Archive for June, 2015

Dwayne Wade Opts Out Of Heat Contract, Bo Ryan To Retire, Oscar De La Hoya Box No More

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Dwayne WadeIn the NBA, long time Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade is opting out of his contract.  The Heat could still have him back, but Wade is likely hoping to get a big contract and play for a contender (even thought the Heat are still actually a pretty good team).  Team president Pat Riley is going to try to bring him back, but Wade is 33 years old and injury prone.  It may be time to let him go.  A lot of people are speculating that Wade may join LeBron in Cleveland to help him snag a ring for the city. After all,  LeBron helped Wade in Miami.
And in college basketball, the Wisconsin basketball program has been a force under head coach Bo Ryan the past few seasons. On Monday, Ryan said that he will coach one more season and then retire.  Badger fans are disappointed as Wisconsin looked poised to be highly ranked for the foreseeable future, but Ryan has done such a great job for their recruiting reputation that Badgers fans will still likely have a lot to cheer about.

BOXING

Oscar De La HoyaOscar De La Hoya, the champ and celebrity before Money Mayweather become the most talked about name in the sport, has been pondering a comeback for some time now.  He even tweeted out last month that he was 50-50 on his decision to step back into the ring.  But on Monday, De La Hoya made it official that his boxing days were behind him.  He praised many of the current fighters and said that he enjoys watching them carry on the greatness of the sport he will always love.  One has to assume De La Hoya’s thoughts of a comeback may have been at least partly fueled by money, seeing that Floyd Mayweather made $100 million in just one night.  De La Hoya probably wanted/needed a pay day.

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LeBron Opts Out Of Contract, Baseball Home Run Derby Changes

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LeBron JamesIn the NBA, the lead story of the weekend was LeBron James opting out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  But, hold on, don’t panic, this doesn’t mean what you might think.  This was actually expected by the Cavs, as opting out gives LeBron a chance to make a lot more money in the long-run.  While LeBron is technically a free agent now, he is not expected to visit other teams this off-season, as that would severely hurt his reputation and the story he’s selling of “coming home” to help Cleveland to win a championship.  LeBron is just waiting a bit to see what Cleveland does in free agency, and that will help him determine the type of long-term contract he may chase after.

Elsewhere in the NBA, even though the Los Angeles Lakers are excited about their new draft pick, D’Angelo Russell, Lakers brass have reported that they would still consider trading him for the Kings’ superstar center DeMarcus Cousins.  Of course it would have to be the right deal, but bringing that kind of immediate star power to LA is something they probably couldn’t refuse.

BASEBALL

The baseball all-star game is around the corner and there have been significant changes in the format of the home run derby.  This year it will be an eight player tournament bracket single elimination tournament.  Gone is the American Leauge vs. National League element.  The players will be seeded by how many home runs they have by the all-star break, and this year, instead of “outs” (meaning swings that did not result in home runs), they will be on a 5-minute time clock.  And, in the last minute, the clock will stop after each homer, meaning that there is still a possibility for unlimited home runs.  Should be a nice little twist that will be more fun for the fans.

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NBA Draft Highlights, Karl-Anthony Towns Goes #1, Russell #2

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The NBA Draft finally arrived. The night is always exciting as teams hope to draft future all stars and avoid the inevitable draft bust.

Karl Anthony-TownsThe Minnesota Timberwolves had the #1 overall pick, and not surprisingly used it to grab Kentucky star Karl-Anthony Towns. At #2, the Lakers shocked everyone by passing on Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, and selected point guard D’Angelo Russell from Ohio State.  Russell is likely a better fit for the Lakers, as they are expected to make a run at big men Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge or DeAndre Jordan in free agency.
Jahil OkaforJahlil Okafor dropped to the Sixers, who definitely need a star to build around.  They were probably hoping to grab Russell since they traded away their rookie of the year point guard Michael Carter-Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks last year, but that plan didn’t work out.  The Knicks were up next, and they took the draft night’s biggest gamble selecting the internationally hyped player Kristaps Porzingis.  Knicks fans booed, but this guy could actually be good.  It just might take a year.

Other notable first round picks:  Duke star Justise Winslow landed in Miami, Arizona star Stanley Johnson found a home with the Detroit Pistons, and the marquee name of the NCAA Tournament, Frank “The Tank” Kaminsky is going to Charlotte.   Also, the reigning champion Golden State Warriors may have nabbed a steal in Kevon Looney out of UCLA with the last pick of the first round.

All in all, a seemingly solid draft but we’ll see what happens when the season starts.

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Kevin Love Opted Out Of Contract, NBA Draft Tonight, University Of Virginia Wins National Title

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Kevin LoveIn the NBA, an interesting development out of Cleveland as Kevin Love has opted out of his contract. Cleveland was afraid of Love leaving when they shipped their #1 pick, Andrew Wiggins, to Minnesota in exchange for Love hoping it would help them win.  But Love still had the option to opt out and pursue other teams in free agency, which is exactly what he decided to do.  The Cavs will still try and sign Love, but he is likely also going to be pursued by the likes of Boston, the Lakers and even Portland.  It will be interesting to see what happens this summer.

The NBA Draft is tonight.  After much speculation and anticipation, we get to finally see where some of the young stars will go.   Minnesota is expected to pick Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky with the #1 overall pick, but you still never know.  Plus, the Lakers at #2 and the Knicks at #4 are reportedly trying to move their picks in exchange for assets.  The Lakers are making a huge move trying to get DeMarcus Cousins from the Kings.  Anything can happen on draft night, and no player should feel safe on his own team, as he could be dealt at any second (Steph Curry and LeBron James probably excluded from that concept, however).

BASEBALL

In college baseball, the University of Virginia has captured their first national championship.  They were a bit of an underdog coming into this tournament, but last night, they had an incredible win over Vanderbilt to seal to the deal.   Virginia 4, Vanderbilt 2.

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Tom Brady Takes 10 Hours To Appeal Suspension, Jeter Goes Dutch Over Pizza

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Tom BradyTom Brady took a trek to the NFL offices on Park Avenue on Tuesday to appeal his four game suspension. After 10 hours, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell still hadn’t decided Brady’s fate. Training camp opens for the Patriots in 5 weeks and the team needs to know whether Brady will be their starting QB for the first month of the season.

 

BASEBALL

Derek JeterDerek Jeter is causing a buzz this week as he went “dutch” on a pizza check with his girlfriend of a year, Hannah Davis. While in Rome, the cute couple shared a pizza and asked to split the check….with their Amex black cards. Twitter feeds are lighting up with opinions on whether going dutch (especially when you’re worth over $400 mill) is appropriate.

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P Diddy Arrested At UCLA For Kettlebell Incident, USA Women’s Soccer Headed To Quarterfinals

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Sean CombsSean Combs (“Diddy”) was arrested Monday night after an incident in the UCLA weight room. Combs’ son, Justin, is a redshirt junior on the UCLA football team. According to TMZ, UCLA’s strength and conditioning coach, Sal Alosi, was screaming at Justin during a practice while Combs was watching from the sidelines. According to reports, Combs then confronted Alosi in his office and assaulted him with a kettlebell in the locker room. No one was hurt in the incident but Combs is charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of making a terrorist threat. He is currently out on bail and police are still investigating the incident.

 

SOCCER

USA Women’s soccer is heading to the World Cup quarterfinals. USA beat Columbia in the round of 16 with a 2-0 shutout, it’s third consecutive shutout of the tournament.

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Jordan Spieth Wins US Open, Johnson’s Epic Collapse, Richardson Donates 100K To Victims Of Charleston Church Shooting

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Jordan SpiethJordan Spieth won the US Open on Sunday.  At only 21 years old,  he is the first player (since Tiger Woods in 2002) to win the Masters and US Open trophy in the same season.  As impressive as Spieth was, everyone is talking about the epic collapse from Dustin Johnson on the 18th hole. Dustin had chance to win tournament  with an easy eagle putt but missed then missed the birdie which would have tied the tournament.  It just shows how humbling this sport can be.

 

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The owner of the Carolina Panthers, Jerry Richardson, donated 100K to the victims of the Charleston church shooting. Richardson gave 10k to each family and 10k to the church.

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Tiger Woods Dreadful First Day At US Open, Rumors Of David Blatt’s Firing, Dez Bryant Contract Dispute

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Tiger WoodsThe U.S. Open , probably the biggest major tournament outside of the masters, is happening now and one of the biggest story lines, as usual, is whether or not Tiger Woods will resume his greatness on the course. Tiger’s woes are continuing, however, as he shot a dreadful 80 in his first day out, which puts him at 10 over par and tied for 152nd place. It’s possible he could turn his game around in round 2 but he’ll have a really tough time doing so.

 

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In the NBA, there has been talk of the Cleveland Cavaliers firing coach David Blatt.  There has been talk he and LeBron didn’t get along, or, at least that LeBron didn’t respect him.  On Thursday, Blatt publicly told the media that he would be back with the Team next year. His contract isn’t guaranteed yet, but he did play a part in turning the Team’s season around and getting them to the Finals. More to come on this story…..

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In the NFL, Cowboys star receiver, Dez Bryant, threatened he will sit out Game 1 if he doesn’t get the contract he wants.  By sitting out, Bryant would be sacrificing a good chunk of money, but he really wants a long term deal.  Bryant did show up to camp on Thursday and has refused to work out.  Some may say it’s immature for him to act this way and others may say he’s just trying to get an appropriate compensation for his efforts on the field.

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Warriors/Cavs NBA Finals Highest Rating Since Michael Jordan in 1998, Denver Nuggets Draft News, Manziel Retiring Cash Celebration

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Michael JordanThe Golden State Warriors beating the Cleveland Cavaliers to become world champions, generated the highest TV ratings for a Finals since 1998, when Michael Jordan won his last championship.  This ratings boost is likely due to two factors:  People are extremely interested in LeBron and Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors have seemingly picked up a huge bandwagon following as their hit-a-3-from-anywhere basketball is so fun to watch.  The NBA should be thrilled as there is a good chance that both Golden State and a healthier, more powerful Cleveland Cavs could be back in the finals next year.

The end of the playoffs signals another exciting event:  The NBA Draft on June 25th.  In some pre-draft trade news, the Denver Nuggets are in rebuilding mode, and have grown tired of the off-the-field antics of their speedy point guard Ty Lawson.  According to reports, the Nuggets are trying to trade Lawson to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for the #6 pick.  They really want to acquire some new, young talent.  Expect a lot of trades come draft night.  As of now, the Minnesota Timberwolves have the #1 pick, the Los Angeles Lakers the #2 pick, the Philadelphia 76ers at #3, the New York Knicks at #4 and the Orlando Magic at #5.

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Johnny ManzielIn the NFL, Cleveland’s Johnny Manziel is trying to turn a new leaf and make a career for himself in the league.  Last year, Manziel had a substance abuse problem which required rehab. Now, in his first effort to show he has changed, Manziel publicly told the media yesterday that he would be retiring his “Cash Money” celebration.  When he was drafted, Manziel rubbed his thumb with his index and middle finger on both hands insinuating that he was making a lot of money. As he reflected back, he realized that he was immature and is now ready to be a professional. He seems to be doing all the right things but we’ll see how the season develops for him.

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Warriors Win NBA Finals, Andre Iguodala Win MVP

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Screen Shot 2015-06-17 at 7.22.16 AMIn the NBA, it was Game 6 of the Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The Warriors led 3-2 and had a shot to close out the series.  The Cavs, however, still had a hungry LeBron, and their home court advantage.  This was a very tough game to predict.  The Warriors came out super charged again with their small line-up, but the Cavs were ready, and this time they played their big man Timofey Mozgov, who dominated down low.  The Warriors pulled out to a big lead, but a late second quarter rally made this a 2-point game going into halftime.

Then, in the second half, the Warriors built a small lead to open it up, but then, of course, Stephen Curry got hot, and so did Andre Iguodala.  Iguodala did a superb job of guarding LeBron, and also hit some very clutch threes.  The Warriors built a 15-point lead, but some quality defensive stops and 3-pointers from the Cavs JR Smith, put the Cavs within 6 in under a minute to go.  The Warriors hung on for the lead, and won their first Championship since 1975.  Golden State 105, Cleveland 97.

After the game, there was a lot of talk of LeBron possibly getting MVP despite not winning the title.  He led the Cavs and averaged triple double in these finals.  In the end, however, the NBA gave the award to a player who didn’t even start in the post season, Andre Iguodala.  He has been in the league for 11 years and gave a selfless performance in these Finals.  The Warriors had a magical year, and this was the perfect way to top it off.  As for LeBron, he will likely reload the team and be back in the Finals next year.  But, he is getting older, and the East is getting tougher.  Congrats to Golden State.

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