West,” which is highly recommended. I first worked with West in 1982 and gradually got to know him over 42 more years.

Not once did I hear him utter a curse. Not once did I see him disrespect a colleague, co-worker or fan. Not once did I see him act in any way other than as the classy, smart, gentlemanly, opinionated and interesting person he was. Many of West’s interviews – especially with Dan Patrick – were the best I’ve ever witnessed, by far. Patrick’s producer Todd Fritz and I would call other great interviews by Dan with the highest possible compliment of … “entering the Jerry West Zone.” Only a rare few interview subjects ever approached that level. (The one embedded below certainly did).

While I was fortunate to have had a few tremendous chats with West over the years, nothing can compare to the stories and tributes written this week, especially from those who covered the “Showtime Lakers.” I can say, there were a handful of times I found myself off to the side at a basketball Hall of Fame function and I’d look up and see West in the same area, never seeking center stage recognition although everyone in the room believed he earned it and deserved it. He enjoyed hearing updates on mutual friends and he recognized the fact I was very loyal and protective of his lifelong buddy and fellow Hall of Famer, Rod Thorn, a fellow West Virginian who I worked with at the NBA league office for decades. I guess that ranked as well deserved “street cred” in Cabin Creek?

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: To pick up the torch and tell a story which depicted the true, day-to-day, Jerry West, I asked former Wash DC (Bullets/Wizards) basketball man and scout Chuck Douglas if I could borrow his memories posted this week when he heard the terrible news of West’s passing.

Let’s turn the column over to Chuck.

“Jerry West is maybe, the most impactful person in the history of the NBA,” Douglas wrote. “And, one of the greatest figures in American Sports. Quick story, first time I met Jerry West was in Colorado Springs at a USA Basketball training camp to determine the roster for an upcoming Olympic Games. We were on the second level overlooking the practice courts filled with the best college players in the country. I was young, 20-something, and at one of my first NBA scouting assignments.

“Our chairs, by chance, were about 15-feet apart. And, I was thinking holy sh**, that’s Jerry West … aka ‘The Logo.’ But trying and failing at being cool, I think he sensed my uneasiness and said hey ‘Mind if I join, you?’

“He proceeded to introduce himself, and we talked scouting and player development over the next three hours. Long after the tryouts and practice had ended. Just the two of us in an empty USA Basketball gym.

“First thing he asked me is what do you look for in players, as far as their next level prospects. I told him, I can’t explain it well, but, it’s 80% innate feel on my end with 20% skill level and some other measurable talent mixed in. He said, ‘that’s impressive from a young guy just starting out,’ adding that most don’t believe it. But, that his player evaluations were also heavily weighed by his gut feel rather than analytics or anything else considered so obvious. That kind of affirmation plus validation from one of basketball’s great talent evaluators made me feel like I was 10-feet tall and maybe, despite all my insecurities, ‘I can do this.’

“He asked me if I’d like to join him for dinner that evening. And treated me like a long lost friend every time our paths crossed from that day on. Hall of Fame player, one of the greatest front office executives in NBA history. Yet, the man was nothing but gracious, kind and unassuming. He welcomed me from day one, offered me advice, and wanted absolutely nothing in return.

“My Dad’s basketball idol and someone I was in awe of as a colleague, Jerry West was an amazing player and an amazing executive, but he was also an amazing human being.

“The Logo, the icon.

“We lost a legend. No one who loves sports will ever forget you, or anyone who believes the human spirit is inherently good.

“Rest easy Mr. West, Prayers to his wife Karen and family.”

WOW: That says it all. (Special thanks to Chuck as he approved the use of his incredible memory and tribute).

TL’s Sunday Notes | #Grateful4Bill

June 2, 2024 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The first thing I thought when I heard the terrible Memorial Day news of Bill Walton’s death was of Bill’s wonderful wife, Lori. Then, a flashback, worthy of an Orson Welles Hollywood movie. It came from two summers ago at a Basketball Hall of Fame press conference at Mohegan Sun when Bill and Lori sauntered into the auditorium just as the function began. Bill, ever so politely, asked me to scoot over a bit so the three of us could sit together in a comfortable booth on the venue’s concourse floor. A perfect vantage point.

After all the many years of working with the NBA and alongside of the best of the best in commissioners, executives, coaches, players and media, it meant so much that BILL WALTON felt comfortable enough, welcome enough and secure in our friendship to sit right down and join little old me.

That flashback quickly dissolved into a highlight film, mostly of a player in UCLA Bruins Blue and Gold, but a little highlight reel of two Celtics – Bill and Larry Bird – in Green and White. The UCLA segment first, of course, reelin’ in the years of the famed 21-of-22 FG performance. It was Walton’s greatest game – the 1973 NCAA national championship against Memphis State. Walton, UCLA’s starting center, was in foul trouble in the first half, but went on to score 44 points on 21-for-22 shooting, while he grabbed 13 rebounds, had two assists and a blocked shot in UCLA’s 87-66 victory. It was the school’s ninth title in 10 years.

Fast forward a year, and the Red and White of North Carolina State and David Thompson eeked into the picture, defeating Walton’s Bruins in the NCAA championship of 1974.

In between, on January 26, 1974, John Shumate, Adrian Dantley and Gary Brokaw’s Notre Dame team ended UCLA’s 88-game winning streak with a 71-70 victory in South Bend, Indiana. It was a devastating loss for Walton’s Bruins as they’d drop two more regular season games, their lost weekend of February 15-16, 1974, losing at Oregon State and Oregon on consecutive nights. The NC State game would be their fourth loss vs. 26 wins.

Walton went 86-4 (30-0; 30-0; 26-4) in his college career. If you add the two title-winning seasons, the first 13 games of his senior season at UCLA, his season on the Bruins’ freshman team, and his final two varsity seasons at Helix High School in La Mesa, Walton owned a personal 142-game winning streak.

That thought brought me back to reality and the need to reckon with the fact I’d never see Bill again. The stream of ESPN 30-for-30s airing on my TV screen in tribute further proved the point. The rest of my days, my memories of Bill Walton – playing basketball, talking basketball, talking music or politics or the injustices in this world – would need to air on the reel-to-reel in my mind, tucked right next to the music of the late Jerry Garcia and long ago memories of the Grateful Dead.

Bill and Lori Walton Celebrating Robert Parish – “Hail to the Chief” at TD Boston Garden’s “Tradition” with yours truly (Photo by Steve Lipofsky)

I woke up on May 28, hoping it was a bad dream.

It wasn’t.

Bill Walton’s name sat atop the trending topics of Yahoo news and X. The story of his death was summed up by CBS’ Dana Jacobson in a classy segment on the CBS Morning show. Dan Patrick did a terrific job relaying his feelings for Walton , a frequent guest on the morning radio show, while past appearances of Walton as a guest tied a bow around the three-hour show.

As usual, ESPN’s Jay Bilas had the most compelling commentary, noting Bill would always call him “Jake,” rather than Jay and he wore that like a badge of honor from his basketball idol. Bilas noted he had a list of two people who were welcome in any room at any time and in any situation. Two people who always raised the fun-factor and made everyone smile or laugh when they came on the scene – (former Seton Hall Coach and current college basketball commentator) Bill Raftery and Bill Walton.

Reality kept setting in. It was honest heartache, a feeling of depression and funk, a feeling that I could not shake, although I did my best to “Shake it, Shake it, Sugaree.”

Bill was gone. He’ll be blessed as they play him off to “Fire on the Mountain.” This tribute will bring you right there. It will also bring his friends to tears. MUST WATCH

“Long distance runner, what you holdin’ out for?

Caught in slow motion in a dash for the door

The flame from your stage has now spread to the floor

You gave all you had, why you wanna give more?

The more that you give, the more it will take

To the thin line beyond, which you really can’t fake

Fire! Fire on the mountain

Fire! Fire on the mountain.” – by Mickey Hart and Robert Hunter

ESPN’s art for the three episode 30-for-30 on Bill Walton (ESPN)

Where do we go from here?

As Patrick said as he began his radio show, Bill would never want to be the subject of his friends and family being stuck in a funk, carrying on or crying. He’d prefer we celebrate the fact he was the self-proclaimed luckiest man in the world.

He is. He was. He always will be just that, because Bill will ride off to the sunset, locked in our minds, dancing his way to the next show as “Fire on the Mountain” plays him through the backstage to the exit ramp.

Just from reading all the wonderful tributes written to and about Bill this past week, all of them with the common theme of how he was truly unique, one of one, spirited, generous, and a hundred other wonderful characteristics, there’s still a funky void left in the life of everyone who knew him – and there are thousands of his disciples.

Maybe it’s from the shock. No one in my considerable circle had heard Bill was deathly sick with cancer. He kept it tight. Many had seen him at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend and Tech Summit this past February. Maybe it’s the larger than life persona that simply can not be replaced. The outpouring of love and admiration must be of comfort. The soundtrack of the Grateful Dead can act as a shot of morphine to dull the pain. The plentiful supply of UCLA, Portland, San Diego, and Boston highlights supply the memories, along with an endless string of hysterical or profound sound bites and full length interviews.

But it just can’t end.

Surely, there’s deeper meaning to his life, aside from the fact he lifted us in spirit, he lifted us in soul, and he made us all better people and his teammates better players while instilling a super-human spirit of love, love of people, the game of basketball and the world of music – the common denominators for most of those who intersected at Haight-Ashbury or Causeway and Canal.

Delving deeper, from Bill’s book, “Back From the Dead,” the liner notes and reviews read: “In February 2008, Bill Walton suffered a spinal collapse so devastating he was unable to get up. From the time of his spinal collapse until his eventual recovery, he spent most of three years flat on the ground. The pain was excruciating, and he thought seriously about killing himself. But he survived, and Back from the Dead is the story of his injury and recovery, set in the context of his amazing athletic career.

“Walton grew up in southern California in the 1950s and was deeply influenced by the political and cultural upheavals of the 1960s. Although Walton identified strongly with the counterculture, especially in music, the greatest influence on him outside his family was UCLA Coach John Wooden, a thoughtful, precise mentor who seemed immune to the turmoil of the times. The two men would speak every day for forty-three years until Wooden’s death at age ninety-nine.

Wooden once said that no greatness ever came without sacrifice. In this “frequently stirring memoir…Walton’s love for life and the people and things in it – including his college coach, John Wooden – is infectious. You can’t stop reading, or rooting for the man,” wrote Publishers Weekly.

“Back from the Dead shares his dramatic story, including his basketball and broadcasting careers, his many setbacks and rebounds, and his ultimate triumph as the toughest of champions,” concluded Kirkus Reviews.

Walton’s battle with mental health was personal, but he made the decision to make it very public and help others by telling his story – a story that made it very clear just how close he was to taking his own life.

Walton’s death came the same week that NBA coach and TV broadcaster Stan Van Gundy made public that his wife, Kim, died by suicide in August 2023 after battling mental health issues. The same week, PGA Tour golf pro Grayson Murray also died by suicide, just a day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament in Ft Worth, Texas. Murray had long battled depression and anxiety and was outspoken to the Tour officials to improve its mental health awareness and approach, which it did.

Walton was able to fight off the demons of depression and claw his way back to rejoin his band of NBA colleagues and broadcast partners. His will to live and his love of life, his family, especially his wife, Lori, surely the spiritual guide. But Walton’s final battle was an unwinable match against cancer, a plague that touches us all.

Through his life, his game, his career and his spreading the gospel of hoops, music and an everlasting love for everyone he interacted with along the road, Bill Walton will live on in all of us. Just remember the words to the songs, especially the one Walton quoted most often.

“Now he’s gone, now he’s gone, Lord he’s gone, he’s gone

Like a steam locomotive, rollin’ down the track

He’s gone, gone, nothin’s gonna bring him back… He’s gone,

Nine mile skid on a ten mile ride, hot as a pistol but cool inside

Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile

Nothin’ left to do but smile, smile, smile.”

– by Robert Hunter and Jerome Garcia

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 26

May 26, 2024 by Digital Sports Desk

While We’re Young (Ideas) – Memorial Day Weekend

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: While glaciers melt, war is devastating Ukraine, Sudan, the Middle East and gang wars have made Haiti one of the most dangerous places on earth, the troubles of a few hundred people at a sports network can barely be noted.

Embed from Getty Images

The gobs of money for sports programming continues to soar, as sports and (real) breaking news are the only specks of programming not controlled by the DVRs or TV on Demand. The NBA numbers will flourish further when the league inks these new TV deals and some 51%+ flows to player salaries.

Years back, the NBA Players Assn. refused a system of easing-in the new TV deal money into the grand pot of gold to be divided up. Let nature take it course was the presiding viewpoint, that same view that once made Atlanta’s lug of a center – Jon Koncak – forever to be known as Jon Kontract.

NUGGETS & TIDBITS: On the LAX front, the National Lacrosse League (NLL) closed its 37th season right where it ended its 36th – with the Buffalo Bandits claiming championship honors. The Bandits’ championship was the sixth for the franchise, tying the Toronto Rock and Philadelphia Wings for most in NLL history. Buffalo’s Josh Byrne became the fifth player in NLL history to win both the regular season and Finals MVP awards. … On the collegiate side, the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four was held Saturday in Philadelphia. Top-seeded Notre Dame (15-1) advanced to Monday’s 1:00pm final at Lincoln Financial Field and will meet the University of Maryland who defeated No. 6 Virginia, 12-6, in an NCAA semifinal Saturday before an announced crowd of 32,269. ND and Maryland will play for the title Monday.

NBA FINALS DATES: The 2024 NBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV will begin June 6, with ABC as the exclusive broadcaster:

Game 1: Thursday, June 6

Game 2: Sunday, June 9

Game 3: Wednesday, June 12

Game 4: Friday, June 14

*Game 5: Monday, June 17

*Game 6: Thursday, June 20

*Game 7: Sunday, June 23

* if necessary

THE SPORTS EMMYS: It’s always fun to review and re-live some of the greatest sports moments of the year, captured by the talented people who produce, photograph and announce the games. Here are the prominent Sports Emmy winners for 2024:

OUTSTANDING LIVE SPECIAL

Super Bowl LVIII, Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers (CBS)

OUTSTANDING LIVE SERIES

Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli (ESPN2/Omaha Productions)

OUTSTANDING PLAYOFF COVERAGE

American League Championship Series, Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers (FOX/FS1)

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM EVENT

Super Bowl LVIII — CBS

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL TEAM STUDIO

NFL Draft — ESPN/ABC

THE GEORGE WENSEL TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Toy Story Funday Football, DragonFly Tech (DISNEY+/ESPN+/NFL/Next Gen Stats/Beyond Sports/Hawk-Eye)

OUTSTANDING AUDIO/SOUND – LIVE EVENT

FOX NASCAR (FOX/FS1)

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – WEEKLY

College GameDay (ESPN)

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – DAILY

MLB Tonight (MLB Network)

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW – LIMITED RUN

Inside the NBA Playoffs on TNT — TNT

OUTSTANDING STUDIO SHOW IN SPANISH

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (Telemundo)

OUTSTANDING EDITED EVENT COVERAGE

NFL Game Day All Access, Super Bowl LVIII (YouTube/NFL Films) OUTSTANDING EDITED SPECIAL

You Are Looking Live! (CBS/NFL Films)

OUTSTANDING HOSTED EDITED SERIES

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO/Max)

OUTSTANDING ESPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE

League of Legends Worlds 2023 Final, T1 vs. Weibo Gaming (LoLEsports.com/Twitch/YouTube/Riot Games)

OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC DESIGN – EVENT/SHOW

Toy Story Funday Football (DISNEY+/ESPN+/BIG Studios/Beyond Sports/Silver Spoon Animation/PIXAR)

OUTSTANDING GRAPHIC DESIGN – SPECIALTY

Super League: The War for Football (Apple TV+/Words + Pictures/All Rise Films)

OUTSTANDING STUDIO OR PRODUCTION DESIGN/ART DIRECTION

Toy Story Funday Football (DISNEY+/ESPN+/BIG Studios/Beyond Sports/Silver Spoon Animation/PIXAR)

OUTSTANDING INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE – EVENT COVERAGE

Thursday Night Football: Event Coverage Optionality/Customization (Prime Video/Amazon MGM Studios)

OUTSTANDING DIGITAL INNOVATION

Dreamcaster (MSG Network/MSG+/Weber Shandwick/Helo)

OUTSTANDING SHORT DOCUMENTARY

Extraordinary Stories, One-Armed Wonder: The Extraordinary Story of Jimmy Hasty (UEFA.tv/Noah Media Group)

OUTSTANDING LONG DOCUMENTARY

The Deepest Breath (Netflix/A24/Motive Films/Ventureland)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Super League: The War for Football (Apple TV+/Words + Pictures/All Rise Films)

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY SERIES – SERIALIZED

Football Must Go On (Paramount+)

OUTSTANDING JOURNALISM

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: Call of Duty: How War is Destroying Ukrainian Sport (HBO/Max)

OUTSTANDING SHORT FEATURE

NFL 360, Heroes (NFL Network)

OUTSTANDING LONG FEATURE

Unredeemable (Golf Channel)

OUTSTANDING OPEN/TEASE

Super Bowl LVIII, My Way (CBS)

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/STUDIO HOST

Ernie Johnson (TNT/tbs)

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/PLAY-BY-PLAY

Mike Breen (ESPN/ABC)

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/STUDIO ANALYST

Charles Barkley (TNT)

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/ EVENT ANALYST

Greg Olsen (FOX)

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/SIDELINE REPORTER

Tracy Wolfson (CBS/TNT)

OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY/EMERGING ON-AIR TALENT

Noah Eagle (NBC/Peacock)

OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK – SHORT FORM

The NFL Today: Super Bowl LVIII, Just Win Baby! (CBS)

OUTSTANDING CAMERA WORK – LONG FORM

Freeride Skiing, Descendance (YouTube/Legs of Steel)

OUTSTANDING EDITING – SHORT FORM

NHL on TNT, Show and Tell (TNT)

OUTSTANDING EDITING – LONG FORM

Unredeemable (Golf Channel)

THE DICK SCHAAP OUTSTANDING WRITING AWARD – SHORT FORM

NFL 360, Still Here (NFL Network)

OUTSTANDING WRITING – LONG FORM

The World According to Football (Showtime/SHOWTIME Sports Documentary Films/Religion of Sports/Day Zero Productions/Mainstay Entertainment)

OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION

NBA on TNT, 50 Years of Hip Hop (TNT)

OUTSTANDING AUDIO/SOUND – POST-PRODUCED

Vamos Vegas (YouTube/TORQ)

OUTSTANDING PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN, Battle of the Baddest – Rumble (ESPN/ESPN+/Park Pictures)

OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE CONTENT

Notre Dame Football, What Would You Fight For? (NBC)

OUTSTANDING FEATURE STORY IN SPANISH

Mundo NFL Originals, El Sueño de Cieneguitas (Mundo NFL/Sway/Mundo NFL)

OUTSTANDING ON-AIR PERSONALITY IN SPANISH

Andrés Cantor (Telemundo)

Editorial Note: Due to the increasing number of paid subscribers via Substack, only a limited edition of the Sunday Notes will be posted to Digital Sports Desk.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | May 5

May 6, 2024 by Terry Lyons

By TERRY LYONS, Editor Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Everyone has their own Basketball Hall of Fame except the NBA. College Basketball opened its Hall of Fame & Experience in Kansas City while the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame opened in Knoxville. The International game has its hall in Switzerland. Only the NBA and WNBA have remained loyal to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the birthplace of basketball, Springfield, Massachusetts.

The BHofF in Springfield proudly claims to represent all levels of the sport, and it regularly honors high school, collegiate, professional, wheelchair, international and contributors to the game at all levels – both men and women.

FIBA (Federation for International Basketball) recently announced their Class of 2024 and its a good one with the USA’s Reggie Miller and Serbian favorite Predrag Stojakovic the two standout names rightfully honored for induction.

FIBA’s Official Induction announcement poster (file: FIBA.com)

The Class will be feted during the enshrinement ceremony, scheduled to be in Singapore in September. A total of seven players and one coach are being formally recognized for their outstanding contributions to the sport.

Said the official FIBA announcement: “Miller is a former Olympic and FIBA Basketball World Cup winner with USA who was especially revered for his NBA contributions across an amazing 18 seasons in the league. He tallied a spectacular 25,000 points, helped by 2560 three-pointers and that contributed to an eye-catching five NBA All-Star appearances.

“The Serbian, often referred to simply as ‘Peja’ won the FIBA Basketball World Cup gold medal in 2002 with Yugoslavia, as well as a FIBA EuroBasket title in 2001 when he was crowned MVP. Also an Olympian, Stojakovic attained plenty of success at club level, most notably winning an NBA Championship in 2011 with Dallas Mavericks. A three-time NBA All-Star, he also won the NBA Three-Point Contest twice.

“Latvian Skaidrite Smildzina-Budovska conquered the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup three times and the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket five times with Soviet Union. China’s three-time Olympian Miao Lijie starred at four editions of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and Croatian ace Danira Nakic-Bilic lit it up with Yugoslavia, competing in title games at the Olympics, the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and FIBA Women’s EuroBasket.

Other inductees include Kirk Penney, who is being honored for serving New Zealand with distinction at two Olympic Games and four FIBA Basketball World Cups, while African basketball can celebrate Central African Republic colossus Romain Sato being on the list. The guard attained huge success at club level, including titles in Euroleague, Eurocup, the Spanish League and also four Italian championships.

Finally, American (turned Italian) play-caller Dan Peterson flies the flag for coaches in the 2024 Class. He masterminded the European Cup for Champion Clubs silverware in 1987 with Olimpia Milano, just two years after delivering the FIBA Korac Cup. Peterson also amassed five Italian titles and a host of individual coaching accolades.

Created in 2007, the FIBA BASKETBALL Hall of Fame has enshrined 184 outstanding Hall of Famers from 45 countries and all five continents to date. Its home is the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.

Class of 2024: Players

Miao Lijie (China)

Reggie Miller (USA)-(UCLA-Indiana Pacers)

Danira Nakic-Bilic (Croatia)

Kirk Samuel Penney (New Zealand)

Romain Sato (Central African Republic)

Skaidrite Smildzina-Budovska (Latvia)

Predrag “Peja” Stojakovic (Serbia)-(Sacramento Kings)

Class of 2024: Coach

Daniel “Dan” Peterson (USA)-(Italy)-(Milan)

The Keeper of the Cup is Miragh Bitove (Hockey HofF)

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: For the first time in history, the Keeper of the Stanley Cup is a woman. Miragh Bitove, archivist at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has been tabbed as the caretaker of the greatest trophy in sports. An art history and museum management major in college, Bitove went on to work as a Hall of Fame intern in 2003 before parlaying that into a job as an archivist at the venue. Now, 11 years later, she is the first woman in the role of the guardian of the Stanley Cup and general overseer on its annual celebration tour. … Each summer, the winners of the Cup, who have their name inscribed on the trophy, are able to take the Cup for a day – usually bringing it to their hometown – no matter how far away it might be. “Nothing like it,” she said to the AP. “There’s a glow.” … Phil Pritchard, the Hall of Fame’s vice president and the “Keeper of the Cup,” remembers when Bitove first arrived in the building. … “She had all the interest, all the background, everything that we’re looking for,” he said. “When you get someone like that, you don’t want to lose them.” … Bitove also has the game in her blood. While never a hockey player herself, the family tree includes great uncle Ted Kennedy, who won the Cup five times with the Toronto Maple Leafs between 1945 and 1951.

NUGGETS AND TIDBITS: The United Football League was formed this spring after the merger of the XFL and USFL. The new spring league operates under the combined ownership of RedBird Capital Partners, FOX (FOX Sports), Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson. The UFL currently has eight teams based in eight US cities, including: Arlington (TX), Birmingham (AL), Detroit (MI), Houston (TX), San Antonio (TX), Memphis (TN), St. Louis (MO), and Washington (DC).

The UFL is entering its sixth week of play and has yet to crack the code of success enjoyed by the NFL and the other traditional leagues and the spring football concept always seems far out of place, especially with the NBA and NHL Playoffs heating up and MLB in full swing.

Add to challenge for the rest of the summer and you’ll note the WNBA is opening training camps this weekend and everyone’s favorite superstar, Kaitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, opening with a road game in Frisco, Texas. That game was streamed on the WNBA App and the Fever’s first home preseason game was postponed due to an Indiana Pacers playoff game.

If the UFL goes up in flames, the concept of spring football will have run the gamut of the entire alphabet from the WLAF (World League) in Europe, and rapid-fire through (Donald’s Trump’s very own) USFL to the publicity strong XFL where “He Hate Me” – aka Rod Smart – started with the Las Vegas Outlaws and bounced around to five other pro franchises before taking his degree in kinesiology and setting sail.

The UFL uses up the final life of the cat called spring football. If this entity goes under, the NFL and its remote affiliates will need to re-think their approach to player development.The league is opening offices and shopping TV all across the globe. The NFL has strongholds in Germany and to a lesser extent in England/Scotland/Ireland.

Yet, unlike soccer and basketball, American football, as a participation sport, is not played very much outside of the United States and Canada.

If the current reiteration of the sport doesn’t translate to sales and TV eyeballs, the UFL might stand for and add to the Unemployment Fookin’ Line.

NBA’s BEST, TAKE 1ST ROUND EXIT: Sixty percent of the very best and most productive NBA scorers from the 2023-24 regular season have been eliminated from the ‘24 NBA Playoffs. Using the proven formula of adding the positive stats and subtracting missed shots shows that only four of the Top 10 in the league have advanced to the NBA Conference Semi-Finals.

Player, Team, Formula (Positive/Efficiency per game)

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee, 41.192
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia, 41.105
Luka Doncic, Dallas, 40.786
Nikola Jokic, Denver, 40.416
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento, 36.000
Anthony Davis, LA Lakers, 33.095
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City, 32.986
LeBron James, LA Lakers, 32.667
Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns, 29.877
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 29.703

LAX SELECTION SHOW TIDBIT: The NCAA brackets for the 2024 Men’s Lacrosse Tournament will be announced today, May 5, at 9:30 pm on ESPN2. … No. 2 Johns Hopkins was upset by Michigan in the BIG 10 semifinals on Thursday. Notre Dame, the unanimous No. 1 in the USA, will play in its fourth straight ACC Championship title game when the Irish take on No. 6 Duke at Noon ET on today, May 5 in Charlotte at American Legion Memorial Stadium. The Fighting Irish have advanced to the title game in five of the last seven ACC Tournaments. The game will air on ACC Network.

KENTUCKY DERBY: It seems like just weeks ago that the 100th running of the Kentucky Derby took place and the favorite, Cannonade, rode to victory. Saturday, it was Mint Juleps for everyone as the 150th Kentucky Derby was run at Churchill Downs in Louisville and Mystik Dan (18-1) was the winner in a three horse photo finish, one of the tightest in the history of the horse race. Mystik Dan paid $39.22, $16.32 and $10. Sierra Leone returned $6.54 and $4.64. Forever Young was another nose back in third and paid $5.58 to show.

Need the official recipe for the Official Mint Julep?

2 cups sugar (for Simple Syrup)
2 cups water (for Simple Syrup)
Sprigs of fresh mint (Flavor Simple Syrup overnight)
Fill Glass with Crushed ice
1 Tablespoon Simple Syrup
2 ounces of Kentucky Bourbon Whisky of Choice

Make simple or complicated syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight.

Make one julep at a time by filling a julep glass with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of the Kentucky Whisky.

Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

PODCASTING: Your favorite columnist participated in a special podcast which originated across the pond. Listen in.

`Terry Lyons: NBA Growth & Navigating The Sports World`

https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-3y8aq-15d5f41

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While We’re Young (Ideas) with a Hodgepodge of Notes

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While We’re Young (Ideas) – Memorial Day Weekend

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While We’re Young (Ideas) Celebrates Cinco de Mayo with General Notes

`Terry Lyons: NBA Growth & Navigating The Sports World`