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Bar Chat

03/25/2024

March Madness...form largely holding

Add-on posted early Tuesday a.m.

March Madness

Sweet Sixteen...only one true Cinderella left, NC State

Thursday

6 Clemson vs. 2 Arizona...7:09 ET
5 San Diego State vs. 1 UConn...7:39
4 Alabama vs. 1 North Carolina...9:39
3 Illinois vs. 2 Iowa State...10:09

Friday

11 NC State vs. 2 Marquette...7:09
5 Gonzaga vs. 1 Purdue...7:39
4 Duke vs. 1 Houston...9:39
3 Creighton vs. 2 Tennessee...10:09

UConn coach Danny Hurley didn’t hold back on his thoughts on how the Big East had been snubbed by the Selection Committee, the conference receiving just three bids, while Hurley said it deserved “five or six” as other leagues have “under-performed.”

“Just the quality of the [Big East],” Hurley said after the Huskies’ 75-58 rout of Northwestern.  “Look what we’ve done in non-conference games. I don’t know what our record is the last two years, non-conference...NCAA Tournament, and Seton Hall beat us by 15.

“You know, we’ve won eight straight in this tournament all by significant margins, and they were good enough to beat us and they were good enough to beat Marquette. And there should have been five or six Big East teams in this tournament.

“You’ve seen how other leagues that got the bids that our league deserved have under-performed.”

Well, Hurley was referring to the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Mountain West.  The Big 12 and SEC got eight bids each, the Mountain West and Big Ten six.

But Hurley didn’t mention the ACC, which received five bids and has the most teams in the Sweet Sixteen, four.

There is no doubt Seton Hall should have gotten in, but also Pitt from the ACC.  [Meanwhile, Virginia should be relegated to the Patriot League.]

Conference Records

ACC...8-1...4 in Sweet Sixteen
Big East...6-0...3
Big Ten...6-4...2
Big 12...7-6...2
SEC...5-6...2
Pac-12...6-3...1
Mountain West...4-5...1

--Vanderbilt hired James Madison’s Mark Byington to be its next head coach, replacing Jerry Stackhouse.

--In the Women’s Tournament, Caitlin Clark scored 32 points in her final game on the Iowa campus, the No.1 seed Hawkeyes defeating 8 West Virginia 64-54 to reach the Sweet 16. Clark broke Kelsey Plum’s Division I women’s single-season scoring record of 1,109 points, Clark with 1,113 and counting.

USC’s JuJu Watkins had 28 as the 1-seed Trojans beat 8 Kansas 73-55.

NBA

--The Knicks (43-28) continued their fine play, beating the Pistons Monday night at the Garden, 124-99, as Donte DiVincenzo had a franchise-record eleven 3, a career-high 40 points.  Josh Hart had another triple-double, 11-14-10.

But there is growing concern Julius Randle, out since late January, won’t return in time for the playoffs.  The Knicks, though, are 14-11 without him, and the offense is flowing smoothly.

MLB

--The real Opening Day is Thursday, and all baseball fans are psyched.

But Monday afternoon, it was all about Shohei Ohtani addressing the media for the first time since the revelations his interpreter supposedly stole money from him and told lies.

Ohtani spoke for about 12 minutes, using notes, and did not take questions.

“Ippel (Mizuhara, the interpreter) has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies,” Ohtani said.

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do it on my behalf and I have never gone through a bookmaker to bet on sports, and was never asked to assist betting payment for anyone else,” Ohtani said.

More facts will emerge and then we can all reach a final decision as to Shohei’s character.  For his sake, and baseball’s, let’s hope he’s largely innocent.  He’ll never be totally so for allowing Ippel to steal $millions from him.  As I quoted Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times last time, Ohtani, who is turning 30 soon, needs to grow up and act like an adult. 

It’s also going to be interesting to see how he is treated in Japan, where he is a megastar with countless endorsements earning him an estimated $50 million a year.

--Baseball America College Top Ten (thru Sun.)

1. Arkansas
2. Clemson
3. Oregon State
4. Florida
5. Texas A&M
6. Tennessee
7. Vanderbilt
8. Virginia
9. LSU
10. South Carolina...up 11 after sweeping Vandy
11. Duke
12. Florida State
13. Wake Forest...frankly, we don’t deserve to be this high*

19. North Carolina
20. Virginia Tech
25. NC State

*Wake’s Chase Burns is the only reason why the Deacs remain in the Top 25...he is 5-0, 1.93 ERA, and 68 strikeouts in 37.1 innings.

Golf Balls

--Cameron Young’s seven second-place finishes without a victory are the most runner-up finishes in the last 40 years without a win.

Young said he didn’t have time to dwell on the finish.

“Honestly, I realized I wasn’t going to win pretty quickly,” he said after, “and I have a four-hour drive home with a 1- and a 2-year-old, so whatever emotions are attached to that.”

--We have two non-Signature events in Texas the next two weeks prior to The Masters...a tradition unlike any other...on CBS...that being the Houston Open and the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

Stuff

--William Byron became the first multiple-winner of the year on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit with a win at the Circuit of the Americas on Sunday in Austin, Texas.

Byron passed Ross Chastain with 25 laps left and then his pit crew did a masterful job on a last stop to preserve his win...specifically the crew was three seconds faster than that of Chastain.  Christopher Bell ended up finishing second as Chastain fell back.

The 26-year-old Byron now has 12 career wins, including the season-opening Daytona 500.

Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi made his 2024 debut and finished 30th after spinning twice.

--American Ilia Malinin, a 19-year-old from Vienna, Va., took advantage of his ability to land a quadruple axel, and five other quad jumps, cleanly, to earn the highest score ever for a free skate, which won his first World Figure Skating Championship by a large margin over Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama in Montreal on Sunday.

Pretty cool.

Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto won the women’s title, with 17-year-old American Isabeau Levito taking silver.  She’s out of Philadelphia and Mount Holly, NJ.

--We had a fatal mountain lion attack in Georgetown, Calif., Saturday.  An 18-year-old and his 21-year-old brother were separated during the attack and when officials arrived at the scene about 50 miles east of Sacramento, they found the 21-year-old lying on the ground, the mountain lion crouched beside him.

The older brother was killed, authorities said – the first recorded fatal human-mountain lion incident in California in 20 years.

According to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, the mountain lion was euthanized near the scene within a few hours.

Officials said the 18-year-old underwent multiple surgeries and would probably make a full recovery.  The mountain lion was a 90-pound animal in healthy condition, the department said.

On Saturday around 1 p.m., the younger brother called 911 to report the attack. The brothers had been antler shed hunting in the area.

When police and paramedics arrived, they found the teenager, who suffered “traumatic injuries to his face,” and began to provide aid.  They also started a search for the 21-year-old, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Since the last fatal incident in 2004, which was in Orange County, there have been 12 nonfatal mountain lion attacks verified by the state wildlife department. [Washington Post]

Next Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

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Posted early Sunday p.m.

Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

NCAA Basketball Quiz: Name the starting five of the 1983-84 national champion Georgetown team that defeated Houston in the finals, all five later playing in the NBA.  Answer below.

March Madness

--Thursday....

The Oakland Golden Grizzlies, a 14 seed, upset 3 Kentucky, 80-76, for the program’s first Round-of-64 win.

And what a cast of characters they have.  Jack Gohlke, who played four years at Division II Hillsdale College, knocked down 10 3-pointers, tied for second-most in an NCAA Tournament game, en route to a career-high 32 points.  This season, Gohlke took 347 3-pointers and only eight 2- pointers.

Oakland is coached by Greg Kampe, who is in his 40th season at the school.  He’s known for celebrating his team’s Horizon League Tournament title at a dive bar.  He also survived a near-death experience with sepsis in 2017.

Thursday, we also had three 11-6 upsets. 

North Carolina State beat Texas Tech. 

Jermaine Cousinard scored 40 points to lead Oregon over his former team, South Carolina.

And Duquesne defeated BYU, the Dukes’ first tournament win since 1969.  Dukes coach Keith Dambrot coached LeBron James in high school and is retiring after this season.  LeBron sent the team new shoes before the game, a very cool gesture.

4-seed Kansas survived the loss for the tournament of leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. to defeat 13 Samford on Thursday, 93-89, aided by a late questionable call.  McCullar has a knee injury.  He was first-team All-Big 12.

But All-American center Hunter Dickinson stepped up with 19 points, 20 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Earlier, Wednesday, Grambling State earned its first NCAA Tournament win in program history in the First Four, defeating Montana State 88-81.  Montana State is 0-6 in its six NCAA appearances.

And, Tuesday, Wagner picked up its first win, 71-68 over Howard.  Both this game and the Grambling-Montana State contests were highly entertaining.

--Friday...the upsets continued....

13 Yale took out 4 Auburn, 78-76.

12 James Madison beat 5 Wisconsin, 72-61.

12 Grand Canyon ousted 5 Saint Mary’s, 75-66.

After Virginia’s embarrassing loss in the First Four to Colorado State, 67-42, the Cavaliers shooting 14 of 56 from the field, 25%, scoring 14 points in the first half, the ACC’s four other entrants, NC State, Clemson, Duke and North Carolina, all won their first-round games.

I agree with Stephen A. Smith...Virginia’s Tony Bennett should be fired.  Zero wins in the tournament, 0-3, since their 2019 title.

--Saturday....no upsets....

But 11 North Carolina State continued its Cinderella run, 79-73 in overtime over 14 Oakland, the Wolfpack’s seventh win in 12 days, an incredible streak after losing four straight ACC contests heading into the conference tournament.

D.J. Burns Jr. was the star against the Golden Grizzlies, 24 points and 11 rebounds, plus 4 assists.  Just as impressively, Burns, who averages under 25 minutes a game, played 42 and never seemed gassed.

What should scare NC State’s next opponent is that DJ Horne was held to 11 points Saturday, and he’s capable of busting out for 30 at any moment.

For Oakland, the Jack Gohlke Story ended, Gohlke 6 of 17 from 3, 22 points.  But it was fun for about 48 hours.

In a game for the ages, 3 Creighton avoided an upset, defeating 11 Oregon 86-73 in double overtime.

It was 62-62 after regulation, as the Ducks rode the play of N’Faly Dante’s 28 points, 20 rebounds, and Jermaine Couisnard’s 32 (though on 13 of 33 shooting) to the near upset, but Creighton’s balanced attack (four players with 18+) won the day, the Blue Jays scoring the first 15 points of the second OT to finally put Oregon away.

[Think about it.  Couisnard and Dante combined for 60 of Oregon’s 73 points. The rest of the team scored 13 points on 6 for 24 from the field.]

“Epic game,” said Creighton coach Greg McDermott, who was facing the man he took over for in Omaha, Oregon’s Dana Altman.  “Not sure I’ve been part of one quite like it in 35 years.”

Meanwhile, 5 Gonzaga is returning to the Sweet 16 for a nation-leading ninth straight time, blowing away 4 Kansas, 89-68, the Jayhawks clearly missing leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr. 

Mark Few’s Zags are 16-2 since Jan. 18 (both losses to Saint Mary’s), after a rough start to the season that saw them fall out of the Top 25.

This is a different Gonzaga team than we saw in December.

By the way, no wonder Hunter Dickinson isn’t on most NBA Draft lists.  He looked very ordinary...15 points, 5 rebounds.

Meanwhile, 1 North Carolina, 2 Arizona, 2 Iowa State, 2 Tennessee and 3 Illinois move on.

--Sunday....

What a terrific first game, 10 Colorado falling to 2 Marquette, 81-77.  The Buffaloes were down 45-34 at the half but quickly stormed out after the intermission to tie it at 52-52, and it was nip and tuck the rest of the way, Colorado missing on numerous big shots down the stretch.  They easily could have won it.

The star for coach Shaka Smart’s (Shaka Smart...Shaka Smart Shaka Smart) Golden Eagles was future NBA point guard Tyler Kolek, who just returned in the first-round game Friday after being out about a month with an oblique injury.  Kolek had 21 points on 10 of 14 shooting, 11 assists.

Marquette next faces NC State...that should be fun, especially if DJ Horne is in gear.

In the second game, 8 Utah State vs. 1 Purdue, the Aggies came out fouling but had a 24-23 lead, when Danny Sprinkle’s team decided to just play stupid, insisting on driving the ball against 7’4” Zach Edey, ended up missing 11 straight field goal attempts, 24-23 went to 39-24 Purdue and even when Utah State had a chance to go into halftime down 46-33, Lance Jones banked in a three for the Boilermakers....49-33 at the half, Edey with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

How would Utah State open the second half?

Forget it...106-67!  Purdue faces Gonzaga in what should be another great game.

I’m posting with 4 Duke up 47-25 over 12 James Madison at the half.  Jared McCain has 22 points...improving his draft rating immensely. The guy is going to be an NBA stud.

--Back to Kentucky’s opening-round loss to Oakland, it’s all about coach John Calipari’s status.  He’s owed $33 million if the school were to fire him.  If they fire him after next season, the buyout drops to $27 million.

Entering 2022, Kentucky was 19-0 against 14-seeds or lower in the NCAA Tournament, but it is 0-2 in games since, including the 2022 loss to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s.  The Wildcats were 13.5-point favorites Thursday night.

“I’ll look at other ways that we can do stuff, but, you know, there’s – this thing here, it’s a different animal,” Calipari said.  “We’ve been able to help so many kids and win so many games and Final Fours, national titles and all this stuff, win league championships with young guys.

“It’s changed on us. All of a sudden it’s gotten really old. So we’re playing teams that our average age is 19, their average age is 24 and 25.  So do I change because of that?  Maybe add a couple older guys to supplement.”

Calipari is of course referring to his history of recruiting one-and-doners, and of the Wildcats’ 15 rostered players this season, eight were freshmen and three were sophomores.  Five of Oakland’s players were either seniors or grad transfers.

I was an idiot for believing Kentucky’s freshmen, such as Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham and DJ Wagner, would come through in a big way, but the trio were a combined 3 for 19 from the field against Oakland.  That’s the ballgame.

--In the NIT, ACC teams acquitted themselves well in the first round...Boston College beating Providence, 62-57; Virginia Tech over Richmond, 74-58; and Wake Forest beat Appalachian State, 87-76, as Boopie Miller had a career-high 31.

Seton Hall, which gladly accepted the NIT bid while St. John’s and Rick Pitino turned it down, then beat Saint Joe’s 75-72, and in Saturday’s second-round game, whipped North Texas, 72-58, as Kadary Richmond had 11 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists.

Virginia Tech fell Saturday to Ohio State, 81-73.

Sunday, Wake Forest hosted Georgia, a team that beat the Deacs early in the season, but Wake was without center Efton Reid at that time and it’s a different team with him in the lineup, especially if he stays out of foul trouble.

But we learned before the game started that Hunter Sallis had suffered a freak ankle injury after the App State game and was unavailable!  Drat!  And as a result, Georgia took a 39-24 halftime lead, the Deacs an embarrassing 2 of 14 from 3, while the Bulldogs were 10 of 17!  Double drat!!

And Wake ended up 3 of 22 from 3...losing 72-66.  I will excoriate a certain Demon Deacon freshman in my Add-on.  Even without Sallis, this was a really bad loss for the program. [Expletive deleted.]

--As an aside, I saw where St. Bonaventure athletic director Joe Manhertz resigned suddenly, the university announced Saturday amidst a controversy regarding the basketball team opting out of the NIT without the players and fans being informed.

The school immediately scrubbed most references to Manhertz, who was there two years, from its web pages.

At the time of opting out, Manhertz cited travel logistics, injuries and the uncertainty of players potentially entering the transfer portal as reasons for informing the NIT selection committee last Sunday of the school’s decision.  But no one told the players...no one asked them what they would want to do.

As I noted last week, the NCAA really screwed up royally by not having the transfer portal window open for at least another two weeks, until the NCAA Tournament was well underway.

Schools like Pitt, St. John’s and St. Bonaventure made big mistakes in not playing in the NIT. It’s an awful look.  In Pitt’s case, look who stole the spotlight for a weekend in the Steel City...Duquesne.  That could cost Pitt a recruit or two, or transfer down the road.

--The Associated Press released its All-American list Tuesday, and Purdue’s Zach Edey was the lone unanimous selection, and for a second consecutive year.

First team

Zach Edey, Purdue, senior
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee, fifth year
RJ Davis, North Carolina, senior
Jamal Shead, Houston, senior
Tristen Newton, UConn, graduate

Second team

Tyler Kolek, Marquette, senior
DaRon Holmes II, Dayton, junior
Mark Sears, Alabama, senior
Kyle Filipowski, Duke, sophomore
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas, senior

Third team

Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State, senior
Johni Broome, Auburn, junior
Caleb Love, Arizona, senior
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton, senior
Terrence Shannon Jr., Illinois, fifth year

Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis wasn’t even honorable mention.

--Dusty May, formerly of Florida Atlantic, is heading to Michigan to become its next head coach, replacing Juwan Howard.

May spent six seasons at FAU, guiding them to a Final Four last season, but with basically the same roster back, they flamed out in the first round this year, finishing 25-9.

That said, a combined record of 60-13 the last two seasons shows that May is more than a worthy choice for Ann Arbor.

--In the Women’s Tournament, Caitlin Clark made her debut Saturday, scoring 27 points, with 10 assists, in Iowa’s 91-65 win over Holy Cross.

And USC’s star freshman JuJu Watkins had 23 points in the Trojan’s 87-55 rout of Texas A&M Corpus Christi in their first-round game. Watkins broke Cheryl Miller’s USC single-season scoring record the Hall of Famer set in 1986.

Zero upsets Saturday in the tournament.

--The Atlantic Coast Conference on Wednesday filed a legal challenge in a North Carolina court against Clemson University, an expected move one day after Clemson filed its legal challenge in South Carolina in an attempt to get out of the conference’s grant of rights and exit fee.

The ACC filed a similar lawsuit against Florida State in North Carolina in December as FSU first put forth its attempt to get out of the conference agreements with a filing in Florida.

The crux of the ACC’s claim against Clemson on Wednesday was the same it made against FSU late last year: the school agreed to these contracts and is not allowed to get out of them or challenge them.

Both schools are seeking to get out of the existing agreements because the Big Ten and SEC are surging ahead of the ACC in conference revenue by tens of millions per year, and FSU and Clemson are currently bound to the ACC grant of rights into 2036 and therefore less revenue.  Clemson said in a statement on Tuesday that it has not given official notice about leaving the ACC.

This topic bores the hell out of me and I won’t waste any more time on it, outside of talking about actual league revenue comparisons year to year.  Otherwise, wake me when it’s over.

NBA

--The Knicks lost the final game of their 4-game west coast swing by losing to Denver, Thursday, 113-100, but a successful 3-1 road trip.  They then got back to New York at 5:00 p.m. Friday and had a 1:00 p.m. tip-off against the Nets at the Garden Saturday afternoon.  This didn’t set up well for my Knickerbockers.

But the Knicks prevailed, 105-93, as Donte DiVincenzo had 31 points, and Miles McBride, filling in for O.G. Anunoby, played all 48 minutes, had 26 points and zero turnovers!

So the Knicks regained the fourth slot in the Eastern Conference standings, as the Magic lost to the Kings last night, 109-107.

Eastern Conference standings thru Saturday....

1. Boston 57-14...--
2. Milwaukee 45-25...11.5
3. Cleveland 43-27...13.5
4. New York 42-28...14.5
5. Orlando 42-29...15
6. Indiana 40-31...17
7. Miami 38-32...18.5
8. Philadelphia 38-32...18.5

In the Western Conference, Houston has suddenly won eight straight and is threatening to break into the play-in round.

Thru Saturday....

6. Phoenix 42-29...8
7. Sacramento 41-29...8.5
8. Dallas 41-29...8.5
9. LA Lakers 38-32...11.5
10. Golden State 36-33...13
11. Houston 35-35...14.5

MLB...all about Shohei

--Major League Baseball had a glorious debut in Seoul, South Korea, with $700 million man, Shohei Ohtani, singling in a run in a four-run eighth-inning rally in his Dodgers debut, propelling L.A. to a 5-2 win over the Padres.

“Just a good night overall for Shohei,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.  “The bigger picture it’s significant because you’ve got such a generational talent that is on your ballclub in a big market in Los Angeles.  There’s a lot more eyeballs on the Dodgers and on Major League Baseball.”

Ohtani went 2 for 5 in the game.

Mookie Betts, Ohtani and Freddie Freeman became the first MVPs to hit 1-2-3 in a batting order since Philadelphia’s Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt during 10 games in 1983.

All good...and then the story broke Ohtani had allegedly been the victim of “massive theft” in the range of millions of dollars, his attorneys said.  The alleged thief was none other than his long-time interpreter, and best friend, Ippel Mizuhara, whom the Dodgers then immediately fired Wednesday in light of the allegations.

The Los Angeles Times reported that representatives of Ohtani accused Mizuhara of engaging in the “massive theft” of the two-way star’s funds, with millions of dollars of Ohtani’s money allegedly used to pay off gambling debts Mizuhara owed to an illegal bookmaker.

Major League Baseball announced Friday it has opened an investigation into the allegations surrounding Ohtani and Mizuhara.

“Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippel Mizuhara from the news media. Earlier today, our Department of Investigations (DOI) began their formal process investigating the matter.”

The circumstances surrounding the situation have been the subject of intense speculation, both online and around the rest of the baseball industry.

Before The Times’ story, Mizuhara had conducted an on-the-record interview with ESPN on Tuesday in which he claimed Ohtani had paid off his gambling debts, which ESPN reported totaled at least $4.5 million.

Mizuhara said he thought bets placed through Matthew Bowyer were legal and Ohtani had no involvement with the betting.

Before that interview was published, however, ESPN said that Mizuhara – whose first interview with the outlet was arranged by a “spokesman for Ohtani” – recanted his story and said that Ohtani never transferred money to Bowyer’s associate.  Mizuhara then added he never bet on baseball.

The Internal Revenue Service confirmed to the Associated Press on Thursday that Mizuhara and Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker who is the subject of a federal investigation, are under investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles field office.

Bowyer’s lawyer said Bowyer has never met with or talked to Ohtani. 

As I go to post, Ohtani has yet to address the situation.  MLB did not respond to a detailed list of questions sent by The Times before its announcement Friday of an investigation.

Although the league can request an interview with Ohtani, it’s doubtful that his lawyers would let him talk while there is still an open federal investigation.  He also has a right to refuse cooperation as a member of the MLB Players Association.

The league can request an interview with Mizuhara but can’t compel him to talk since he is no longer employed by one of its teams.

There is also nothing that requires federal investigators to cooperate with MLB.  They might not want to share sensitive information about their investigation with an outside party.

It appears unlikely MLB would put Ohtani on a paid administrative leave, as it does with other investigations, such as its probe into former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer.  Unlike Bauer, Ohtani is not facing any allegations (other than Mizuhara’s since-recanted claims that he sent money to the illegal bookie).

At this point, Ohtani is not known to have gambled at all, let alone on baseball.  Under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, players who place illegal non-baseball wagers are subject to punishment that is up to the commissioner’s discretion.  In 2015, Miami Marlins pitcher Jarred Cosart was fined by the league after it found he had gambled illegally on other sports, but not baseball.

In the second game of the series, Thursday, the Padres outlasted the Dodgers, 15-11, despite Mooke Betts’ 4-for-5, 6 RBIs out of the leadoff spot.

The story here wasn’t Ohtani, who was 1-for-5 with his second RBI, but the debut of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, he of the 12-year, $325 million contract.  Yamamoto lasted one inning 5 runs, 43 pitches, giving Dodgers fans another reason to worry.

In fact, Bar Chat’s crack staff can now make an early projection.  Yamamoto will go 2-19 with an 8.23 ERA.  [Mookie Betts will bat .465 and drive in 198 runs.]

The Dodgers returned on Thursday from South Korea and the team next plays Sunday in an exhibition game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium.

More facts will no doubt emerge in the coming days and weeks.

But Ohtani’s pristine reputation has taken a hit.  How much of one remains to be seen.

Dylan Hernandez / Los Angeles Times

“When most baseball players are on the field, they look the way most of us do at our jobs.

“They clench their jaws.  They don’t smile.  They look like they’re working.

“Shohei Ohtani is an exception.

“He smiles.  He laughs. He playfully gestures.

“His talent affords him the luxury of treating the game like a game.

“He’s Magic Johnson. He’s Manny Pacquiao. He’s Ronaldinho.

“His youthful spirit is a major reason behind his widespread popularity, and he should do everything in his power to preserve it.

“On the field, that is.

“Off the field?

“Ohtani has to grow up.

“Longtime interpreter Ippel Mizuhara’s firing this week should be a warning to him.

“Ohtani will be 30 in July.  He has to start acting like it.

“For too long, Ohtani has taken responsibility for little besides his on-field performance.

“When he played in Japan, much was made about how he never moved out of his team’s dorms or touched the money in his bank account. Outside of hitting or throwing a baseball, he relied on others to do things for him.

“Which is how Ohtani found himself entirely dependent on Mizuhara when he moved to the United States in 2018.

“The crowd reacted to Ohtani on Thursday similarly to the way it did at the game before. He was cheered when he ran on the field for pregame introductions and he was cheered again when he singled to right field in the first inning.  In the dugout, he was seen smiling and interacting with teammates as usual.

“But this is the kind of story that could remain alive for years and years, revived every so often by the next development, the next revelation.

“Ohtani has to address this situation, and he has to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.  He has to be more careful about the company he keeps. He has to take more control over how he presents himself in public.

“Because scandals can affect performance. To remain a child on the field, he will have to become an adult off it.”

We now await the facts.  Ohtani could be in real trouble if he indeed paid off Mizuhara’s gambling debt, and if he knew about Bowyer.

--The Mets signed DH J.D. Martinez to a very reasonable one-year, $12 million contract, of which $7.5 million is deferred from 2034-38.  Fans have been screaming for the move all offseason (I haven’t necessarily been one of them), but in waiting him out, the Mets got a sweet deal.  I love the moves President of Baseball Operations David Stearns is making.

--Peter Angelos died, age 94.  He was the chief owner of the Baltimore Orioles for three decades.

From the Washington Post:

“In the baseball world, Mr. Angelos was seen as a hands-on boss: controlling, feisty, demanding and prone to second-guessing the on-field decisions of his top lieutenants.  He went through three managers in his first four years at the helm and once considered firing a manager because a player bunted in a game when Mr. Angelos thought he should have swung.

“As a managing partner of a group of investors who bought the Orioles for $173 million in 1973, Mr. Angelos fought a prolonged and ultimately losing battle to keep Major League Baseball out of Washington or Northern Virginia. He claimed that another team in such proximity to Baltimore would siphon off fans and imperil the Orioles’ financial stability.”

But then when Washington got its team, the Nationals’ games were carried on a network that was run by Angelos and the Orioles, which led to years of lawsuits over fees for TV rights.

“It’s our territory,” Angelos insisted.

Angelos was known for his 18-hour days at his law practice, where he made his fortune on personal injury and product liability cases, with many of his clients labor unions and union members.

Specifically, Angelos made his fortune handling asbestos/mesothelioma cases in the 1980s.  After the number of cases reached 8,700, they were consolidated into a class-action lawsuit that resulted in a settlement in the early 1990s for more than $1 billion and Angelos’ cut was more than $300 million.

Which led to his purchase, with other investors like novelist Tom Clancy and filmmaker Barry Levinson, of the Orioles.

But Angelos was a bit of a jerk.  Davey Johnson, who took the Orioles to the playoffs in both of his two years as manager, resigned on the day he was named AL manager of the year at the end of the 1997 season because as Mets fans know, Davey didn’t suffer fools gladly.  After Johnson left, the Orioles had 13 consecutive losing seasons before Buck Showalter took the helm before the 2011 season.

Angelos was finally forced by MLB to give up his control of the franchise to his son, John, in 2020, because it was unclear who exactly was in charge.

What kind of person was Angelos?  As the Post noted: “Soon after taking control of the Orioles, Mr. Angelos decreed that Maryland crab cakes would no longer be served in the owner’s box at Camden Yards.  The reason: Crabmeat was too expensive.”

NFL

--The Jets signed free agent wide receiver Mike Williams to a one-year deal worth up to $15 million (including incentives).  The 29-year-old has been a star, but played just three games last year for the Chargers after suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 3.

The 6’4” Williams gives Aaron Rodgers a terrific red zone receiver.  Just stay healthy!  Both of you, mused the editor.

--The Chiefs are trading star corner L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans, after previously placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on Sneed earlier this offseason.  K.C. will land a 2025 third-round pick in return, as well as flipping seventh-round selections with the Chiefs in the NFL Draft next month.

Sneed will be signing a new deal with Tennessee.

--In College Football, the College Football Playoff and ESPN announced a $7.8 million deal Tuesday that will give the network exclusive rights to the expanded postseason through the 2031 season, with the national championship game moving to ABC starting in 2026.

Reportedly, the new agreement will pay the CFP and participating conferences $1.3 billion annually.

Golf Balls

--At the Valspar Championship, Palm Harbor, Florida, Keith Mitchell took control after 54 holes with a phenomenal final stretch in his third round, Saturday.

The Copperhead Course’s final three holes are called The Snake Pit, and this stretch deserves its name.  The Snake Pit is the third-toughest three-hole stretch to end any tournament course.  Since 2000, the Pit has played to a combined 4.978 over par.

Only two players – Mark Brooks (002) and Vijay Singh (2004) – have played The Snake Pit at five under par for the week, and seven golfers have scored three under in any one round.

But all the 32-year-old veteran Mitchell did was birdie the par-4 16th and par-3 17th, and then launched a 7-iron from 159 yards at the par-4 18th.  The ball took one hop before going into the cup for eagle.  Mitchell thus became the first player ever to shoot four under at The Snake Pit – a feat that may never be matched.

But can Mitchell, who his fellow golfers say has as sweet a swing as anyone on tour, finally pick up PGA Tour win No. 2, his only triumph five years ago?

Mitchell -10
Seamus Power -8
Mackenzie Hughes -8
Peter Malnati -8
Cameron Young -7

No. Out of nowhere, Peter Malnati gets win No. 2 on the PGA Tour, and as you’ll see below, he’s a rather important figure.

Cameron Young was two strokes back in solo second, still winless.  An amazing seven second-place finishes. 

Keith Mitchell flamed out royally, +6 on the round, T17.

--Tiger Woods hosted the meeting with the head of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia on Monday at his residence in the Bahamas that was viewed as a “meet and greet and learn” session to potential future investment in PGA Tour Enterprises.

Webb Simpson, one of the six player directors on the PGA Tour Policy Board, said Woods “was very engaged” and that “outside of our meeting he’s been super engaged along the way.  He’s a great leader and I really think he’s taken the position of our leader and we rely on him a lot.”

Simpson said in an interview with SI.com’s Bob Harig that the meeting with Yasir Al-Rumayyan “was the next right thing to do. I don’t know what exactly it’s going to look like in a year or two or three or five. It felt like it was the next right thing.”

All six player directors were at the meeting...the others Peter Malnati, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth and Adam Scott, along with newly-appointed board liaison Joe Ogilvie.  And Commissioner Jay Monahan was in attendance along with a few members of the Strategic Sports Group.

But details of the meeting are vague and it seems clear the two sides are no closer to an agreement than they were nine months ago.

Malnati said of Al-Rumayyan, “Obviously he is not a regular guy.  He chairs 140-something boards.  But to talk to him, it was like talking to another human being. I enjoyed and appreciated that. We were definitely talking to a golf nut.”

Malnati reiterated his desire to see “all the best players together, not just in the major championships.

“I still certainly think a path forward for professional golf makes more sense with him on our side than him as an antagonist,” Malnati said.  “But there’s a lot of work to do...seeing the same vision for the future of professional golf.  There is space between his and ours.”

Tiger and Al-Rumayyan played golf after.

Everyone knows Tiger should be the new commissioner.

NHL

--The New York Rangers had a huge signature win at Boston on Thursday, 5-2, as Artemi Panarin had another hat trick, bringing his goal total to 41.

And then on Saturday, New York beat the second-best team in the Atlantic conference (Boston first), Florida, 4-3 in a shootout, Panarin with two more goals and the decider in the shootout.  He now has 99 points.

The only team the Rangers, who are first in the Metropolitan division by three points, have yet to beat this season are the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Golden Knights.

--Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, who has had a number of long goal droughts this season, caught fire and has 16 goals in his last 24 games, through Friday, which gives him 846 for his career, only 48 behind Wayne Gretzky’s record 894.

But wait...there’s more!  Ovechkin had two more goals this afternoon against Winnipeg in a 3-0 win for the Capitals, so make that 18 in 25, the total up to 848!  This is pretty amazing.  That record was untouchable.

Ovechkin, 38, has two years left on his contract after this season.

Stuff

--No Premier League action this weekend as it was International Friendly time.

--At the Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was attempting to equal his own record of winning 10 races in a row, but he had car trouble and retired for the first time in two years, just four laps into the race, thus allowing Carlos Sainz and fellow Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to a one-two finish.

--Sports Illustrated is surviving, it would seem, after a new partnership was announced with publisher Minute Media, a digital media company that is also behind The Players’ Tribune and Fansided.

Minute Media takes on the role previously held by The Arena Group, which had said in January it planned to lay off numerous people in January, after Authentic Brands Group, the licensing group that owns SI, revoked The Arena Group’s license to publish SI.

Got it?

Top 3 songs for the week of 3/26/77:  #1 “Rich Girl” (Daryl Hall & John Oates)  #2 “Love Theme From ‘A Star Is Born’ (Evergreen)” (Barbra Streisand)  #3 “Dancing Queen” (Abba)...and...#4 “Don’t Give Up On Us” (David Soul) #5 “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (Thelma Houston)  #6 “Fly Like An Eagle” (Steve Miller)  #7 “Night Moves” (Bob Seger)  #8 “The Things We Do For Love” (10 CC) #9 “I Like Dreamin’” (Kenny Nolan) #10 “Torn Between Two Lovers” (Mary MacGregor...C+ week...)

NCAA Basketball Quiz Answer: Starting five for 1983-84 national champion Georgetown Hoyas, coached by John Thompson.

Patrick Ewing (16.4 ppg., 10 rebounds), David Wingate (11.1 ppg), Reggie Williams (9.1 ppg.), Bill Martin (8.9 ppg.), Michael Jackson (10.2 ppg., 4.4 asst.).  All played in the NBA.

But Thompson had a 10-man rotation, with Horace Broadnax (4.8 ppg.), Michael Graham (4.7 ppg., 4.0 reb.), Gene Smith and Fred Brown getting significant playing time, 12+ min. per game for all nine. Ralph Dalton played 9 minutes a game off the bench, spelling Ewing.

Thompson often mixed up the starting lineup.

Ewing played 32 minutes per game, but then it was Wingate and Jackson at 27 min. each.

In the national semifinal, Georgetown defeated Kentucky 53-40, the Hoyas holding the Wildcats to 13 of 53 from the field, 24.5%!

In the Final against Houston, which the Hoyas won 84-75, Reggie Williams led the way with 19 points, Wingate 16, Graham 14, and Ewing 10, along with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Hakeem Olajuwon had 15 points and 9 rebounds.

We had quite an All-American team that season, 1983-84.

Hakeem, Ewing, Michael Jordan (Player of the Year), Sam Perkins and Wayman Tisdale.

I’ll have a brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday. A look at the Sweet Sixteen.

 

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