Archive for August, 2021

Ronaldo Stays W/Manchester United, Djokovic Could Make History At Open, Michigan Wins Little League World Series, ESPN Tricked

SOCCER

In a twist of events, Cristiano Ronaldo will be returning to Manchester United. It’s reported that Manchester United will pay Ronaldo €15 million with €8 million in add-ons.

TENNIS

The U.S. Open begins on Monday with all eyes on Novak Djokovic. If Djokovic wins the tournament he’ll make history for securing the most men’s Grand Slam singles titles, and he’ll have captured all four Grand Slams in the same calendar year (which hasn’t happened since Rod Laver in 1969).

BASEBALL

On Sunday, Michigan beat Ohio 5-2 to win the Little League World Series.

FOOTBALL

ESPN got tricked into broadcasting a high school fo0tball game between IMG Academy (a powerhouse competitor) and Bishop Sycamore (an online charter school that proclaimed to have D-I prospects). Not surprisingly, IMG destroyed Bishop Sycamore 58-0.

 

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Ronaldo Leaving Juventus, Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12 Alliance, Leprechaun Named 4th Most Offensive Mascot, Bridgewater/Lawrence Starting QB’s, ESPN Shakeup

SOCCER

36-year old superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has asked to leave Juventus. Manchester United is “in advanced talks” to sign him.

FOOTBALL

Earlier this week, the Big Ten, ACC, and Pac-12 announced an alliance for a “collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletes and scheduling.” As for the scheduling component, the three leagues could play non-conference games against each other which would be an exciting development for many fans.

According to a survey conducted by Quality Logo Products, Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish leprechaun was ranked the fourth most offensive mascot in college football. Notre Dame defended its mascot in a statement saying, “It is worth noting … that there is no comparison between Notre Dame’s nickname and mascot and the Indian and warrior names (and) mascots used by other institutions such as the NFL team formerly known as the Redskins. None of these institutions were founded or named by Native Americans who sought to highlight their heritage by using names and symbols associated with their people. Our symbols stand as celebratory representations of a genuine Irish heritage at Notre Dame. A heritage that we regard with respect, loyalty and affection.”

In NFL news, the Denver Broncos named Teddy Bridgewater, who was sidelined for two years due to a torn ACL,  its starting quarterback for the season. And, the Jacksonville Jaguars named their #1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Trevor Lawrence, its starting QB over Gardner Minshew II.

OTHER

ESPN continues to shake things up. Rachel Nichols was removed from its NBA programming and will cancel her weekday show “The Jump”, and Max Kellerman will leave “First Take”. Popular co-host Stephen A. Smith will continue to host the show with rotating partners.

 

 

 

 

 

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Tokyo Paralympics Begins, Ludwig Guttman Envisioned First Games

OLYMPICS

The Tokyo Paralympics begins on Tuesday and will last until September 5th. 4,537 athletes representing 163 nations will compete in 540 events, including badminton and taekwondo for the first time ever.

Ludwig Guttman, a Jewish neurologist who escaped Nazi Germany and settled in England in 1939, envisioned a competition for athletes who could benefit from sports as a way of rehabilitation. While working at Stoke Mandeville spinal injury center for soldiers, he hosted the first annual Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948. In 1960, the event was officially recognized as the first Paralympic Summer Games.

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Cabrera Hits 500th HR, Rookie QB Trey Lance Looking Good For 49ers

BASEBALL

Congratulations to Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera who joins only 27 other players in Major League Baseball history to hit 500 home runs over their professional baseball career.

FOOTBALL

The NFL pre-season is underway which gives teams a chance to test out their rookies. On Sunday night, the San Francisco 49er’s #3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Trey Lance, had a solid performance. Lance threw for 102 yards and two touchdowns in a 15-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He did throw an interception, but all in all, it was an encouraging outing.

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Tebow Cut From Jags, Travis Kelce Draws Beard, Steve Cohen’s Criticizes Mets, Ohtani’s New Milestone

FOOTBALL

The Jacksonville Jaguars released Tim Tebow in its first round of roster cuts. Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback, also attempted to play professional baseball when he joined the minor league team for the NY Mets in 2016. In his four years with the Mets, he moved up from the instructional league to Triple-A but never made it to the big leagues.

Travis Kelce had fun with the press after deciding to shave his iconic beard. After his fans expressed their disappointment, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end drew a beard on his Twitter picture to ease his fans’ pain.

BASEBALL

Speaking of the Mets, new owner Steve Cohen took to social media to criticize the players’ “unproductive hitting”. The team responded by beating the San Francisco Giants and ending a five-game losing streak.

The Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani continues to stun the sports world. He recorded another milestone against the Tigers on Wednesday night by hitting his 40th home run while pitching at least 15 games. Babe Ruth held the previous record of 29 in 1919. His 40 home runs are also the highest hit by a pitcher in a single season (with Babe Ruth taking the second and third slots with 34 hits in 1933 and 20 hits in 1921).

 

 

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Joel Embiid To Sign Massive Extension, Stewart’s Baby Girl, Alabama #1, Falcons Fully Vaccinated, Field Of Dreams Series By “The Good Place” Creator

BASKETBALL

The Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid is set to sign a 4-yr $196 million supermax contract extension. Embiid qualified for the supermax extension after receiving second-team All-NBA status and second in MVP voting. Embiid was drafted with the 3rd overall pick in 2014 by the Sixers.

Congratulations to WNBA star and gold medalist Breanna Stewart and her wife Marta Xargay on the birth of their first child, Ruby, who was born the day after Stewart won her gold medal with Team USA.

FOOTBALL

To no one’s surprise, Alabama ranked #1 in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll. It’s the fourth time in the past six seasons the Crimson Tide has been at the top. Oklahoma came in at #2 with Clemson, Ohio State, and Georgia rounding out the top 5.

In the NFL, the Atlanta Falcons are the first team to have all their players fully vaccinated. Looking forward to seeing 100% of all teams soon!

BASEBALL

The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds are scheduled to play in next year’s Field of Dreams game.  And, stay tuned for a Field of Dreams scripted drama series from the creator of “The Good Place”, Michael Schur.

 

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Kostner And Players Emerge From Maze In Unforgettable Field Of Dreams Game, Leonard Signs $176.3 Mill Deal W/Clippers, Saints Require Fans Vaccinated Or Negative PCR Test

BASEBALL

The “Field of Dreams” game did not disappoint. Kevin Costner, the star of the beloved 1989 movie, added to the drama of the evening when he slowly walked through the maze of corn and onto the field. A few minutes later the Chicago White Sox and NY Yankees players emerged from the corn maze as well (evoking the iconic line of the movie, “If you build it he will come.”). The White Sox beat the Yankees 9-8 in a walk-off homer, a fitting end to the game, as it was the 15th walk-off homer ever hit by the White Sox against the Yankees. Shoeless Joe Jackson, one of the stars of the movie, hit the first.

BASKETBALL

Kawhi Leonard signed a four-year $176.3 million deal to stay with the LA Clippers. Unfortunately for the team, however, Leonard had surgery for a partially torn ACL in July and is expected to miss part of the season.

FOOTBALL

The New Orleans Saints will be the first NFL franchise to require fans to provide proof of vaccination or a 72 hour in advance negative COVID-19 PCR test to attend games.

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Field Of Dreams Park, J.R. Smith Petitions To Play Golf In College

BASEBALL

Major League Baseball built a new ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa (population of 4,543) modeled after the field in the iconic and beautiful movie Field of Dreams. Tonight, the White Sox and Yankees will play at the stadium in front of 8,000 fans. Players will enter the field by walking through a fence hidden by corn (like in the movie). Kevin Costner and Dwier Brown who starred in the movie will be on-site tonight for the game.

BASKETBALL

Former NBA player and 18th pick in the 2004 draft, J.R. Smith has petitioned the NCAA to be eligible to play golf at North Carolina A&T College. Smith never enrolled in college opting to enter the draft instead. He was selected by the New Orleans Hornets then won an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-2016) and another with the Los Angeles Lakers (2019-2020).

 

 

 

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Olympics Wrap Up, Peyton Manning’s Hall Of Fame Speech, Messi Signs W/Paris Saint-Germain, Luka Signs Extension

OLYMPICS WRAP UP

Thanks to the women, Team USA finished the Olympics with the most medals (113) and the most number of gold medals (39) barely edging out China (88 overall and 38 gold). A few highlights: Allyson Felix became the most decorated US track and field athlete in Olympic history (11 medals over 5 Olympics surpassing Carl Lewis), women’s basketball grabbed its 7th gold medal in a row, and men’s basketball won their 4th consecutive gold with Kevin Durant taking home his third gold medal.

The overall cost of the Olympics came in at $15.4 billion, making it the most expensive games in history.

FOOTBALL

Eight members of the 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class were inducted on Sunday. Quarterback Peyton Manning, enshrined in his first year of eligibility, gave a riveting speech about his father, the beauty of football, and joked about his rival turned friend Tom Brady (who was sitting in Manning’s personal section).

SOCCER

According to his father, Lionel Messi has agreed to sign a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

BASKETBALL

The Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić signed a five-year $207 million supermax rookie extension.

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Messi To Leave Barcelona, Alix Klineman & April Ross Clinch Gold, Women’s and Men’s Bball Go For Gold

SOCCER

Lionel Messi, one of the best players in soccer history, will not be returning to his team Barcelona this year due to La Liga salary cap issues. The Club announced on its website,  Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today, this cannot happen because of Spanish La Liga regulations on player registration.” Messi will now be a free agent.

OLYMPICS

Americans Alix Klineman and April Ross clinched a gold medal in women’s beach volleyball. The “A Team”, as they are known, defeated Australia in straight sets becoming the first American women to win gold since the 2012 duo of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings.

In women’s basketball, the U.S. will play for the gold against either Japan or France, and in men’s basketball the U.S. will play France for the gold.

 

 

 

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