Archive for May, 2019

Raptors Take Game 1, Drake Doesn’t Disappoint, Scripps Spelling Bee Crowns 8 Co-Champs

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The Toronto Raptors took game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors thanks to 32 points from 24-year old Raptors’ forward Pascal Siakam. Siakam had an interesting journey to the NBA. Before stumbling in to a summer basketball camp in his native Cameroon, Siakam was on a path to priesthood.  Game 2 will be on Sunday night in Toronto at 8:00 pm. Raptors 118, Warriors 109

Raptors super-fan Drake continued his court-side antics. At one point Drake took a piece of lint from Steph Curry’s hair (and attempted to sell it on ebay). Drake also had a visible exchange with Draymond Green at the end of the game. In his post-game interview, Draymond said, “We talked. We barked a little bit.”

In other basketball news, Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni ended extension talks with the team. D’Antoni has one more season on his contract, and at 68 years old believes he can coach for at least 3 more years.

SPELLING BEE

The Scripps National Spelling Bee crowned 8 co-champions for the first time in its 94-year history.  After 20 rounds and 557 other contestants, the 8 winners were called “the most phenomenal assemblage of spellers in the history of this storied competition.”

 

 

 

 

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NBA Finals Tonight, Drake’s Conduct On Court, Almora Distraught Over Foul Ball Hitting Child

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The NBA Finals begins tonight at 9:00 pm where the Toronto Raptors will try and unseat the champions for the past two years, the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors, with or without Kevin Durant, will be tough to beat even though the Raptors have home court advantage and….Drake!  Yes, the rapper Drake has been attracting attention at Raptors games this season. Drake is listed as the Global Ambassador for the team but has frustrated opposing teams with his antics on the court, from mocking, yelling and even giving the Raptors coach a shoulder massage. The Warriors’ Steph Curry laughed when asked about Drake, saying, “It’s been entertaining. I know it’s a tricky situation with him being right there on the court, but at the end of the day, he’s having fun, having — you can’t hate on nobody having fun. Well, I guess in this life everybody hates on people having fun. So it’s par for the course on that one.” Earlier this season, NBA commissioner Adam Silver issued a memo reminding the league’s franchises to enforce fan-conduct policies.

BASEBALL

During the Chicago Cubs 2-1 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night, Cubs outfielder Albert Almora was distraught after the foul ball he hit struck a young girl in the stands.  Almora, the father of two children, was on the verge of tears when he said, “Right now I’m just praying and I’m speechless. I’m at loss of words. Being a father, two boys … but God willing I’ll be able to have a relationship with this little girl for the rest of my life. But just prayers right now and that’s all I really can control.” Many fans have been hit by foul balls over the years, so in 2018 Major League Baseball required all 30 teams to expand their protective netting around home plate. Unfortunately, however, the protective netting doesn’t cover the entirety of the lower bowl in all stadiums.

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Damon Sheehy-Giuseppi Is Real Life Willie Mays Hayes, Top NFL Players

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Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi took a circuitous route to earn a spot on the Cleveland Browns’ roster this season. After not receiving a scholarship to college, he showed up uninvited for an NFL workout in Miami, where he pretended to know the Vice President of Player Personnel for the Cleveland Browns. Sheehy-Guiseppi’s speed impressed the group, and he was invited for an official workout for the team a week later (where he spent nights in 24-hour fitness facilities and sleeping outside). He again impressed the personnel and earned a spot on the roster. His story reads like a scene from the movie “Major League” where Willie Mays Hayes shows up uninvited at the fictional Indians spring training and runs a blistering 40 in his pajamas to earn a spot on the team.

CBS Sports puts out the top NFL players under 25 list every year and to no ones’ surprise, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes claimed the #1 spot. Rounding out the top five is LA Chargers Joey Bosa at #2, Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett at #3, the Texans Deshaun Watson at #4, and the Browns Baker Mayfield at #5. For the full list, click here.

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Legendary Bart Starr, Raptors Defeat Bucks And Face KD-Less Warriors, Infamous Bill Buckner

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The legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback and coach, Bart Starr, passed away over the weekend at the age of 85. Starr led the Packers to three straight championships (the only quarterback in NFL history to do so) and earned MVP honors at the first two Super Bowls. He also received the NFL’s most valuable player award in 1966. After retiring as a quarterback in 1971, he became Green Bay’s head coach a year later and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

BASKETBALL

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night and will face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Raptors host game 1 of the best of seven series on Thursday night. Golden State’s Kevin Durant is not scheduled to play in game 1, and Center DeMarcus Cousins has been listed as questionable.

BASEBALL

The infamous Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner died at the age of 69 after battling Lewy Body Dementia. Buckner played for five different Major League Baseball teams over the course of 22 years, although he is most remembered for messing up a play (as a member of the Boston Red Sox) in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets. His error allowed the winning run to score. The Mets then went on to win Game 7, and Buckner had to endure years of death threats and public humiliation. Eighteen years later when the Red Sox finally won the World Series, fans stopped harassing him. And, when the Red Sox won again in 2007, Buckner even threw out the first pitch the next season and received a four-minute standing ovation.

 

 

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Kawhi Puts On Show In Raptors Game 5 Win, All-NBA Teams Announced

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Kawhi Leonard put on a show Thursday night in game five of the Eastern Conference final. He scored a game-high 35 points and a career-high nine assists to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 105-99 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Raptors now lead the series 3-2 with game 6 on May 25th.

The All-NBA team selections were announced on Thursday. Players care about making one of the three All-NBA teams as they can be eligible for what’s called a “supermax” which helps determine how much they’ll make on their contracts. Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Paul George, and Nikola Jokic made the First Team. Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Joel Embiid comprise the Second Team, while LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Kemba Walker, Blake Griffin, and Rudy Gobert round out the Third Team. Unfortunately for Klay Thompson, he wasn’t selected to an all-NBA team, so he’s not eligible for a five-year $221 million supermax contract in free agency.

 

 

 

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NFL TV Changes, Rajai’s Amazing Day With Mets, Michigan Hires Juwan Howard

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The NFL made a few changes to their TV schedule heading into the new season. The most significant for anyone living in two-team markets like New York, LA, Bay Area, and Washington/Baltimore, is the modification to what’s called the single-header. The single-header rule previously only allowed these two-team markets to watch their home teams on a Sunday afternoon. With the new rule, there will three Sunday afternoon games (in addition to a Sunday evening game)  in every market.

BASEBALL

In a scene that could be right out of a movie, 38-year-old Rajai Davis was called up from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday around 5:00 pm to join the NY Mets in the 3rd inning of their game against the Washington Nationals. Davis thought his manager was joking when he got the call, but then realized it was happening and jumped in an Uber which took him 2 hours to get to the stadium. Davis proceeded to hit a three-run homer in his first at-bat to help propel the Mets to a 6-1 win. Davis thanked his Uber driver after the game and said, “Me and Jason, we got to know each other.” According to Mets manager Mickey Callaway, “I think I saw him in the fifth or the sixth for the first time. He got here about the third. He Ubered over, got ready, came out, hit a homer, came inside, didn’t know where the clubhouse was, how to get back in, had to ask some people, ‘Which way do I go to get back in the clubhouse?’ And just slapped high-fives going into the line. Yeah, whirlwind day for Raj; great at-bat.”

BASKETBALL

The University of Michigan hired former star Juwan Howard as their new head coach. Howard was part of the 1991 legendary Michigan Fab Five which included Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. After helping the Wolverines to two national championships, Howard played for 19 seasons in the NBA. In 2013, he joined the Miami Heat as an assistant coach, where he’s been for the past 6 years. Howard replaces John Beilein, who was recently hired as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

 

 

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Raptors Even Series, Ibaka Speaks Multiple Languages, Draymond Promises Plane Ticket, Blues Heading To Stanley Cup Finals

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The Toronto Raptors rallied to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 120-102 to even the Eastern Conference final series 2-2. Kyle Lowry led the charge with 25 points and Serge Ibaka added 17. Ibaka amused the reporters in his post-game interview by answering questions in English, French and Spanish and even offered to speak Italian and Portuguese. The Bucks and Raptors play game 5 on Thursday night.

In a post-game interview after the Golden State Warriors wrapped up the Western Conference final, Draymond Green promised one of the reporters he’d buy him a ticket to the Finals. He told the reporter he was good luck, and he was “gonna buy his flight to the Finals”, but added, “I ain’t paying for your hotel though”.

HOCKEY

The St. Louis Blues finished off the San Jose Sharks 4 games to 2 to earn a ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals. It will be their first appearance in the finals since 1970. The Blues will take on the Boston Bruins in a best of 7 series beginning on May 27th.

 

 

 

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Warriors Heading To NBA Finals, Manning Not Interested In Jets GM Job

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The Golden State Warriors swept the Portland Trail Blazer in the Western Conference finals and earned their fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals. The Warriors came back from a 17-point deficit and forced overtime on Monday night to secure a 119-117 victory. Steph Curry was on fire again racking up a triple-double with 37 points, his fifth straight postseason game scoring at least 30 points. The Warriors are the first team since the 1957 Celtics to reach the NBA Finals five years in a row. The Celtics had 10 straight appearances from 1957 to 1966. Head coach Steve Kerr had this to say after the game, “I hope it doesn’t go unnoticed or underrated. It hasn’t been done (since then) for a reason, it is really, really difficult. I can’t say enough about the competitive desire and the group of the players and the culture they have built together. The group have a fiber to them. When guys go down they find a way to come together and compete and win. I just think the experience of winning titles helps you in these moments.” The Warriors will play the winner of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks lead the best of seven series 2-1.

FOOTBALL

Rumors are flying around the NY Jets are interested in hiring Peyton Manning to run their football operations. Jets CEO Christopher Johnson announced he wants a “great strategic thinker” for the position. According to reports, even if Manning is at the top of the list, he’s not interested.

 

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Warriors Up 3-0, Raptors Fight In Double Overtime Win, War Of Will Wins Preakness, Jockey-less Bodexpress

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In the Western Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs, the Golden State Warriors cruised to an easy win over the Portland Trail Blazers to take a 3-0 series lead. Steph Curry added 36 points, and Draymond Green recorded his seventh career post-season triple-double. If the Warriors win game 4 on Monday, they will be heading to the NBA Finals for the 5th straight year. Warriors 110, Trail Blazers 99

In the Eastern Conference Finals, despite guards Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell fouling out, and the team squandering an opportunity to finish off the game in regulation, the Toronto Raptors fought hard to take a crucial game 3 from the Milwaukee Bucks in double overtime. The Bucks lead the series 2-1 with game 4 on Wednesday. Raptors 118, Bucks 112

HORSE RACING

War of Will won the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown series. All anyone could talk about, however, was another horse, Bodexpress, running the entire race without his jockey John Velazquez, who fell off the horse when the race began. A jockey-less horse is automatically disqualified, but fans loved the enthusiasm of Bodexpress trying to outrun his fellow horses.

 

 

 

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Warriors Take Game 2, Durant Out For Series, Bruins Advance To Stanley Cup

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The Golden State Warriors came back strong to erase a 15-point deficit and beat the Portland Trail Blazers in game 2 of the Western Conference finals. Steph Curry scored 37 points while battling it out with his little brother, Portland guard Seth Curry. The parents of Steph and Seth, Dell and Sonya Curry, have been wearing alternate Trail Blazer and Warrior jerseys to each game so as not to play favorites. The Warriors are up 2-0 with game 3 on Saturday night in Portland. Golden State 114, Portland 111

Golden State’s Kevin Durant will likely miss games 3 and 4 of the series due to a strained calf, but could return by the Finals if the Warriors advance.

HOCKEY

In the NHL playoffs, the Boston Bruins advance to the Stanley Cup by sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes. This will be their third trip to the finals since 2011. The Bruins will take on either the San Jose Sharks or the St. Louis Blues. The Sharks lead the series 2-1.

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