Archive for the 'Basketball' Category
Pope Meets With NBA Players, ACC/Big 10 Coaches Won’t Wear Suits, Goff Overshadows Brady In Rams Win
BASKETBALL
Pope Francis met with a small delegation of NBA players and officials from the National Basketball Players Association to discuss social justice issues. The meeting took place at the request of the Pope, so he could learn more about the issues and what the NBA planned for the future. The last-minute meeting at the Vatican included the following players: Kyle Korver, Sterling Brown, Marco Belinelli, Jonathan Isaac, and Anthony Tolliver.
In college basketball, the ACC and Big Ten coaches decided to wear casual clothes instead of their traditional suits during games. Iona’s Rick Pitino said “I’m definitely not wearing a suit. Why would you want to wear a suit when there are no fans at the games?”
FOOTBALL
On Monday Night Football, the LA Rams’ quarterback Jared Goff overshadowed Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in a 27-24 win. Goff threw for three touchdowns and 376 passing yards in this important NFC West matchup.
Edwards, Wiseman, Ball Selected Top 3 In NBA Draft, Israel’s Deni Avdija 9th Pick, NFL Teams In Intense COVID Protocol, Canó Out For 2021
BASKETBALL
There were no surprises in the top three picks of the NBA draft Wednesday night. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Anthony Edwards, the Golden State Warriors selected James Wiseman, and the Charlotte Hornets picked LaMelo Ball. LaMelo and his brother Lonzo (New Orleans Pelicans) made history by becoming the first pair of brothers selected in the top 5 of the NBA draft. For the full draft lineup, click here.
In other draft news, the Washington Wizards chose Israel’s Deni Avdija with the ninth overall pick. Avdija is the highest draft pick ever out of Israel. ESPN analyst Mike Schmitz remarked on air that Avdija could be the potential steal of the draft.
BASEBALL
New York Mets’ Robinson Canó received his second suspension for use of a banned substance and will be suspended for the entire 2021 season.
NBA Draft Tonight, Theo Epstein Steps Down
BASKETBALL
The NBA draft takes place tonight at 8:00 pm ET. The Minnesota Timberwolves hold the first pick, and Georgia guard Anthony Edwards is projected to go #1. There’s also a chance a team will trade up to get an opportunity to grab LaMelo Ball. The Golden State Warriors have the second pick with Memphis’s James Wiseman as the obvious choice. Forty-five league employees will head to ESPN’s Bristol headquarters for the virtual draft.
BASEBALL
After nine seasons as president of baseball operations with the Chicago Cubs, Theo Epstein is stepping down. In an open letter to “Cubs Friends”, Epstein said he “needs his first summer away from a ballpark in 30 years to spend time with family and nonprofits. He needs a reset. After that, he intends to return to what he called his “third chapter” in baseball, preferably as part of an ownership group.”
March Madness In Indy, Harden Turns Down Extension, Paul To Suns, Ryan/Rob Buy Team, Vikings Over Bears
BASKETBALL
The NCAA announced its 68-team tournament, March Madness, will take place in one city (essentially creating a bubble) in 2021. The city will likely be Indianapolis, where the Final Four was scheduled to take place. The NCAA had to cancel March Madness earlier this year and lost a reported $375 million.
In NBA news, the Houston Rockets’ James Harden turned down a $103 million extension on top of his current three years $133 million. With the new salary, he would have become the first $50 million per year player in league history. Harden has clearly stated he wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
In other trade news, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Chris Paul to the Phoenix Suns.
SOCCER
Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the fifth-division English soccer team, Wrexham AFC. Reynolds and McElhenney plan to invest heavily in the club and promote the team with a documentary series. Their celebrity status and social media following will also likely help the team garner attention and fans.
FOOTBALL
The Minnesota Vikings edged out the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in a pretty uneventful game. The Vikings have now won three games in a row, while the Bears have lost four straight. Minnesota 19, Chicago 13
Pats Beat Jets, Jets 0-9, NBA Draft Nov 18th, LaMelo Ball Expected #1 Pick
FOOTBALL
The New England Patriots barely eked out a win over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. Nick Folks 51-yard field goal sealed the win for the Pats handing the Jets their 9th loss of the season. The Jets are now 0-9 for the first time in team history. The good news is their dismal record makes them primed to have the first pick in the NFL draft, and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence could be their new quarterback. Patriots 30, Jets 27
BASKETBALL
With the new season of the NBA set for a December 22nd start, the League announced the NBA draft will take place on November 18th. As of now, it looks like LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, and James Wiseman could be the top three picks with the Minnesota Timberwolves (unless they trade down) having the first choice.
Rodgers Throws 4 TD’s In Packers Win Over Niners, Raiders Fined And Lose Pick For COVID Violations, NBA Season Approved, Breeders Cup
FOOTBALL
Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers went on a tear throwing for four touchdowns in a 34-17 blowout win over the San Francisco 49ers. Unfortunately, the Niners have been racked by injuries and COVID-19 issues and are likely to continue to struggle this season.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been fined a total of $1,185 million in fines so far this season for violations related to COVID-19. Coach Jon Gruden has been fined an additional $150,000 for what ESPN reported as “brazen and repeated violations of [COVID-19] protocols.” Multiple teammates including quarterback Derek Carr were also fined for appearing at a Darren Waller Foundation charity event without masks. The NFL is taking these violations seriously and have even taken away one of their draft picks.
BASKETBALL
The NBA Players Association approved a 72-game season to begin on December 22nd and finish before the start of the Tokyo Olympics this summer.
HORSE RACING
The end of the season $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic takes place on Saturday night at 5:18 pm ET. Tiz the Law, the winner of the Belmont Stakes and The Travers will be running at 3-1 odds, while the Kentucky Derby winner, Authentic, goes off at 6-1 odds.
Wild Game 4, Dodgers Grab Game 5, NBA Season Dec 22nd, Amar’e Joins Nash, Seahawks/Cardinals Entertain, Steelers Undefeated, Gurley & Ford Mess Up
The NBA has informed the Board of Governors that it plans to start their 2020/21 season on December 22nd.
Amar’e Stoudemire has agreed to be part of Steve Nash’s coaching staff for the Brooklyn Nets. Stoudemire played with Nash for six seasons from 2004-2010.
FOOTBALL
In the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals played one of the most entertaining games of the weekend with the score changing hands throughout, and the Cardinals eventually winning 37-34 in overtime.
After beating the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. Steelers 27, Titans 24
Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley knew he messed up by scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions. If he had avoided the end zone, as he did in a game also against the Lions in 2018, his Falcons would have been able to run out the clock for the win. After the accidental score, the Lions had time to pull out a touchdown for a 23-22 win.
In college football, almost the exact same misstep happened when Penn State’s Devyn Ford accidentally scored giving them a 28-20 lead over Indiana with time on the clock. Indiana then came back to tie the game and ultimately won in overtime handing Penn State a big loss in their first game of the season.
Bell To Chiefs, Decisive Friday Night In ALCS/NLCS, Ty Lue Clippers Head Coach
FOOTBALL
Former New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell signed a one-year deal with the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
BASEBALL
We could potentially know the American League and National League champions on Friday night. The Tampa Bay Rays, now up 3-2 after the Houston Astros rallied to win their second straight game, will try and close out their series. And, just a day after the Los Angeles Dodgers set a hitting record, their offense collapsed, and they are now one game away from elimination.
ALCS: Astros vs Rays at 6:07 pm ET
NLCS: Dodgers vs Braves at 9:08 pm ET
BASKETBALL
The Los Angeles Clippers agreed to a five-year deal with Tyronn Lue to become the next head coach. Ty takes over for Doc Rivers.
Lakers Win NBA Championship, LeBron’s 4th Finals MVP, Alex Smith Back, Prescott Out, Seahawks 5-0, Falcons 0-5, Swiatek & Nadal Win French Open
BASKETBALL
The Los Angeles Lakers handily beat the Miami Heat in Game 6 to win the NBA Finals. The NBA champions are now tied (with the Boston Celtics) for the third-most major North American sports titles (17). LeBron James won his fourth championship and fourth Finals MVP, becoming the first player in NBA history to win MVP with three different teams.
Kudos to the NBA for managing to pull off a 172 game season over three months in the Walt Disney World bubble with no coronavirus outbreaks.
FOOTBALL
After suffering a major injury two seasons ago, quarterback Alex Smith returned to the Washington Football Team after starter Kyle Allen got knocked out of the game. Two years ago, Smith broke his fibula and tibia in his right leg, and after 17 surgeries contracted an infection that doctors feared would require them to amputate his leg.
Unfortunately, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott needed surgery Sunday night on his ankle and is unlikely to return this season.
For the first time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are starting the season 5-0.
On the other hand, the Atlanta Falcons are now 0-5 on the season and have fired head coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff.
TENNIS
Nineteen-year-old Iga Swiatek (ranked #54 in the world) beat Sofia Kenin to win the French Open.
In the men’s final, Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic to claim his 20th Grand Slam title. The only other player with 20 Grand Slams is Roger Federer.
Baseball Playoffs Update, LeBron’s Wheaties Box
BASEBALL
In the best of five American League Division Series, the Yankees lost Game 3 8-4 and are now down 2-1 against the Tampa Bay Rays. A crucial Game 4 is Thursday night. The Oakland A’s survived a 7-4 deficit to win 9-7 against the Houston Astros who are now up 2-1 in the series.
In the NLDS, the LA Dodgers held on with a 6-5 win over the San Diego Padres to take a 2-0 series lead, while the Atlanta Braves also secured a 2-0 lead over the Miami Marlins.
BASKETBALL
LeBron James replaces Serena Williams as the next Wheaties Athlete. His cereal box will be a bit different than other stars, however. Along with an image of LeBron dunking, there are pictures of children and staff from his I Promise School (which provides education for at-risk kids to get their high school diploma and free college education).
