Archive for September, 2020

Titans COVID-19 Outbreak Could Affect Weekend Games

FOOTBALL

After three weeks of football, we now have the first outbreak of COVID-19 which could threaten the NFL season. The Tennessee Titans reported four players and five non-player personnel tested positive, so they are shutting down their facility and suspending all in-person activities. The Titans played the Minnesota Vikings last weekend, so now the Vikings have also suspended operations, and it’s unclear the status of the weekend’s Titans-Steelers game as well as the Vikings-Texans matchup. According to the latest reports, the NFL announced the Titans game will not be played on Sunday at 1:00 pm but will be moved instead to either Monday or Tuesday. No word yet on the Vikings game.

Share
No comments

Heat Vs. Lakers NBA Finals, MLB Playoffs Beginning, Lightning Win Stanley Cup, South Park In Denver Stands, Mahomes Milestone

BASKETBALL

The NBA Finals are set! The Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers will square off starting on Wednesday with Game 1. If the Lakers win the series, LeBron James will get his fourth NBA championship and a title with his third franchise.

BASEBALL

The 60-game shortened regular season is over, and the Major League Baseball playoffs are here. With an expanded 16-team field (from the traditional eight-team field), the wild-card series begins on Tuesday with the divisional rounds and World Series itself played in bubble locations in Texas and California. The LA Dodgers are the top seed in the National League, and the Tampa Bay Rays are the top seed in the American League. For a full schedule, click here.

HOCKEY

The Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup for only the second time in franchise history. With a game 6 win on Monday over the Dallas Star, the Lightning redeemed their disappointing first-round sweep in last year’s championship.

FOOTBALL

We’re now getting used to very few if any fans in the stands, but the Denver Broncos got our attention by filling 1,800 seats during Sunday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with character cutouts from the show “South Park”. The Comedy Central show is based on a town in Colorado. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they lost 28-10 to the Buccaneers and are now 0-3 for the season.

On Monday Night Football, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the fastest quarterback to reach 10,000 yards passing in his career. He reached this feat in 34 games. The Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens 34-20 thanks to Mahomes’ five touchdowns.

Share
No comments

PAC-12 And Mountain West Will Begin Season, Fitzpatrick Leads Miami To win, Reynolds & McElhenney To Purchase Soccer Team

FOOTBALL

The PAC-12 reversed its earlier decision and announced it will play a seven-game season beginning on November 6th. The Mountain West Conference also announced it will begin an eight-game season starting the weekend of October 24th.

In the NFL, Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick led the team to a 31-13 blowout of the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the win, 37-year old Fitzpatrick is the first player since the 1950s to beat a single opponent as part of six different teams. Fitzpatrick beat the Jaguars while playing with the Dolphins, Bengals, Bills, Jets, Texans, and Titans.

SOCCER

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney could be the new owners of the Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC. According to reports, the two actors would invest $2.5 million to purchase the club.

 

 

 

Share
No comments

Giants Sign Freeman, Donovan New Bulls Coach, NBA Season Jan 2021, NCAA Basketball Season, 8 Athletes As Most Influential

FOOTBALL

After Saquon Barkley went down with a season-ending injury, the New York Giants agreed to a one-year deal with running back Devonta Freeman worth up to $3 million.

BASKETBALL

The Chicago Bulls announced that former Oklahoma City Thunder’s Billy Donovan will be the team’s new head coach.
In other NBA news, Commissioner Adam Silver is quoted as saying his “best guess” for the start of the next NBA season will be January 2021.
As for college basketball, according to reports, the season could begin on November 25th (a few weeks later than normal) with teams playing a minimum of 13 games (down from 25) to be NCAA tournament eligible.

OTHER

Eight athletes are included in Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The four men are Dwayne Wade, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lewis Hamilton, and Patrick Mahomes. The four women are Allyson Felix, Maya Moore, Naomi Osaka, and Megan Rapinoe.
Share
No comments

Vegas Raiders Win In “Death Star” Stadium, NFL Mask Violations, Jordan Forms NASCAR Team

FOOTBALL

The Las Vegas Raiders played their first game in their new $2 billion stadium (called the “Death Star“) and beat the New Orleans Saints. In a 34-24 win, the Raiders are now 2-0 to start the season.

The NFL is getting serious about COVID-19 restrictions and is imposing fines of $100,000 per coach and $250,000 per club for violating the League’s mask policy. Denver’s Vic Fangio, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan, and Seattle’s Pete Carroll have already been fined. Other offenders include Patriots coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Colts coach Frank Reich, and Rams coach Sean McVay. Raiders coach Jon Gruden was shown wearing his mask like a chin strap, and Saints coach Sean Payton appeared wearing his gaitor like a turtleneck. Only the players are exempt from wearing face masks.

NASCAR

Michael Jordan formed a new NASCAR team with driver Denny Hamlin (as acting minority partner) and Bubba Wallace as their driver. Jordan released a statement saying, “Growing up in North Carolina, my parents would take my brothers, sisters and me to races, and I’ve been a NASCAR fan my whole life. The opportunity to own my own racing team in partnership with my friend, Denny Hamlin, and to have Bubba Wallace driving for us, is very exciting for me. Historically, NASCAR has struggled with diversity and there have been few Black owners. The timing seemed perfect as NASCAR is evolving and embracing social change more and more. In addition to the recent commitment and donations I have made to combat systemic racism, I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and open more opportunities for Black people in racing.”

Share
No comments

Yankees Clinch Playoff Berth, Injuries In NFL, Deion Sanders Head Coach

BASEBALL

The New York Yankees clinched a playoff berth for the fourth straight year.

FOOTBALL

Unfortunately, this weekend in the NFL was mostly about injuries. New York Giants Saquon Barkley suffered an ACL injury, Carolina Panther running back Christian McCaffrey will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his ankle injury, San Francisco 49er Nick Bosa tore his ACL, and Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an ankle sprain. San Fran had more bad news with Solomon Thomas and Raheem Mostert also leaving the game due to injuries.

It wasn’t all bad news in the NFL, however, as some teams and players looked great. Here are a few highlights:

Tom Brady got his first win as the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer in a 31-17 win over the Carolina Panthers. Wife Gisele Bündchen and kids cheered him on from home in an Instagram post.

QB Cam Newton had an impressive day with the Patriots in a close game against the Seattle Seahawks, but thanks to five touchdowns from Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, the Pats lost 35-30.

For a recap of all NFL weekend games, click here.

College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Deion Sanders was named the head football coach at FCS Jackson State.

Share
No comments

Giannis Wins MVP, Yankees Five Homers In One Inning, Browns Win Battle Of Ohio, Burrow Solid, Stanley Cup Finals

BASKETBALL

Giannis Antetokounmpo won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award. The Milwaukee Bucks forward (who also won Defensive Player of the Year this season) joins LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell as back-to-back MVPs.

BASEBALL

The New York Yankees had quite a night in their 10-7 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Yankees hit five home runs in an inning.

FOOTBALL

In the “Battle of Ohio” teams on Thursday Night Football, the Cleveland Browns beat the Cincinnati Bengals 35-30. Browns’ QB Baker Mayfield threw for 2 touchdowns while Bengals’ rookie QB Joe Burrow threw for 3 TD’s and set a record for completions in a game by a rookie. He also became the first rookie quarterback to throw over 60 passes (he had 61) in a game with no interceptions.

HOCKEY

The Stanley Cup Finals begin on Saturday with the Tampa Bay Lightning facing the Dallas Stars.

Share
No comments

Big Ten Eligible For CFP, Pac-12 Plan, College Basketball On, LeBron James Selected To 16th All-NBA Selection

FOOTBALL

On Wednesday the Big Ten announced football will begin the weekend of October 24th, but there was uncertainty about whether the conference would be eligible for the College Football Playoff. According to reports, the CFP Rankings will be announced on December 20th, so the Big Ten will be included.

The Pac-12 is now considering returning as well. They plan is to target mid-to-late November. The delay is apparently due to getting FDA approved rapid COVID-19 tests, so the league can test student-athletes daily.

BASKETBALL

The NCAA Division 1 Council agreed college basketball will begin on November 25th. The season has been reduced to between 24-27 games.

LeBron James was selected to his 16th All-NBA selection, a record in the history of the NBA. He was previously tied with Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The other All-NBA First Team selections are: Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Luka Doncic.

 

 

 

Share
No comments

Big 10 Football Season Begins Weekend Of October 24th, Nuggets Beat Clippers In West Semifinal

FOOTBALL

After previously canceling the football season due to coronavirus concerns, the Big Ten conference reversed its decision and voted to have a football season after all. The season will begin the weekend of October 24th and teams will play eight games in eight weeks. The league will also require and daily, rapid testing.

BASKETBALL

The Denver Nuggets rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the Western semifinals to beat the L.A. Clippers in game 7 and will now face the top-seeded L.A. Lakers. In the Eastern semifinals, the Miami Heat got the win in game 1 vs the Boston Celtics.

Share
No comments

Steve Cohen Purchasing Mets, Gostkowski Redeems Himself, Need More from Saquon, Danny Noonan Is Back

BASEBALL

Hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen could be the New York Mets new owner after reaching an agreement to purchase the team for a record $2.4 billion. According to reports, the deal does not include SNY, the Mets TV network. The deal requires the approval of 23 of the 29 Major League Baseball owners who will vote at a meeting in November. If Cohen gets approval, he will succeed owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz and become the fourth controlling owner since the beginning of the franchise in 1962.

FOOTBALL

On Monday Night Football, Tennessee Titans kicker Stephen Gostkowski redeemed himself after missing three field goals and an extra point by kicking the game-winning field goal for a 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos.

The New York Giants needed more from their star running back Saquon Barkley who only rushed for 6 yards in their 16-26 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers

GOLF

Michael O’Keefe, the 65-year old actor who played caddie Danny Noonan in the movie “Caddyshack” was back on the greens at the US. Open this week. According to O’Keefe, “I’ve given a lot of interviews this year because it’s the 40th anniversary of the release of the movie. I knew the Open was going to be here. My brother, Billy, is a member here and a former (club) president and I was thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if somebody put me on their bag?’ And I thought the chances of that happening were about as likely as Carl Spackler winning the Masters, but the next thing you know, I get a call from Mike Breed and he said, ‘Hey, are you serious?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, why?’ He said, ‘Start doing some push-ups, I think it’s going to work out.’ ”

Share
No comments

Next Page »