Archive for February, 2020
Embiid Only Missing A Week, Twitter Loves Burrow’s Small Hands
BASKETBALL
The Philadelphia 76ers got some good news on Thursday when they heard their star Center Joel Embiid had structural damage to his shoulder and will only miss a week.
FOOTBALL
The twitter universe went wild this week after ESPN reported quarterback and potential #1 pick in the NFL draft Joe Burrow had small hands. The NFL Combine is a week-long “tryout†where college football players are on display performing physical and mental tests. Apparently, the scouts also measure parts of your body. Burrow’s hand measured in at 9 inches, but according to reports, that is subpar for a quarterback (the average non-athlete hand measures around 8.5). Thankfully, Burrow has a sense of humor and wrote on twitter, “Considering retirement after I was informed the football will be slipping out of my tiny hands. Please keep me in your thoughts.†Other twitter followers posted small hand memes and jokes. My favorite was a picture of Kristen Wiig’s Dooneese.
No commentsEmbiid’s Sprained Shoulder, Tebow To Play For Philippines
BASKETBALL
The Philadelphia 76ers season has taken another tough turn. Their star player Joel Embiid (who leads the team in scoring and rebounding) went down with a sprained shoulder on Wednesday night in the team’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Embiid will have an MRI on Thursday to assess the injury. The Sixers are already suffering from the loss of Ben Simmons, who is slated to miss another 2 weeks due to a back issue.
BASEBALL
World Baseball Classic announced Mets minor league outfielder (and former Heisman Trophy winner) Tim Tebow will play for the Philippines in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers. Tebow’s parents were Baptist missionaries in the Philippines when Tebow was born. He moved back to the U.S. when he was 3 years old. The WBC has expanded to 20 teams with 16 automatic bids and 4 qualifiers. The Philippines have yet to qualify for the tournament, but maybe Tebow will be the spark they need to make it happen this year.
No commentsLeBron’s Season High 40 Pts, Heaps Praise On Zion, Wake Forest Stuns Duke
BASKETBALL
After scoring a season-high 40 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers’ LeBron James heaped praise on rookie phenomenon Zion Williamson saying,  “He’s playing exceptional basketball. I think every game he’s going to get better and better, just having that experience. I think today’s game is a perfect fit for his game.“ Williamson contributed 29 points in the Pelicans in the 118-109 loss. LeBron is notorious for his unhealthy eating habits and didn’t disappoint when he was seen eating RedVines on the bench after the game.
In NCAA news, Wake Forest stunned the crowd in a double-overtime win over the #7th ranked Duke Blue Devils. Wake Forest’s Brandon Childress tied the game with a 3-pointer in regulation, then made six of his last 10 shots, scoring 13 points in two overtime periods. At the end of the game, the team carried Childress around the court on their shoulders. The win marked Wake Forest’s first victory over Duke in six years. Demon Deacons 113, Blue Devils 101
No commentsIonescu Becomes 1st Player Reach 2K Points, 1K Assists, 1K Rebounds, Bumgarner Aka Saunders On Rodeo Circuit
BASKETBALL
On Monday night, just a few hours after speaking at Kobe Bryant’s memorial service, Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu became the first player to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds. No player in NCAA Division 1 history, man or woman, has ever achieved this feat.
BASEBALL
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner has been using an alias, Mason Saunders, to compete in the professional rodeo circuit. There’s a provision in every professional baseball player’s contract that prohibits players from “engaging in any sport involving a substantial risk of personal injury”. It’s unclear if the Diamondbacks, who signed Bumgarner to an $85 million contract, will allow him to continue.
No comments
Bucks Earliest Team To Clinch Playoff Spot, Zamboni Driver Is Emergency Goalie, 8 Hour Plank Contest
BASKETBALL
The Milwaukee Bucks clinched a spot in the playoffs and became the earliest team in NBA history to achieve this feat. The Bucks are on pace to win 70 games this season. Only two teams have reached that milestone in NBA history; the 1995-96 Bulls with 72 wins and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors with 73 wins. The playoffs begin on April 18th.
HOCKEY
In a great story out of the hockey world, the Carolina Hurricanes called up 42-year old Zamboni driver David Ayres as an emergency goalie. He stopped 8 out of 10 shots on goal and earned $500 for his efforts. The Hurricanes went on to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3.
OTHER
Former 62-year old Marine George Hood set a new record for the longest time spent in a plank position. With a time of 8 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds, Hood reclaimed his title in the Guinness World Record book. I once held a plank position for 8 minutes and 10 seconds with 50 lbs on my back to win the plank title at my gym, but this puts my accomplishment to shame.
No comments
Kyrie Irving Out For Season, Embiid Announces He’s Best Player In World, Trae Young’s 50 Points
BASKETBALL
The Brooklyn Nets season keeps getting more upsetting. Not only has Kevin Durant been out all season while recovering from an Achilles injury, but the team announced prior to their matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night that Kyrie Irving will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the season.
Speaking of the Sixers, Joel Embiid announced he’s the best player in the world after his 39 points and 16 rebounds in the team’s 112-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. After the game, Embiid said, “But the All-Star Game, just proving I’m here, I belong, and being the best player in the world, I just intend to keep coming out every single night and just play hard and trying to get wins and just go out and try to win a championship.”
Trae Young scored a career-high 50 points in the Atlanta Hawks win over the Miami Heat 129-124 on Thursday night. Young’s big night comes after his All-Star debut last week.
No comments
NFL Playoff Structure Could Change, Robinson Caught With 157 lbs Marijuana
FOOTBALL
The NFL’s playoff structure could change as early as the 2020 season. NFL Owners are meeting to rework the current collective bargaining agreement to expand the playoff field to seven teams from each conference (up from 6 teams per conference). They are also looking into increasing the number of games in the regular season to 17 games per team (up from 16) and shortening the preseason to three games per team.
Former Auburn University star and a second overall draft pick in 2014, NFL offensive tackle Greg Robinson, was caught with 157 pounds of marijuana and charged with conspiracy to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute. If convicted, Robinson could be sentenced for up to 20 years in federal prison. Robinson had signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2018, but according to reports, the team recently announced they did not intend to re-sign him. You can learn more about medical marijuana by reading here.
No comments
Eddie DeBartolo Jr. Pardoned, Rice Praise Trump, Brees Will Return, Vegas Odds On Astros Hitters Getting Plunked
FOOTBALL
President Trump pardoned former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. for his involvement in a corruption scandal in 1998. DeBartolo pleaded guilty for failing to report a felony involving former Lousiana governor Edwin W. Edwards’s bribery case for a casino license. DeBartolo paid $1 million in fines and handed over ownership of the 49ers to his sister Denise York.
Former 49er wide receiver and Hall of Famer Jerry Rice thanked Trump for pardoning the owner who, under his leadership, won 5 Super Bowls. Rice said, “I think with Eddie and what he has accomplished, what he has done on the football field, off the football field a lot of charity work so we talked about that. We talked about just being great. You know, trying to be the greatest of all time. And you know, I take my hat off for Donald Trump and what he did.”
After much speculation, New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees announced he’ll be returning to the Saints next season. Brees was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in March, but at 41 years old, he has declared he has no interest in playing for another team. His only options were retiring or re-signing for his 20th season, so he announced via Instagram, I will “make another run at it.”
BASEBALL
The Astros cheating scandal continues to make headlines. Even LeBron James weighed in on social media saying, “Listen I know I don’t play baseball but I am in Sports and I know if someone cheated me out of winning the title and I found out about it I would be F*^king irate! I mean like uncontrollable about what I would/could do!” Las Vegas weighed in as well setting an over-under on the number of Astros players who will be hit by pitches this season. The over-under is 83.5, and considering there were 41 Astros players hit last season (and the MLB average is 66), that’s a considerable jump.
No comments
Hamlin Wins Daytona, Newman’s Horrific Crash, Mike Trout Weighs In On Astros Cheating
MOTORSPORTS
Denny Hamlin made history by winning his second straight Daytona 500 (third overall), edging out Ryan Blaney in a photo finish. There was no victory celebration, however, as the 62 running of the race will be remembered for Ryan Newman’s horrific crash. Newman was in the lead until Blaney nudged him on the final lap causing his car to spin out of control, hit the wall and flip in the air. NASCAR issued a statement two hours after the race saying Newman is in “serious condition, but doctors have indicated his injuries are not life-threatening.†The crash comes nineteen years after racing legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. died on the final lap of the Daytona 500. According to Hamlin, however, “NASCAR is a safer sport now than it was then.”
BASEBALL
The Houston Astros cheating scandal is making news every day. Players and fans are not forgetting how the players and coaches of the Astros cheated their way to a 2017 World Series-winning season. And, they are not forgetting MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s weak punishment. Manfred suspended the team’s general manager and manager for a year (both have subsequently been fired), but none of the players received a punishment, which isn’t sitting well for the players and the fans.
One of the best players in the game (and not someone who makes a scene), Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout, recently excoriated the Astros for cheating and Major League Baseball for the weak punishments. Trout told ESPN, “It’s sad for baseball. It’s tough. They cheated. I don’t agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything. It was a player-driven thing. It sucks, too, because guys’ careers have been affected, a lot of people lost jobs. It was tough. Me going up to the plate knowing what was coming — it would be pretty fun up there. I lost some respect for some guys… All the stuff coming out, it’s tough to see.â€
No comments
NBA All-Star Game Big Success With New Format, Kawhi Wins Kobe Bryant MVP, A-Rod Buying Mets?
BASKETBALL
The 2020 NBA All-Star Game had a new format, and judging by the social media comments after the game, it was a big success. The game featured the Elam Ending, which has the game ending when one team reaches a specific score. The score agreed on was 157 which came by taking the points scored by the team leading after three quarters (Team Giannis’s 133 points) and adding 24 to honor Kobe Bryant’s retired Lakers jersey number. The game ended when Anthony Davis landed two free throws to give Team LeBron a 157-155 victory over Team Giannis. Kawhi Leonard won the newly renamed Kobe Bryant MVP Award. Both teams played hard in honor of Kobe, making for an exciting and entertaining evening. After the game, LeBron said, “You could definitely feel [Bryant’s] presence. So he was definitely here.”
BASEBALL
Former New York Yankee superstar Alex Rodriguez is rumored to be considering buying a stake in the New York Mets. According to reports, Rodriguez would submit a bid as part of a larger group of investors. Rodriguez’s girlfriend and mega popstar Jennifer Lopez is also rumored to be interested in buying a sports franchise. No word yet on whether they’ll be pooling their money to go in on the Mets together, but a source close to Rodriguez told the New York Post, “{Rodriguez] genuinely loves the Mets. He and J-Lo have talked about him buying a team ever since Jeter got the Marlins.†Rodriguez has an estimated net worth of $350 million, while Lopez’s estimated net worth is even higher at $400 million.
No comments