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Bar Chat

04/29/2024

NFL Draft

[Posted early Sunday p.m.]

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

NFL Draft Quiz: Since 2000, just five defensive players have been selected first overall, all defensive ends.  Name them. Answer below.

NBA Playoffs

--The Knicks took a 2-0 series lead into Philadelphia on Thursday and came away up just 2-1 after a 125-114 Sixers victory, Joel Embiid with a career playoff high of 50 points, 19 of 21 from the foul line.

But it was early on that Embiid plainly should have been ejected after a “dirty” foul on Knicks center Mitchell Robinson.  It sucked.

Just seven minutes into the game, the reigning MVP fell to the court and grabbed Robinson’s legs, dragging him to the court as he attempted a dunk.

Robinson, who had ankle surgery this season, later sprained his ankle and wasn’t available to the media after but was spotted leaving the arena in a walking boot.  The Embiid play likely didn’t cause the ankle sprain, but it was a highly significant moment.  Officials issued just a Flagrant 1.

“It was dirty,” Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo said.  “It was dirty.”

Added Josh Hart, “We’re just happy Mitch didn’t get a serious injury on that. I’m all for tough fouls, tough, playoff fouls, but that’s something that can put a guy out for a significant amount of time.  So we’re lucky he didn’t get seriously hurt during that time.”

Embiid, who took over the game in the third quarter with 18 points, explained his drag-down by saying he had “flashbacks” of when Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga landed on his knee in January and led to surgery.

“It’s unfortunate because I didn’t mean to hurt anybody,” Embiid said.  “It’s just in those situations where I have to protect myself because I’ve been in way too many situations where I’m always at the bad end of it.”

Oh c’mon.  Look at the play.

Officiating crew chief Zach Zarba stood by the decision to issue a Flagrant 1.

“The unnecessary contact rose to the level of a Flagrant 1 but we were unanimous that this did not rise to the level of excessive conduct, unnecessary and excessive, which would have been a Flagrant 2 ejection,” Zarba told a pool reporter.  “That’s why we kept it a Flagrant 1.”

More B.S.  The officials were afraid to eject a star so early in the game, and in front of a rabid Philly crowd, plain and simple.  But the guy should have been removed.

Three plays were reviewed in the opening eight minutes, all Sixers fouls.  Kyle Lowry slapped DiVincenzo in the face and was given a Flagrant 1, and a couple minutes later, Embiid kneed Isaiah Hartenstein in the groin and was given an offensive foul.  Embiid also kicked Robinson in the groin on an awkward follow-through later on.

The only good thing for the Knicks and their fans was that Jalen Brunson got back on track with 39 points.

So it was on to Sunday afternoon’s Game 4.  As Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said, “This is playoff basketball.  It’s gonna go up.  It’s gonna escalate, and we gotta bring it. We gotta bring it.”

Donte DiVincenzo really needs to bring it, I can’t help but add.

Well, today, Donte didn’t bring it...3-11, 2-7 from 3, but the Knicks have Brunson, who had a franchise playoff-record 47 points, 10 assists, and the Knicks kind of shockingly won it, 97-92, despite shooting 7 of 27 from 3, and 16 of 26 from the foul line, including Josh Hart’s two misses in the final 25 seconds.

The Sixers, as is their wont, played stupid down the stretch, the Knicks giving them all kinds of opportunities, but one guy who ended up being big for New York was backup center Precious Achiuwa.

Mitchell Robinson was scratched from the game with his ankle issue, and Isaiah Hartenstein committed all five of his fouls in the third quarter, but Achiuwa, despite going 0 for 5 from the field, had four big blocks.

It’s that kind of Knicks team.  They are winning ugly.

Game 5 Tuesday at the Garden.  We need to wrap this up.

--Saturday, the Celtics took on the Heat in Game 3, Miami having shocked the Celtics 111-101 on Wednesday to even things up at 1-1.  The Heat sank a franchise playoff-record 23 3-pointers, Tyler Herro with six of them in a spectacular 24-point, 14 assists effort.

But Boston prevailed easily last night, 104-84 to go up 2-1.  The Heat were just 9 of 28 from 3.

--The Lakers staved off elimination in beating the Nuggets, 119-108, as Anthony Davis had a monster game...25 points, 23 rebounds and six assists, while LeBron had 30.  The Nuggets came in with an 11-game win streak over the Lakers – both regular season and postseason.

Game 5 in Denver Monday.

--The Thunder went up 3-0 on the Pelicans, 106-85.

--The Magic tied their series up at 2-2, 112-89 over the Cavs...home teams winning all four.  Game 5 Tuesday in Cleveland.

Stanley Cup Playoffs

--The Rangers have a 3-0 lead over the Capitals with New York looking to complete the sweep tonight in Washington.

Friday, the Rangers won Game 3, 3-1, as special teams continued to dominate for the Blueshirts, another short-handed goal while Igor Shesterkin was brilliant in net.

It’s important to complete the sweep and get a few days of extra rest, with Carolina their likely next opponent.

The Hurricanes were not able to close out the Islanders Saturday, the Isles prevailing at home, 3-2, on a Mathew Barzal goal in the second overtime. Game 5 is Tuesday back in Raleigh.

--Also Saturday, the Bruins went up 3-1 in their series with Toronto, winning 3-1.

Poor Maple Leafs fans.  They haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967.

NFL Draft

--For the record, as we all know, this was the first time in NFL history that six quarterbacks were selected in the first 12 picks, which tied the record for an entire first round set in 1983...which gave us Dan Marino, John Elway and Jim Kelly (Tony Eason, Todd Blackledge and Ken O’Brien the other three first rounders).

1. Chicago – Caleb Williams (QB)
2. Washington – Jayden Daniels (QB)
3. New England – Drake Maye (QB)
4. Arizona – Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR)
5. LA Chargers – Joe Alt (OT)
6. NY Giants – Malik Nabers (WR)
7. Tennessee – JC Latham (OT)
8. Atlanta – Michael Penix Jr. (QB)
9. Chicago – Rome Odunze (WR)
10. Minnesota – J.J. McCarthy (QB)
11. NY Jets – Olumuyima Fashanu (OT)
12. Denver – Bo Nix (QB)
13. Las Vegas – Brock Bowers (TE)
14. New Orleans – Taliese Fuaga (OT)

It wasn’t until the 15th pick, when Indianapolis selected UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu, that a defensive player was selected, the first time that has ever happened.

I was happy with the Jets selection. While we had largely addressed the offensive line issue in free agency, we are bringing in some aging veterans with a history of injuries so Fashanu is good insurance.

But the big story out of the first round was Atlanta’s selection of Penix at No. 8, after having recently signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal - $100 million of which is fully guaranteed.

Cousins wasn’t made aware ahead of time that the Falcons would be taking another quarterback in the first round.  He was only told when the team was on the clock.

“There’s inherent frustration and confusion from Cousins’ camp, as they didn’t use that pick to help the team in 2024. They instead drafted his eventual replacement before he’s put on a Falcons helmet,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel posted on X.

He added: “Cousins understands the business of football and is ready to move forward. But there was understandable surprise.”

Atlanta management was heavily criticized, the team with other roster issues that needed addressed before they thought about a quarterback.

Penix playing behind Cousins isn’t the worst thing for his career, but he’s already 24, so how long will he have to wait?

But GM Terry Fontenot had talked about the importance of the quarterback position earlier in the week and used Green Bay as an example when they had Aaron Rodgers and then drafted Jordan Love.

“If we see a player that we believe can be a franchise QB at any point... Then you have to bring that player in,” he told reporters.

The Falcons had reportedly told Cousins they would be drafting a quarterback in the later rounds, not in the first.

But here’s the thing. Cousins is 36 in August, and he tore his Achilles on Oct. 28 in Week 8 of the 2023 season.  He said in his introductory news conference that he was “optimistic” about being at full speed by training camp.

So just how healthy will he be come Week One?  You don’t know.

And only the first two years on Cousins’ contract are guaranteed.  As in Penix should be seen as the 2026 QB at the very latest.

The NFL is also investigating alleged tampering by the Falcons relating to improper direct contact with Cousins before it was allowed as outlined by league rules.  According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Falcons are likely to face draft-pick punishment.

Meanwhile, with Atlanta getting most of the attention with its selection, that took some heat off Denver’s Sean Payton for picking Oregon QB Bo Nix at No. 12 when most draft experts had him late first round at the very best.

A lot of folks are thus panning the Nix decision.  But you know how I feel.  I love Bo Nix!  He’s ready.  Heck, 61 college starts, 15,352 passing yards, 113 touchdown passes.  He’s 24 and already seen a lot.

Overall, after the three days were complete, I was very happy with my Jets and their picks.  Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky, taken in the third round (65) is going to be a star, and very popular in New York.  We also got running back depth and, perhaps most significantly longer term, a potential replacement for Aaron Rodgers in Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis.  Loved this move.

And the Jets have “Mr. Irrelevant,” the label for the last man selected overall, in this case Jaylen Key, S, Alabama.  He’s already embraced the label.

The consensus among the ‘experts’ is that the Bears nailed it, ditto Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

I was unimpressed by the Giants’ haul, save for receiver Malik Nabers, who is a stud.  The G-men need everything.

Among the other picks...I think San Francisco got a steal in the fourth round with Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha.  He’s simply a ‘football player’ in the truest sense. He’ll contribute.

The Eagles may have gotten a home run in the sixth round with Florida State receiver Johnny Wilson, as long as he minimizes the drops.

Denver got a winner in the fifth with Notre Dame running back Audric Estime.

Lastly, former Wake Forest star QB Sam Hartman proved his final year at Notre Dame was a waste.  He was an undrafted free agent by Washington, and on paper is like the fifth rated QB on the roster.  He’ll be lucky to make the practice squad somewhere in the fall.

--Caleb Williams’ jersey sales broke Caitlin Clark’s two-week-old record at Fanatics, which says Williams’ merchandise is now the most for draft night sales for any draft pick across all sports.

Williams, for now, has completely bought in and obviously Chicago Bears fans have embraced him as their savior.  All good.  It would be good for the sport if Williams and the Bears have a solid season.

And Caleb has to be stoked the team got him a terrific weapon with the ninth pick in receiver Rome Odunze.

--Reggie Bush is being reunited with his Heisman Trophy nearly 14 years after he gave up the prize, we learned on Wednesday.

The former USC running back won the award in 2005, and then returned it in 2010 following sanctions against the university after a lengthy probe determined he received illegal benefits as a student-athlete.

But the ever-changing landscape in college athletics contributed to the Heisman Trust’s decision.

“We considered the enormous changes in college athletics over the last several years in deciding that now is the right time to reinstate the trophy for Reggie,” Michael Comerford, the president of The Heisman Trophy Trust, told ESPN.

The move comes roughly three years after the NCAA permitted student-athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL).  The “impermissible benefits” Bush received are today completely allowed.

Bush will be invited to Heisman Trophy ceremonies starting this year.  He never deserved to lose the award.  It’s like taking wins away from a school when the head coach has been found guilty of some violation.

In 2005, Bush had one of the great seasons ever for a college back, rushing for 1,740 yards, an 8.7 yards per carry average, plus 478 receiving yards (12.9 av.) and 18 touchdowns.  He was truly electric.

MLB

--The Mets are back in the doldrums.  After winning 12 of 15 to get to 12-8, they had lost five of six to fall back to 13-13 after Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Cardinals (13-14).  Francisco Lindor, who had struck out his first four times at bat in the game, popped up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth for the final out.  A day both he and Mets fans would like to forget.

But...today...a spectacular 4-2 win in 11 innings for the Metropolitans, as Mark Vientos, just called up, hit a dramatic 2-run homer to win it, after Harrison Bader had a clutch hit on 0-2 to tie it.  

I wrote all winter that the Mets needed to give Vientos the right-handed DH job, and that they didn’t need someone like J.D. Martinez.  Oh well.  The kid deserves a shot now.

Mets reliever Reid Garrett, one of the big surprises in all of baseball, is now 5-0, 0.64 ERA, 27 Ks in 14 2/3.

--The other team in Gotham, the Yankees, whipped the Brewers Saturday, 15-3, to move to 18-10, Milwaukee 17-9.

And then today they put another 15-spot on the Brew Crew, 15-5, as Anthony Rizzo went 4-for-4, two doubles, a home run (No. 300 for his career), and Aaron Judge hit No. 6 out of the park.

Thirty runs in two games is rather awesome. Or as Larry David would say, pretty, pretty good.

Manager Aaron Boone made a lineup change before Saturday’s game, moving Alex Verdugo to the cleanup spot and call it mojo or whatever...it worked.

--The Guardians moved to 19-8 Saturday with a 4-2 win over the Braves (18-7) in Atlanta.

But they lost today, 4-3 in ten.

--Atlanta is getting a little pressure from the Phillies, now 18-10, 10 of 12, after a 5-1 win in San Diego (14-16) Saturday night.  Ranger Suarez did it again, 8 innings, one earned, as he moves to 5-0, 1.32.  Philadelphia has the top ERA in the National League, getting terrific pitching from their starting staff in particular.

--Toronto fans booed Shohei Ohtani Friday night, which was one of the first times in his career he has heard them, but it was because of erroneous reports in December that had Ohtani signing with the Blue Jays.

So in his first at-bat he hit a towering home run, No. 7, as the Dodgers cruised 12-2.

Saturday, Tyler Glasnow went six strong, one earned, the Dodgers (18-11) beating the Blue Jays (13-15) 4-2; Glasnow now 5-1, 2.72.

Speaking of L.A., going back to Thursday in Washington, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw six scoreless in a 2-1 win over the Nats to improve to 2-1, 3.54 ERA, 37 strikeouts in 28 innings over six starts.  He’s getting his game together, after that horrendous one-inning, 5 earned debut in South Korea.

But the Dodgers lost today, 3-1.

--When the White Sox were 3-22, I did some comparisons with the 1962 Mets, who went 40-120 and set the modern-day mark for futility.

After 25 games, the ’62 Mets were 7-18, then actually improved to 12-19, only to lose their next 17, 12-36 (then 23-57 and 24-73).

But Chicago has won its last two!  Now 5-22. 

Actually, Miami through Saturday was only 6-22.

But wait...there’s more!  The White Sox won again today against the Rays, 4-2.  Since they signed veteran outfielder Tommy Pham, who rather shockingly went unsigned this offseason, they are 3-0!  He’s a quality hitter, good leader, and this could be fun to watch.  Former Wake Forest first baseman/outfielder Gavin Sheets is also getting playing time and contributing.

--I can’t help but note the game Boston IF/OF Ceddanne Rafaela had on Saturday in the Red Sox’ 17-0 demolition of the Cubs (17-10), Boston 15-13.

Rafaela came into the game batting .156 and all he did was go 4-for-4, two doubles, a homer and 7 RBIs, his average up to .191.

--Since Anthony Rendon signed his seven-year, $245 million contract to play for the Angels, in his first four seasons for L.A. he never played more than 58 games (though one season was the Covid year).  It’s been one injury after another, many questioning his desire as well.

And now he’s on the IL again with a high-grade partial tear of his left hamstring, and it’s expected to be a lengthy recovery.

Rendon, who started the season 0-for-19, was actually finally playing well, 20-for-56 over his past 14 games before exiting anew.

--Pirates minor league star pitcher Paul Skenes is the highest-profile minor leaguer early this season and his outings are heavily covered in the Pittsburgh area as you can imagine, the fans wondering when he’s going to be called up.

So Wednesday, Skenes allowed a run for the first time, but also pitched into the fifth inning against Triple-A Omaha.  Skenes struck out seven while walking one over 4 1/3 and again showed triple-digit velocity but relied more on his mid-90s splitter/sinker.

So it’s now 17 innings, one run, five walks, 34 strikeouts.

--Another high-profile rookie, Baltimore’s Jackson Holliday, was called up on April 10, after a quick start in Triple-A.  But Holliday was atrocious, 2-for-34 with one RBI and 18 strikeouts.

So back down to Triple-A he went on Friday.

Holliday was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Stillwater (Okla.) High School and had batted .321 with 15 homers, 93 RBI and 29 stolen bases in 155 games in the minors before the call-up.  He doesn’t turn 21 until December. I think he’ll be OK.

Golf Balls

--This week we had the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team tournament, Rory McIlroy paired with Shane Lowry, and they started off well but faded early in the final round.

Until they didn’t!  Rallying bigly, the pair ended up in a playoff with Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer.

And Rory and Shane win it on the first hole.  More in my Add-on.  But win No. 25 for Rory.

Particularly huge for Lowry.

--McIlroy is poised to return to the PGA Tour’s policy board, pending a vote by the board.

McIlroy abruptly resigned as a player director on the tour’s influential board in November, citing personal and professional commitments in making his decision to leave.

He is expected to replace Webb Simpson, who intends to step away before his two-year term expires in 2025.

This is a big move because Rory has been pushing for a resolution of the battle between the PGA Tour, LIV and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.  Coupled with Tiger Woods, hopefully we get a resolution by the fall.

--Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf, indicated he is “very open-minded” to the idea of expanding tournaments from 54 to 72 holes but said there is an “economic impact about putting television on for 72 holes.”

The 54-hole length of tournaments has been a defining feature, with “LIV” coming from the Roman numeral for 54.  Jon Rahm said he hoped a 72-hole format might help unite the established and upstart tours.

“It’s a great conversation to have,” Norman said of expansion ahead of the tour’s event in Adelaide, Australia.  “But we sit back and say: ‘What value do we get on putting on television on Thursday?  How do we build out in the future?”

Brendan Steele won the tournament.

--On the Korn Ferry Tour, Thursday, Frankie Capan III turned in a 13-under 58 at the Veritex Bank Championship in Arlington, Texas, breaking Scottie Scheffler’s course record.  He had a 29-29 scorecard.  [There was a 57 at the Astara Golf Championship on the KFT earlier this year, but that was on a par 70 playing at just 6,254 yards, a distance extremely short by pro standards made even shorter by the course’s elevation of 8,600 feet above sea level.  For context, the Texas Rangers layout is a par-71 layout measured at 7,010 yards.  Jim Furyk still holds the PGA Tour record with a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.

Capan, 24, is in his second year on the Korn Ferry Tour.  He then had a 67 in his second round and trailed leader Griffin Wood, 64-60, by one after 36 holes.

I’m posting before the conclusion.

--As I noted in my Add-on, Nelly Korda backed out of the LPGA Tour event in Los Angeles this weekend, citing exhaustion, and she’s getting a little heat.

Korda, winner of five straight, is the biggest thing the LPGA Tour has going for it, and they need the publicity.

As Dan Wolken of USA TODAY Sports notes, “Barring an injury, there’s an argument to be made that Korda should have at least tried to give it a go as the LPGA stops in the nation’s second-biggest media market.

“The responsibility of star women’s athletes to both perform and promote can often seem unfair, and maybe it is. Does Scottie Scheffler get the same scrutiny for how many media and promotional commitments he takes on or which tournaments he skips?

“That’s a legitimate conversation, but if the LPGA and its players aspire to capitalize on the wave of enthusiasm for women’s sports and Korda’s historic streak, they need to show more readiness than we’ve seen so far.

“Korda needs to do better. The LPGA needs to do better.  And television networks definitely need to do better.”  [This last bit referring to how the LPGA is often limited to the boonies of TV and streaming.]

Premier League

In action this weekend, the season dwindling down to a precious few, Liverpool is finished after a draw at West Ham, 2-2, on Saturday.  Jurgen Klopp’s swan song, which looked so promising just three weeks ago, is now spiraling downward as well as the relationship with star Mohamed Salah.  It’s a mess.

Aston Villa picked up a point against Chelsea, 2-2, and they are solidly in the fourth and final Champions League slot, as Tottenham fell to Arsenal today, 3-2.

But Manchester City is still in charge in the race for the title, following a 2-0 win over Nottingham.

The standings, 33-35 of 38 played – points....

1. Arsenal...35 – 80
2. City...34 – 79 ...but game in hand
3. Liverpool...35 – 75
4. Aston Villa...35 – 67
5. Tottenham...33 – 60

Stuff

The Kentucky Derby is next Saturday, a field of 20 entered, post positions drawn yesterday.

Sierra Leone (post 2) and Fierceness (post 17) are the favorites as of today.

Post 5 and Post 10 have produced more winners since the Derby began using a starting gate in 1940, according to the Louisville Courier Journal, if you are hankering to place a bet.

Top 3 songs for the week 4/17/82:  #1 “I Love Rock ‘N Roll” (Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)  #2 “We Got The Beat” (Go-Go’s)  #3 “Chariots Of Fire” (Vangelis)...and...#4 “Freeze-Frame” (The J. Geils Band)  #5 “Don’t Talk To Strangers” (Rick Springfield)  #6 “Ebony And Ivory” (Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder...beyond awful...)  #7 “Do You Believe In Love” (Huey Lewis and the News)  #8 “Key Largo” (Bertie Higgins)  #9 “ ’65 Love Affair” (Paul Davis)  #10 “867-5309/Jenny” (Tommy Tutone...C- week...)

NFL Draft Quiz Answer: Five defensive players, all DEs, selected first overall since 2000.

2022...Travon Walker (Georgia) Jacksonville
2017...Myles Garrett (Texas A&M) Cleveland
2014...Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina) Houston
2006...Mario Williams (NC State) Houston
2000...Courtney Brown (Penn State) Cleveland

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

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