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Bar Chat

08/01/2016

Jimmy Walker Wins the PGA at Baltusrol

[Posted Sunday p.m. around 9:30 and it is absolutely pouring...which is ironic given the PGA at Baltusrol, nearby, just finished up two hours ago.]

Bar Chat No. 1,900!  Yup, 1,900.  In the early years I did three a week, but they were far shorter.  Nonetheless, if I get to 2,000, I’ll take some pride in that as I lie on my death bed.

[Since Day One of StocksandNews, I have written in a little notebook a summary of each Bar Chat for future reference.  The first few weren’t saved on the many servers I have gone through, but I have printed all 1,900 out.]

Phillies Pitching Quiz: 1) Modern-day (post-1920) who is the only Phillies pitcher to win 28 or more games in a season?  2) Including the old days, who is the Phillies’ leader in career wins with 241?  3)  Who am I? In 1983, I had a Phillies record .900 winning percentage (at least 10 decisions).  Answers below.

PGA Championship

[I wrote the following first thing Sunday morning...it’s unedited.]

--What a disaster...I told you Wednesday morning they wouldn’t finish this tournament on time and that even Monday was in jeopardy and that is proving to be the case, though I have to admit I thought Friday’s second round was going to be a washout.  [The area received only one inch Thursday night when 2-4 was forecast...and also caught a break on Saturday vs. the forecast. There are areas within a 40-mile radius that received 4-6 inches on both Thurs. and Sat.!  Heck, Morristown, a 15-minute drive from me...and I’m an 8-minute drive from Baltusrol...had a huge storm on Saturday that knocked out power to 10,000 and we got nary a breeze.]

The big controversy is that for the start of the third on Saturday, the PGA of America didn’t send off everyone in threesomes from the 1st and 10th tees like they do in every other PGA Tour event when there are forecasted weather issues!  Saturday’s rain was well-telegraphed and the PGA’s chief championship officer, Kerry Haigh, stupidly insisted on sending everyone out in twosomes from No. 1.

Even Noah, when faced with a Biblical 40-day forecast, changed his plans and had the animals come into the ark in threesomes, from two entrances, to speed the process.  Bet you didn’t know that.  Like two ducks, one giraffe; one giraffe, two muskrats.

You know how seemingly about one out of three PGA events, when you’re watching on Sat. or Sun., is tape-delayed coverage because the groups went out early, and off two tees, to get the play in before what has happened in every summer since the history of mankind...late-afternoon showers and thunderstorms roll in?!  Geezuz.

[Later Sunday afternoon...] 

I can’t believe they got the PGA in on Sunday, albeit barely.  As of late morning the forecast and weather radar were still dire, and then things began to dissipate. 

Many of the leaders thus played 36 holes, including winner Jimmy Walker and runner-up Jason Day, though the action didn’t pick up until the back nine of the fourth round when Walker sank his sand shot on No. 10 for a birdie, to go two-over Day and Henrik Stenson, but then Day, playing in front of Walker, birdied No. 11 to cut it to one.

Walker -12 thru 10
Day -11 thru 11

Walker, though, then birdied No. 11 to go to -13.

Stenson double bogeyed 15 to take himself out of contention.  Daniel Summerhays worked his way up to -10.

But it came down to Day and Walker.  Day eagled 18 to cut it to one, after Walker birdied 17 to make it temporarily a three-shot lead.

 

Walker’s second on the par-5 18th then found the rough off the green, but he plopped his third on the putting surface and got the two-putt from there to secure the one-shot victory, his first major and sixth PGA Tour title overall.

 

A disappointed Day showed why so many of us love golf because he was right there off the green to congratulate Walker, while the likes of Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler hung around to do the same.

 

Jimmy Walker was a most deserving champion, and Baltusrol proved yet again why every 11 to 13 years it is worthy of a major.

 

So it was....

 

Walker -14
Day -13
Summerhays -10

 

It also meant that for the first year since 2011, all four winners in the majors took down their first big one of their careers...Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Walker.

 

Special kudos to Baltusrol’s greens staff for keeping the place in such playable condition despite all the rain; another reason why the course will get another major...it withstood the stress put on it by the weather gods. 

--After winning the last two majors of 2014, Rory McIlroy has hardly been performing like a member of the Big Three (or Fab Four...if you include Dustin Johnson), though he did win at Doral and the Wells Fargo in 2015.

That said, he had a T-10 and T-5 at The Masters and The Open Championship, with missed cuts at The U.S. Open and now the PGA.

But man, Rory can’t putt, period.  The rest of his game is fine.

How many putts did he have Thursday and Friday?  65.  I mean that’s what I’d do over two rounds, and I blow.

--Aside from Rory, there really weren’t that many high-profile guys missing the cut...Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia the others...and J.B. Holmes and Graeme McDowell, if you want to stretch the definition of high-profile.

--Speaking of crappy putters, can you say Hideki Matsuyama?!  Good lord, he would have won this week making just half of his super opportunities.

--With all the rain, Baltusrol’s greens were ultra-, Charmin-soft.  It would have been a much different deal on a dry course.

At the same time, yes, lots of birdies were out there, which is cool.  In the third round, Ryan Palmer was -4 after just five holes, the harder nine, and you’re thinking this is the guy who will shoot 62, Palmer having had some superb rounds over the year. But he then went +5 over the next six holes.

--Speaking of low scores, Robert Streb’s second-round 63 was the 30th in the majors, after Phil Mickelson and Stenson’s 63s at Troon.

--The PGA really screwed up on Saturday morning when after the first group teed off the 10th, they discovered, too late, that they had cut the cup in the wrong location, thus the pin sheets the players and caddies were given were incorrect.

So the PGA had to quickly revise the pin sheets and distribute them to everyone already on the course, but it was too late for the first few groups.

--I was watching Phil Mickelson tee off No. 1 on Friday and as many times as I’ve played Baltusrol over the years (including Wall Street outings), I can’t say I came close to going over the fence, onto Shunpike Road, like he did.  In fact none of us can remember doing so.  But what a great job Phil did recovering from that opening triple, going 3-under the rest of the way.

But, including Saturday and Sunday, he missed a ton of short birdie putts.  Wudda cudda shudda.  He finished T-33.

Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts blasted two drives onto Shunpike Road and made 8 on the par-4, that plays as a par-5 for the rest of us.

--By the way, I think the whole Jordan Spieth ruling / kerfuffle is a lot of nothing, which is why I won’t waste your time with it if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

--The PGA is known for allowing 20 club professionals to play in its big event, but none of the 20 made the cut this time.

--Rich Beem, the 2002 PGA champion, has a full-time gig working tournaments for Sky Sports in the U.K. and had not played a competitive round of golf on a major tour since last year’s PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, where he missed the cut.

But the 46-year-old pulled off one of the better stories of the year, when you really think about it, making the cut here.  Due to tendinitis in his right shoulder, he hadn’t started to play and practice again until the past month.  But he shot 69-72-72-71 for T-73

--Andrew “Beef” Johnston seemed to enjoy his first experience at a big event in the New York metropolitan area, making the cut and finishing T-60.  All of golfing America hopes he plays at least 10 or so events in the States every year from here on.

--Kind of ironic that Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell pulled out of the Olympics, both citing the threat from the Zika virus, and then Zika is detected in Florida, where they both live.

MLB

--What a nightmare stretch for my New York Mets, as they play themselves out of playoff contention at light-speed.

Wednesday, after a stirring comeback to take a 4-3 lead over the Cardinals at Citi Field on a dramatic two-run homer by Yoenis Cespedes off Adam Wainwright, closer Jeurys Familia blew his first save of the year, Mets losing 5-4, as Familia’s streak of 52 consecutive saves*, third-longest in major league history, came to a crashing halt.  [The Mets had been 48-0 this season when leading after 8 innings.]

*Second-longest saves streak is held by Tom Gordon, 1998-99, at 54.  Longest is Eric Gagne’s stupendous run of 2002-04 when he had 84 in a row.

I told some of my fellow Mets fans that you accept your closer will blow a few over the course of a season, but it’s the timing that is critical and this game was indeed a kick to the stomach.

But Thursday, 18 hours later in a day game against the Rockies, Familia did it again, blowing a 1-0 Mets ninth-inning lead, Mets losing 2-1.

Then on Friday and Saturday, the Mets suffered desultory losses of 6-1 and 7-2 to Colorado.

I have been spelling out the Mets’ historic woes at the plate with runners-in-scoring position (RISP) all season so an update....as of Saturday they were at .204, with the Yankees next worst at .220 and the major league average with RISP at .256.

And with two outs and RISP, the Mets are at .166!

The franchise worst for the Mets with RISP is .204 in 1968, the Year of the Pitcher.  The worst in modern-day baseball is .201, the 1969 San Diego Padres, their first year.

The only good thing during this horrendous, and downright crappy season with zero excitement was the retiring of Mike Piazza’s #31 into a thin pantheon of Mets heroes of yesterday.  As in he is just the second Met, alongside Tom Seaver, to have his uniform retired...non-players Casey Stengel, Gil Hodges, founder Bill Shea and broadcaster Ralph Kiner being the others now ringing the top of Citi Field.

But Sunday the Metsies pulled one out over the Rockies, 6-4, on the strength of four RBIs from Neil Walker as the team was 3-for-7 with runners-in-scoring-position.  Praise the Lord and pass the yams.

--Meanwhile, across town, the Yankees, after getting to 52-48 and, perhaps, back in the wild-card conversation, though your editor didn’t think so, lost four in a row, including a three-game sweep this weekend in Tampa Bay.

In today’s 5-3 loss, Carlos Beltran belted a bracing bomb (sorry) in defeat, his 22nd homer, as we wait to see if the Yanks trade him; Beltran, 22-64, .304, and clearly valuable to a number of teams down the stretch.  [But also the only reason for Yankees fans to show up the rest of the way.]

Alex Rodriguez is in a 4-for-36 slump, average down to .205.  Mark Teixeira is at .192.

But now the Mets and Yanks play four games against each other, Monday thru Thursday, the first two at Citi Field, the last two at Yankee Stadium.

Mike Lupica / New York Daily News

“How many big games will the Mets and Yankees be playing after the Subway Series?  Where are these two trains headed, really?

“Maybe it’s a race.  To see which of our local teams is kidding itself the most.”

[Lupica writing this before the Andrew Miller trade was announced, which tells you which train the Yanks are on.]

--The Mets failed to land Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy, the Brewers reaching an agreement with Cleveland instead.  The Indians are one of the eight teams on Lucroy’s no-trade list, but with Cleveland very much in the World Series conversation these days, you’d think Lucroy would quickly say ‘yes.’  He also has a club-friendly $5.25 million option for 2017 that will quickly be exercised.

The two-time All-Star is batting .300 with 13 homers and 50 RBI.

Cleveland is sending Milwaukee catching prospect Francisco Mejia and two other prospects.

But wait...Lucroy vetoed the deal!  Kind of shocking, considering he had been complaining in the offseason that he wanted to play for a title contender.

So are the Mets back in it, having offered oft-injured catcher Travis d’Arnaud, outfielder Brandon Nimmo and another prospect?

--Cleveland, losing Lucroy, instead worked out a big one, acquiring Yankees All-Star reliever Andrew Miler for four prospects, one of whom, pitcher Justus Sheffield, is the nephew of former slugger Gary Sheffield and a first-round selection in 2014.

Another, outfielder Clint Frazier, has had a solid season at AA and AAA and some say will be ready for the big leagues sometime next year.  [The other two are currently playing A-ball.]

So while I have no idea if the prospects the Yanks obtained are going to pan out, seems like another good move to begin rebuilding for the future.  It’s the right move and Yankees fans, as much as they liked Miller, hopefully are supportive of management on this one.  [But they are a very spoiled bunch, whereas Mets fans are just plain surly...as we deserve to be.]

--The San Diego Padres have been cleaning house, sending Matt Kemp to the Atlanta Braves for third baseman Hector Olivera. The Padres are including $10.5 million as part of the trade, as Kemp is signed through the 2019 season with $54.8 million left (excluding money he is owed by the Dodgers).

Olivera, a 31-year-old Cuban defector, is eligible to return Tuesday from an 82-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.  He was signed last year by the Dodgers for six years, $62.5 million, before the Braves acquired him, but the Dodgers are paying nearly $5 million a year of this

Kemp, 31, is hitting .265 with 23 home runs and 69 RBIS, but staggeringly he has a .285 on-base percentage, through Saturday.  [16 walks in 409 ABs...yikes.]

Separately, the Padres traded starters Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea to the Marlins, after sending All-Star left-hander Drew Pomeranz to the Red Sox and James Shields to the White Sox.  And before that they dealt closer Fernando Rodney and outfielder Melvin Upton Jr.

I’d say that is an authentic house cleaning.  I assume they used Swiffer products to make things easier.

Meanwhile, Colin Rea started for Miami on Saturday and was removed in the fourth with an elbow injury, extent unknown.  The Marlins did beat the Cards 11-0, however.

--Aroldis Chapman made his debut with the Cubs on Wednesday night, pitching the ninth of an 8-1 win over the White Sox to get some work in  and throwing 12 of 13 fastballs over 100 mph.

But earlier, he had had a rocky first day with the team, Tuesday, as he was less-than-engaging in his first press conference as a Cub.  He didn’t want to address his suspension earlier in the season under MLB’s domestic violence policy.

So after the game Wednesday, he said, “It’s over with,” addressing his surly Tuesday news conference.  “I have to move on.”

Chapman then blew a save against Seattle on Saturday.  I love it.

--Thursday, the White Sox’ Chris Sale returned after his five-game team suspension, and after being a total jerk in destroying the throwback uniforms Chicago was to wear last Saturday, the team sending him home when he was due to start, he lost 3-1 to the Cubs to drop to 14-4.  More importantly, as he sits on the trading block, he is 5-4 his last 11 starts, allowing 4 or more runs in five of them.  I think it is totally legitimate to wonder about this guy’s mental makeup...as in he is one messed up dude.

--In other games since our last chat, also on Thursday, the Cardinals defeated the Marlins in Miami, 5-4, handing Jose Fernandez just his second loss ever at home, as he gave up 5 earned in 5 innings, dropping to 12-5, 2.79...and 26-2 lifetime at home.

Miami’s Dee Gordon returned after his 80-game PED suspension and went 0-for-4....though 4-for-14 in his first four games, including Sunday.

Ichiro, by the way, is stuck on 2,998 hits after going 0-for-7 this weekend; Miami giving him a shot at 3,000 in front of the home fans and he blew it.

--Also Thursday, the Nationals defeated the Giants 4-2 in San Francisco behind Tanner Roark (10-6, 2.96), as the Giants’ Johnny Cueto fell to 13-3, 2.63, in giving up 3 earned in 5.

But Sunday, in the Giants’ 3-1 win over the Nats, Matt Cain threw five innings of no-hit ball, before being removed for a pinch-hitter due to his pitch count.  Who batted for Cain in the bottom of the fifth?  Madison Bumgarner, who doubled.  [An excited Bob S., who hails from the Bay Area, wrote to spread the news or I wouldn’t have picked up on this.]

--Saturday, Detroit’s Justin Verlander continued his return to All-Star form, tossing a complete game in the Tigers’ 3-2 win over the Astros, Verlander walking one while striking out 11 as he improved to 11-6, 3.54.  I just like this kind of story.  He signed his mammoth contract a few years ago, seemed in permanent decline, and now he’s allowed just one or two runs in each of his last six starts, leading his team with the Tigers very much in the playoff conversation.

--Texas’ slugger Prince Fielder did have season-ending neck surgery on Friday.

NFL

--After I posted last chat, a few hours later our long national nightmare, for Jets fans that is, was over. Ryan Fitzpatrick had signed a one-year, $12 million contract that is fully guaranteed and has been on the table all this time (or $24 million for three years, $12 mil guaranteed).  If the Jets make it to the postseason, Fitzpatrick can make another $3 million in incentives, depending on how far they go.

The Jets had set a 7:00 p.m. deadline for the QB or they were moving on.

In essence, Fitzpatrick and his agent are betting on hitting the free agent market again next offseason from a position of strength, though he turns 34 in November.

I have said all along as a Jets fan I didn’t care what the team did with Fitz, because I’m not sold they are a good team, even though they are a veteran group.  But what’s undeniable is Fitzpatrick is very popular in the locker room and that means a lot.

I also agree with management in how they handled the whole deal.

--I am not in the least a fan of the Indianapolis Colts or Andrew Luck, but I do hope Luck has a good year after all the crap he had to deal with last year.  Like this episode, as reported by Zac Keefer of USA TODAY Sports.

“It was second-and-9, and the best defense in football was licking its chops across the line of scrimmage in the fourth quarter of a tied game.

“Then that Denver Broncos defense was coming.  Andrew Luck looked, pump-faked, looked and pump-faked again, then ran.  He made it 4 yards before a pair of Broncos folded his 6-4 frame like a lawn chair.

“ ‘Oh, did he get hit,’ the radio play-by-play man grumbled.

“ ‘You’ve got to be a tough guy to get up from that,’ the analyst added.

“But being a tough guy, Luck got up as he always did, threw a touchdown pass on the next play, then gritted his teeth and lumbered off the field.

“He played the rest of the fourth quarter, beat the best defense in football and delivered the biggest win of the season oblivious to the fact he had suffered an injury doctors typically only see after car crashes.

“Then he woke up the next morning and noticed blood in his urine.

“The verdict: a lacerated kidney and a partially torn abdominal muscle.  The time frame: two to six weeks.  He refused to believe it and got a second opinion.

“No matter.  The scans weren’t lying. This was a vital organ. This was serious.”

He was out the rest of the season.

--Having reported on his meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell, seeking reinstatement, I forgot to note last time that Cleveland receiver Josh Gordon was indeed granted “conditional reinstatement” effective Oct. 3, once “clinical resources” are in place in Cleveland.  He will be allowed to participate in training camp, including preseason games, and then be suspended the first four regular season contests.

--What a tragic event in Houston.  Former Texas A&M and Miami Dolphins linebacker Antonio Armstrong and his wife were fatally shot at their home by their 16-year-old son.

Armstrong was a first-team AP All-America linebacker in 1994 and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1995 draft by the San Francisco 49ers, before playing four games with Miami.

--The College Football Playoff’s caught a lot of heat last season for being staged on New Year’s Eve (though I thought it was great...I sure as hell wasn’t doing anything else), but the ratings were awful compared to the first year they held them...so...the CFP’s executive director, Bill Hancock, who advocated the New Year’s Eve date (he has no social life either), said they will change it, though not until 2018-19 because New Year’s Eve falls on a Saturday this year.  The 2017-18 semifinals will be played on New Year’s Day.

After that, the semis will be moved to the preceding Saturday except for the 2021 season, when New Year’s Eve is on a Friday and is considered the national New Year’s Day holiday, thus ensuring that many workers will get the day off.

But I do that other column on Fridays!!!  Crap.

By the way, in 2024-25, the semis will be held on Dec. 28, so you can start planning ahead; barring a nuclear electromagnetic pulse attack that takes out the power that day.

--Saturday, Oct. 29.  Clemson at Florida State.  Don’t bother me that day, which also includes Michigan-Michigan State.

--And don’t bother me Sat., Nov. 26, which is Michigan at Ohio State.  Hopefully the weather sucks in Columbus for that pre-Christmas feel.

Team Russia

Christine Brennan / USA TODAY Sports

“It’s so darn confusing being Russian sports fan Vladimir Putin these days.  He whines when he should celebrate.  He complains when he should be happy.  He screams about discrimination when he instead should say, ‘Thanks for the gift, Thomas Bach.’

“Instead of having zero percent of his Olympic team in Rio, it’s looking like he’ll have about 75% of it there, which is about 75% more than should be there.

“Even though his government and his sports ministers and his athletes devised and participated in the worst state-sponsored doping conspiracy this side of East Germany, close to 300 Russian athletes will be allowed to compete in the upcoming Summer Olympics, many of them athletes who, for all we know, have been doping for years.

“Can someone translate ‘you lucky dog’ into Russian, please?

“But, appearing at an event with Russian athletes Wednesday in Moscow, Putin wasn’t a happy guy.  He was livid, talking about ‘discrimination’ and how ‘unfairly’ Russian athletes had been treated.

“Someone is seriously confused here.  It’s the other way around, Vlad.  It’s the athletes from countries playing by the rules – the Germans and the Canadians, the Japanese and the British and the Americans – who are being treated unfairly, who will have to compete against and perhaps even lose to Russians who have been part of their nation’s elaborate doping scheme for years.

“We hear so much about performance-enhancing drug use in sports today that our heads spin.  When Putin blames the United States for, well, everything, we know, of course, that this nation did give the world Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones, the his-and-her doping cheats of the 21st century, if not of all time.

“But the grand deception and moral depravity of individual athletes is not what we’re talking about in this case.  No, this is state-sponsored, systemic, come-one, come-all, institutional sports doping....

“Think about that when the Russian flag enters the Opening Ceremony (Friday).  Think about that when the first Russian wins an Olympic gold medal.  Think about that when we later find out that athlete was in on the doping program....

“Think about it all, and wonder how you’ll be able to trust any event you’re watching at these Olympic Games.”

NBA

--We note the passing of former power forward/center Dwight Jones, 64.  The cause was an aortic aneurysm.

Jones was a first-round pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1973 NBA draft, out of the University of Houston, where he had played on two NCAA tournament teams.

He then played 11 seasons in the NBA, including stints with the Rockets, Bulls and Lakers, averaging 8.1 points and 5.9 rebounds, with five seasons where he averaged between 10.0 and 10.6 ppg.  Jones was essentially a reserve his entire career, a highly effective one.

But he’ll be forever known for his role on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team, which suffered the historic, highly controversial loss to the Soviet Union in the gold medal game, 51-50; the biggest sports rip-off ever, given the significance of the moment.  Jones was the leading scorer on that team.

I have written extensively of this game in past Bar Chats, but I thought I’d reprise one piece from 10/7/2013, which combines a few nuggets from Soviet basketball history:

We note the passing of former Russian basketball star Sergei Belov, who helped lead the Soviet national team to its controversial gold medal over the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Belov was the first international player to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.

William Yardley / New York Times

“When the Soviets met the Americans in the cold war confrontation on Sept. 10, 1972, Belov’s shot did not fail him. With 20 of the Soviets’ 51 points, he led all scorers, often shooting while hanging in the air.

“He did not score the final, stunning basket that gave the Soviets the gold. That was a layup made by his teammate Aleksandr Belov (no relation), and its legitimacy, coming after a string of strange calls in the last seconds, continues to be questioned. It was the first time the United States did not win gold in basketball since it became an Olympic sport in 1936. The United States team has continued to refuse to accept the silver medal from those Games.”

For an HBO documentary in 2002, Belov said the Americans “lacked courage.”

A number of years ago, on a related topic...from the Bar Chat archives.

Alexander Gomelsky, legendary coach of the Soviet basketball team, died the other day. Known as the “Silver Fox,” he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. NBA Commissioner David Stern called Gomelsky “one of the greatest basketball coaches on the world stage.”

Gomelsky served three stints as head coach of the national team – 1958-60, 1962-70 and 1976-88. But despite successes, as you can see he was demoted a few times and he attributed this to the fact he was Jewish. “The KGB thought I would go to Israel,” Gomelsky once told the Los Angeles Times.

Gomelsky also guided the Red Army Club, CSKA, to European titles in 1969 and 1971. One of his star players was Sergei Belov, who noted back then that “All talented people, including artists and ballet dancers, had problems with the KGB. But he knew how to survive the system.”

Of course it was during the Olympics that Gomelsky became a figure on the world stage, coaching the Soviets to a gold medal in Seoul in 1988 after defeating the United States in the semifinals. That squad was led by Sarunas Marciulionis, Arvydas Sabonis and Rimas Kurtinaitis.

But the most difficult moment for Gomelsky was the 1972 Munich Olympics, when the Soviets defeated the United States 51-50 in the most controversial basketball game ever played.  You’ll recall that was the contest when the Soviets were trailing 50-49 with three seconds remaining but were given three chances to inbound the ball. The first two failed, but the FIBA secretary general gave the Russians a third try, whereupon they scored on a full-court pass for the lay-in.

According to the Moscow Times:

“Gomelsky, who always referred to that Soviet team as ‘my boys,’ watched the game from his Moscow apartment, having been removed as head coach after a disappointing bronze medal at the 1970 World Championships.

“Gomelsky told the Los Angeles Times that he cried after watching the historic game and poured himself a glass of vodka. ‘It is something I have had to live with. It is the biggest scar on my heart.’”

He got redemption in Seoul.

---

Back to Dwight Jones, he was off the court at the end of the historic game against the Soviets, having been ejected with about 12 minutes remaining for scuffling with Mishako Korkia.

As Daniel Slotnik of the New York Times noted:

“The American team appealed the results before a five-member jury set up by basketball’s global governing body, but lost, 3-2.  The three members who voted to uphold the Russian victory were all from Communist countries. The Americans unanimously refused to accept their silver medals.”

--The Warriors’ Draymond Green decided to post something obscene on Instagram Sunday, which he took down minutes later and apologized for.  Mr. Green, one of the true jerks on the planet, is representing the U.S. in Rio!  Coach K. should send the guy home.

Stuff

--For the second time this year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway was rained out and will be run on Monday morning, weather permitting, which is great for some of us who now don’t have to watch CNBC while the race is run.  Awful for those who schlepped to the track, only to have to return home for work on Monday.

--From the BBC:

“A seven-year-old girl has died after being hit by a stone thrown by an elephant from its enclosure at Rabat Zoo in Morocco.

“The stone got past the elephant’s fence and a ditch separating the animal and visitors, the zoo said in a statement.

“The zoo...said the enclosure met international standards and added ‘this kind of accident is rare, unpredictable and unusual.’”

I’ve been to a ton of zoos in my life, around the world, and can’t say an elephant ever threw a rock at me, unless we were playing catch.

An elephant expert told the BBC that sometimes “elephants are frustrated or bored” and it’s unlikely the elephant was directly targeting the girl – but exhibiting frustration.”

Actually, the whole thing is on YouTube, but I don’t need to look given the ending.

--Nice story from the Baltimore Fire Dept. for you cat lovers out there. Firefighters rescued a cat Sat. morning from a house fire, “reviving the unconscious, soot-covered animal using CPR and an oxygen mask..”

“Animal control officials were initially requested to remove the animal.  Before that could occur, the cat was revived.”

Removed...as in really removed.

‘Cat’ remains, however, No. 98 on the All-Species List. ‘Man,’ despite this good deed, is mired in the No. 323 slot.

--A New Jersey man was attacked by a coyote last week, needing stitches on both arms.

The 53-year-old told police in Manchester (South Jersey) that he came across “a large brown aggressive dog” while walking his German shepherd in the woods, with the animal attacking him without provocation.

Police couldn’t find the marauder, but then residents told them they had been hearing what they thought were coyotes howling.  So, that’s how the police are saying it was a coyote.

As for why the German shepherd seemingly didn’t do anything, I’m guessing he was off getting a pint, those woods also known for being a stopover for canines, much like in Revolutionary times.

--I’m kind of getting a kick out of the tabloid stories on who is filling the “Live with Kelly” co-hosting gig.  Ms. Ripa is “amused and fed up” with the behavior of three of those who have been tipped successors...Rob Lowe, Jeff Gordon and Mario Lopez...because they are out promoting themselves.

So I’ve decided to put my own name in the pot.  It would make for an interesting dynamic from the get go, seeing as how I can’t stand her.

Actually, I’ll say Anderson Cooper is now a lock and is perfect for that kind of thing, especially since he doesn’t know a lick about sports, which matches the average viewer.

--So it’s official.  “Game of Thrones” will end after its eighth season, HBO confirmed.

The seventh season – made up of seven episodes – is expected next summer, while the final season will be in 2018, hopefully in the spring because as I’ve already said, I’m not sure I’ll make it to that following summer.  It will largely depend on what kind of start the Mets get off to that season.

HBO did hold out hope there might be more than six episodes the final season, the network originally saying there would be 13 between the final two.

Here’s some good news.  “The Larry Sanders Show” will be available on HBO’s apps – and on demand beginning in September, following the death of the show’s creator and star, Garry Shandling.

And “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is going into production this fall!   Yippee!  The ninth season airs sometime next year, hopefully in the spring

Top 3 songs for the week of 8/7/65: #1 “I’m Henry VIII, I Am” (Herman’s Hermits)  #2 “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (The Rolling Stones)  #3 “What’s New Pussycat?” (Tom Jones)...and ..#4 “Save Your Heart For Me” (Gary Lewis and the Playboys... another opportunity to say these guys were underrated...Hey, just because dad was famous, doesn’t mean the kid can’t be pretty good so lay off Gary!...the editor expressing false outrage...it being “Web Sweeps Week” and all...)  #5 “I Got You Babe” (Sonny & Cher)  #6 “Yes, I’m Ready” (Barbara Mason)  #7 “I Like It Like That” (The Dave Clark Five)  #8 “Cara Mia” (Jay & The Americans)  #9 “I Can’t Help Myself” (Four Tops)  #10 “Don’t Just Stand There” (Patty Duke...what an awesome Top 10...)

Phillies Pitching Quiz Answers: 1) Robin Roberts won 28 games in 1952, 28-7.*  2) Career leader in wins is Steve Carlton, 241.  3) In 1983, Ron Reed was 9-1, all in relief (plus 8 saves), at age 40.  He then went to the Chicago White Sox and finished his career in ’84, going 0-6, but with a 3.08 ERA.

*Robin Roberts had six straight 20-win seasons (300+ innings each year), 1950-55, ages 23-28, but didn’t win 20 again, though the well-deserved Hall of Famer finished his career 286-245, playing mostly for losing teams; his only postseason being 1950.

Next Bar Chat, Thursday.  I’ll tell you exactly what to watch as we prepare for Rio.

 

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