BASKETBALL

Former NBA Commissioner David Stern passed away on January 1st after suffering a brain hemorrhage a month ago while dining at a restaurant in NY. Stern served as the commissioner from 1984-2014 and is credited with growing professional basketball into a global powerhouse. Current commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement saying, “For 22 years, I had a courtside seat to watch David in action. He was a mentor and one of my dearest friends. We spent countless hours in the office, at arenas and on planes wherever the game would take us. Like every NBA legend, David had extraordinary talents, but with him it was always about the fundamentals — preparation, attention to detail, and hard work.

“David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads. But over the course of 30 years as Commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world. Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand — making him not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation.” David Stern was 77 years old.

In one of the anticipated weekend Bowl games, Alabama prevailed 35-16 over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. Alabama QB Mac Jones (who took over for an injured Tua Tagovailoa) threw for three touchdowns, while Jerry Jeudy ran over 200 yards, the first Alabama player to achieve that feat in a bowl game.

In the Rose Bowl, Oregon pulled out a 28-27 victory over Wisconsin thanks in part to UW’s four turnovers, three fumbles and one interception. The win marks Oregon’s third consecutive Rose Bowl victory.

BASKETBALL

In one of the biggest upsets in the history of college basketball, #1 ranked Duke lost to unranked Stephen F. Austin on a last-second layup. Before the loss, Duke had won 150 consecutive nonconference home games, and for the first time since 1983, Duke lost to an unranked mid-major team. SFA 85, Duke 83

FOOTBALL

In more college news, the new College Football Playoff rankings were announced Tuesday night, and Ohio State claims the #1 spot over LSU. Clemson and Georgia round out the top 4, while Alabama held on at #5. There are still a few big games left that could disrupt the rankings including an important Ohio State vs Michigan matchup on Saturday.

FOOTBALL

After a 31-game home winning streak, Alabama lost to LSU, shaking up the college football ranking system. The Tigers beat the Crimson Tide 46-41, and according to former Alabama star and Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram, the loss is because Donald Trump attended the game. The next set of rankings comes out Tuesday night, and LSU has a shot of eclipsing Ohio State with the number one slot.

In the NFL, the Cleveland Browns managed to win a game, but it was ugly. Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a late game winning touchdown pass to Rashard Higgins for a Browns’ 19-16 victory.

Leading his Baltimore Ravens to another win, quarterback Lamar Jackson is cementing his legacy, but all anyone is talking about after the 49-13 trouncing of the Cincinnati Bengals, is his 47-yard run where he faked out a defender and spun around another for a impressive touchdown.

In the battle of New York, the Jets found a way to beat the Giants. The Giants’ Saquon Barkley had nowhere to run, and Jets’ quarterback Sam Darnold finally had an interception-free game. Jets 34, Giants 27

For more NFL highlights, click here.

BASKETBALL

The Miami Heat suspended Dion Waiters 10 games without pay. Waiters had an adverse reaction to edibles infused with THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) while on a team flight from Phoenix to LA. According to reports, Waiters experienced a panic attack. The Heat posted a statement saying, “We expect all of our players, including Dion, to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards, and to show professionalism and respect for their teammates, the team, the fans and the NBA community.”

BASEBALL

The Washington Nationals stunned the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 on Wednesday night and advance to the National League Championship Series. Howie Kendrick ignited the team with his grand slam in the top of the 10th inning for a 7-3 victory. This will be the first time the Nationals have advanced past the first round in their last five tries (2012, 2014, 2016, and 2017).

The St. Louis Cardinals made history in their blowout win over the Atlanta Braves in game five of the National League Division Series. The Cardinals scored 10 runs in the first inning of the game becoming the first team in MLB history to score 10 runs in the first inning of a postseason game.

The Nationals will play the Cardinals on Friday in game 1 of the NLCS at 8:08 pm.

BASKETBALL

The fallout from Houston Rockets’ GM Daryl Morey supporting anti-government protestors in Hong Kong has not subsided. The LA Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets played a preseason game in Shanghai on Thursday, but there was none of the usual media hype. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tried to make the situation tenable saying, “I think tolerance for differing societies’ approaches, tolerance for differing points of view and the ability to listen. Certainly I don’t come here, either as the commissioner of the NBA or as an American, to tell others how they should run their governments.” A group of bipartisan Members of Congress including Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and New York’s Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent a letter to Silver urging the NBA to show “courage and integrity” in standing up to the Chinese government.

BASEBALL

In the American League wild-card game, the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Oakland A’s and advance to take on the top-seeded Houston Astros in the American League Division Series. The best-of-five Division Series begins on October 3rd with the  National League (Cardinals at Braves and Nationals at Dodgers) followed by the American League (Rays at Astros and Twins at Yankees) on October 4th.

BASKETBALL

Six months ago, Lonzo Ball (New Orleans Pelicans) sued his former Big Baller Brand (BBB) business partner, Alan Foster, for $2 million. The tables are now turned and Foster is countersuing Lonzo and his father LaVar for “fraudulent concealment and breach of contract”. According to the filing, LaVar embezzled more than $2.5 million. Foster claims, “LaVar approached Alan and asked for his business guidance on how to monopolize and gain fortune and fame from the names and likenesses of his three sons. In response, Alan suggested that the two men brand the ‘Ball’ family name in order to create basketball and entertainment-related businesses. LaVar loved Alan’s idea and wanted to make sure that he was the biggest star in the family, notwithstanding the fact that he was broke, had no savings, poor credit and zero business acumen.”

BASKETBALL

In an interview with ESPN, Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry said he’ll play for Team USA at the Olympic Games next summer in Tokyo. Curry has played on two gold medal-winning World Cup Championship teams but never played in the Olympics. Team USA has won three straight Olympic golds and will be looking to bring home their fourth.

FOOTBALL

The New York Giants’ sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, Daniel Jones, will take over as the starting quarterback leaving two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning on the bench. Giants’ coach Pat Shurmer explained “Ultimately, this is a move that I felt was best for this team at this time.  I am very fond of Eli. His work ethic, his preparation, his football intelligence. All those attributes are as good as I have ever seen in a player. And Eli worked as hard as you could ask of anybody to get ready for this season. This move is more about Daniel moving forward than about Eli.”

FOOTBALL

The New York Jets were already down a quarterback with their starter Sam Darnold out due to mononucleosis. Then on Monday night’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, their backup Trevor Siemian suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter. Third-stringer Luke Falk had to step in, but it wasn’t pretty and the Jets lost 23-3 to the Cleveland Browns. Luke will probably have to start next week against the mighty New England Patriots. Could be ugly.

In other disappointing quarterback news, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger will out for the entire season. The 37-year old future Hall of Famer will have elbow surgery this week. He’ll be replaced by 2018 third round pick Mason Rudolph.

The other injured future Hall of Famer, New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees got slightly better news. He’ll have surgery on his thumb, but will likely miss six weeks (not the whole season). Teddy Bridgewater will take over. The absence is unchartered territory for the Saints, as Brees hasn’t missed a game because of injury since 2015.

BASKETBALL

In some unusual and refreshing news, men’s college basketball coach Tony Bennett signed a one-year contract extension with Virginia but declined an increase in pay. Instead of a raise, he asked for additional compensation for his staff and the program. Bennett earned $6 million last season and decided to also donate $500,o00 towards a career-development program for the players. In a press release Bennett said, “I have more than enough. If there are ways that this can help out the athletic department, the other programs and coaches, by not tying up so much (in men’s basketball), that’s my desire.”

BASEBALL

To honor the anniversary of 9/11, Mets’ rookie Pete Alonso supplied all the players with special commemorative 9/11-themed cleats. In the running for National League rookie of the year, Alonso recorded the players’ shoe sizes and ordered and paid for the cleats. In the 9-0 win (9 runs and 11 hits) at home over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Mets also honored the first responders and had them on the field for the National Anthem.

HORSE RACING

According to a report from the New York Times, 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug weeks before the Kentucky Derby (the first leg of the Triple Crown).  Apparently, the California Horse Racing Board took months to confirm the results of a test (taken after the Santa Anita Derby which qualified Justify for the Kentuck Derby) and made some decisions in secret for horses testing positive to the substance scopolamine.

BASKETBALL

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied LeBron James’ attempt to trademark “Taco Tuesday”. The USPTO explained, “The applied-for mark is a commonplace term, message, or expression widely used by a variety of sources that merely conveys an ordinary, familiar, well-recognized concept or sentiment message.” According to LeBron, the application accomplished what he intended, which is to ensure HE won’t be sued for using the phrase.

BASKETBALL

Kawhi Leonard is in the midst of suing Nike for what he claims is his “Klaw” design. Kawhi said he provided the design to Nike so he owns it. Nike has now countersued stating “In this action, Kawhi Leonard seeks to re-write history by asserting that he created the ‘Claw Design’ logo, but it was not Leonard who created that logo. In his Complaint, Leonard alleges he provided a design to NIKE. That is true. What is false is that the design he provided was the Claw Design. Not once in his Complaint does Leonard display or attach either the design that he provided or the Claw Design. Instead, he conflates the two, making it appear as though those discrete works are one and the same. They are not.” After ending his contract with Nike, Kawhi has signed a shoe deal with New Balance.

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden has a new hobby. He recently purchased a minority stake in Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo and the National Women’s Soccer League’s Houston Dash. He also has a stake in BBVA Stadium where both teams play. He commented, “Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time. Soccer in general, and especially MLS, have exploded in this country throughout my lifetime. I’ve been a fan of the game for several years, and I know that Houston has a massive soccer fanbase, so it was an easy decision for me when this opportunity arose.”

In other NBA news, Toronto Raptors Kyle Lowry underwent surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left thumb. Lowry is planning to spend his off-season participating in USA Basketball training camp and FIBA World Cup later in the summer

FOOTBALL

Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh took a swipe at his former rival, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer. Meyer retired last year after a winning season but one filled with controversy. Meyer was suspended for the first three games of the year due to a domestic violence allegation against one of his assistant coaches, then led his team to a 13-1 season and a Big Ten title. Meyer’s Ohio State also has a 4-0 winning record over Harbaugh. In an interview with The Athletic, Harbaugh said, “Urban Meyer’s had a winning record. A really phenomenal record everywhere he’s been. But also, controversy follows everywhere he’s been.”

BASKETBALL

According to NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, the #1 pick in the NBA draft Zion Williamson is out of shape. Zion’s former coach, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, also stated Williamson wasn’t in physical or mental shape and should have skipped playing in the NBA summer league. Williamson played nine minutes in the summer league for the New Orleans Pelicans then was pulled due to a minor injury. Barkeley told ESPN’s Get Up, “I was fat so I needed to lose weight. I don’t know what Zion’s perfect playing weight is going to be. I thought 300 was my perfect playing weight in college. I had to lose 50 pounds to become a Hall of Famer. I hear he weighs 280. He can’t play at 280 in the NBA. He can’t play at that weight, it’s too much stress on his knees. He’s so big and he’s so strong, but everybody in the NBA is big and strong.”

GOLF

Rory McIlroy was the fan-favorite to win the British Open this week, but after a quadruple-bogey 8 on the first hole, he’s likely out of contention.