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08/28/2023

Viktor Hovland Wins FedExCup Title!

Add-on posted Tuesday evening….

Golf Balls / Ryder Cup…Zach’s Captains Picks

U.S. Captain Zach Johnson made his six captain’s picks for Rome.

Joining the six already in (Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark and Patrick Cantlay) are….

Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas.

Koepka was seventh on the points list, Spieth 8th, Morikawa 10th, and Burns 12th, so for Zach, easier picks…and Burns and Scheffler are great friends and no doubt will be paired at some point.

The tough ones were Fowler (13th) and Thomas (15th) over Cam Young (9th), and Keegan Bradley (11th).

While I have written that it would be a travesty to put Thomas on the team given his poor play this year (71st in FedEx Cup points, missing the playoffs), I do get it.  He’s got a proven track record in Ryder Cup / Presidents Cup play, 6-2-1 in the Ryder Cup, 4-2 when paired with Spieth.

As for Young and Bradley, I feel most for Bradley, who has to be crushed. 

Tony Finau is another who may have been a bit disappointed, but just not good enough results this season.

If Bryson DeChambeau complains, tell him to go pound sand.

That said, I thought Koepka might be left off due to personal issues back home, but very glad he’s on the team.  This helps bring peace between the PGA Tour and LIV when it comes to the negotiations between the Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund.  And we all know, Koepka has hardly been a LIV table-pounder like DeChambeau and primo-asshole Patrick Reed.

Reminder, the U.S. hasn’t won on European soil in 30 years.

--Back to the Tour Championship, yes, it’s official.  Viktor Hovland is a superstar.  To win two straight playoff events in crushing fashion is what stars are made of…Tigeresque.

And having him on the Euro Ryder Cup team is a huge plus for them.

By the way, kudos to CBS for a terrific bit on Hovland and his swing coach going back to Memphis, where they showed Hovland’s post-first-round work on the driving range, as the two dissected things and the coach, whose name escapes me, convinced Hovland his hands were getting too high on the back swing and he wasn’t on a good plane through the ball and, presto, Hovland has been magical since.

--I have to go back to Sunday on the PGA Tour Champions and Vijay Singh’s first win on the senior circuit in nearly five years.  Singh, and everyone else, were shocked he emerged victorious, at age 60, when Paul Goydos, with Singh in the clubhouse, held a one-shot lead over Vijay heading to the par-3 17th hole. 

Goydos left his tee shot 18 feet from the hole.  Two putts for the par, then par No. 18 and the title is his.

Only Goydos proceeded to five-putt, four putts from three feet.  That put him two behind Singh, who was incredulous when he saw the leaderboard change drastically in the clubhouse, not knowing how it happened.  The video is gruesome.

MLB Bits

--Aaron Judge homered Monday night in a meaningless game against the Tigers, No. 29, the Yanks winning 4-1.

Luis Severino, however, in a late-season bid to get a contract for 2024, threw seven scoreless, after 6 2/3 of one-hit ball his last time out.  Quite a turnaround, his ERA down to a still putrid 6.64.  But this is the pitcher the team was hoping to have all season.

Back to Judge, Monday was game No. 84.  If he had been available for 150, he’s on a pace for 51 home runs.

Well, today, the Yankees placed Harrison Bader, mired in a 5-for-46 slump, on waivers, and released Josh Donaldson, who hit 25 home runs in 584 ABs over two seasons in New York, but batted .207, with a .678 OPS, and for this he was paid $43,500,000, with an $8m buyout.  Yankees fans, for good reason, literally hated this guy.  And hate Brian Cashman for freakin’ trading for him.

--Ronald Acuna Jr. went 4-for-5 Monday night against the Rockies, despite a scary episode when two fans ran out onto the field to get their pictures taken with him…and one of the guys in particular looked rather crazed.  Thank God, Acuna wasn’t hurt as he fell backwards at one point.  I hope these two get prison time.

But talk about an MVP race for the ages…these are the stats of the three favorites thru Monday.

Acuna: .335 batting average, 29 home runs, 79 RBIs, 61 steals (as he’s about to become the first 30-60 player in baseball history), 119 runs scored, .989 OPS

Mookie Betts: .312 BA, 35 HR, 93 RBI, 110 runs, 1.011 OPS

Freddie Freeman: .340 BA, 24 HR, 87 RBI, 50 doubles!, .998 OPS

Down in fourth place is Atlanta’s Matt Olson, .272 BA, 43 HR, 112 RBI, .979 OPS.

This vote is going to be fascinating.

Regarding Freeman, there have only been six players with 60 doubles and Freddie has a helluva shot at hitting that magic mark.  While any baseball fan worth his salt knows Earl Webb holds the all-time mark at 67, it’s still amazing that no one has reached 60 since Joe Medwick (64) and Charlie Gehringer (60) way back in 1936.

Freeman also now has 464 doubles for his career, placing him 97th on the all-time list.  If (when) he gets to 600, that’s top 20 all time.

--How have Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander done since their trades from the Mets?  Quite well, thank you.

Scherzer, 3-1, 2.64, 5 starts (one of them a poor one)
Verlander, 4-1, 2.79, 5 starts (also one poor effort)

Both the Rangers and Astros should be very happy.

On the flip side, baseball folks are still asking, what the heck were the Cleveland Guardians thinking when they traded Amed Rosario to the Dodgers for starter Noah Syndergaard.  I said at the time this was one of the worst trades of all time and Syndergaard was DFA’d Sunday after going 1-2, 5.40, in six starts for Cleveland.

Through Monday, Rosario was batting .243, but with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs in 70 at-bats, and a respectable .741 OPS.  He has been a contributor and still has a bright future.

--Jose Altuve hit for the cycle for the first time in his career, Monday, in the Astros’ 13-5 win over the Red Sox in Fenway Park.  Kind of surprising.

Only six players overall have hit for the cycle at Fenway Park, also surprising.

Altuve finished with four hits, four RBIs, four runs.

--So much for my praise of the Mets’ bullpen after 7 1/3 scoreless on Sunday.  Monday, the Mets blew a 3-1 eighth-inning lead against Texas, the Rangers pulling it out 4-3 in the ninth, wasting six solid innings (one run) by Tylor Megill.  Huge win for Texas.

Meanwhile, all of Metsville has one topic at the top of mind these days, Pete Alonso.  He wants a monster 8-year, $240 million+ contract, Pete being a free agent after 2024, and no way the Mets give him that.  I like the talk of potentially 5 years, $150m, perhaps.

Otherwise, I have zero issue in trading him.  As great a Met as he’s been, he is hitting just .220 this season and his months-long slump in the middle of the campaign killed us.

Is this the new Alonso for the rest of his career, a .230 or so hitter who hits 40 home runs but otherwise fails in the clutch more often than not?  Who knows.

I trust management not to give him away, and we have him for 2024 if we want and he refuses to sign a reasonable deal, at which point we’d trade him at the 2024 deadline, but a lot of teams will be after him this offseason and we should be able to get at least two top-5 prospects and a respectable current pitcher in return.

--The Angels placed six players on waivers, and I’m going to post before having time to get into it (the Mets doing the same with Carlos Carrasco…as the Yankees did with Bader), but it was a startling move to place that many on waivers at one time.

Until claimed, though, the players can keep playing for their current team, and as I post, the Angels’ Randal Grichuk is 3-for-3, two doubles as L.A. is getting blown out by the Phillies.

--The Dodgers’ Tony Gonsolin is officially out for the season, and 2024, as the team announced he will undergo Tommy John surgery.

Gonsolin was a rather gaudy 16-1, 2.14, in 24 starts in 2022, but just 130 innings, and he was off to a terrific start in 2023, 4-1, 1.93, his first nine outings.  But boy did he suck thereafter, and finishes 8-5, 4.98.  No big loss for L.A. in the postseason, as long as Kershaw stays healthy.

--We note the passing of former catcher and manager, Pat Corrales, who died Monday at 82.

Corrales played for the Phillies, Reds and Padres from 1964 to 1973, a classic backup, never receiving 200 at-bats in any campaign and hitting .216 for his career.  When you got a Pat Corrales in your pack of cards back then, it wasn’t a good day for you (unless a Mickey Mantle or Tom Seaver was in the pack as well).

As a manager, Corrales was mediocre for Texas, Philadelphia and Cleveland.

I’m sorry…I can’t come up with more.  Fergie Jenkins, in sending his condolences to the family, spoke fondly of Corrales, and having met Fergie (through Willie Wilson), I’ll let him have the last word.

“Sad to hear about the passing of Pat Corrales.  We had quite a few battles on the field, Pat was a great guy, a great teammate, and a friend.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the Corrales family.”

College Football

--We have a few games this Saturday worthy of interest…Coach Prime has Colorado at 17 TCU; 3 Ohio State at Indiana; West Virginia at 7 Penn State; 21 North Carolina at South Carolina.

--But Sunday night, 5 LSU at 8 Florida State.  And Monday, 9 Clemson at Duke, the Blue Devils with high expectations.

Thursday, Wake Forest starts out at home against Elon.  Us Demon Deacon fans are very curious to see how we look with new starting quarterback Mitch Griffis…eleven new starters overall, but that’s deceiving, as many of these players are in their fourth year, at least.

[Until the CFP rankings start to be revealed, I use AP rankings.]

--Sports Illustrated’s Top Ten….

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Penn State
4. LSU
5. Ohio State
6. Washington
7. Alabama
8. Florida State
9. USC
10. Clemson

12. Notre Dame

A good cheerleader Final Four would be Bama, FSU, USC and Clemson, I can’t help but add.

Stuff

--Summit’s Michael Badgley was cut by Tennessee after going 3-for-4 on field goals in last weekend’s exhibition game (the miss from 39).  As I noted, days earlier he had been cut by Washington.

There are already more than a few teams looking for kickers approaching Week One, and Badgley will find a home, somewhere, between Weeks 4 and 8, is my guess.

--You have to feel for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jakeem Grant, who is sidelined for a second straight season, this time with a knee injury after missing 2022 due to an Achilles tear.

Grant is also a terrific kick returner, with six touchdowns in his NFL career (4 PR, 2 KR).

--This is too early, but the college basketball season is just ten weeks away, and with rosters finally set, The Athletic published a preseason top 25.  Herewith just the top ten.

1. Kansas
2. Marquette…huh, this would be fun…
3. Duke
4. Purdue
5. Tennessee
6. Michigan State
7. UConn
8. Arizona
9. Creighton
10. Baylor

--Congrats to Simone Biles, who has come all the back from the issues in Tokyo to claim her eighth all-around national title Sunday night in San Jose, Ca.  At 26, she is the oldest woman to win.

On to Paris?  Sure seems so.  That would be pretty amazing…NBC is certainly hoping she’s there.

--Good lord…did you see the alligator caught by four hunters in Mississippi the other day, the largest gator ever taken in the state…802.5 pounds, more than 14 feet long!

This authentically prehistoric-looking monster was taken out of the Yahoo River on the second day of Mississippi’s alligator hunting season.

Don Woods, one of the four men who killed the gator, told the Clarion Ledger that he and his companions – all seasoned alligator hunters – took seven hours to reel it in, helped by the fact the gator tired out before they did.

New Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

-----

[Posted Sunday p.m. after FedExCup Finals]

Add-on up top Tuesday evening.

NFL/Notre Dame Quiz:  In honor of the Fighting Irish being in Dublin, Ireland this weekend (I can’t believe I’m writing this), name the eight ND alum who then made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (as players), who also played at least some in the 1960s and beyond.  Answer below.

Golf Balls

--At the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga., due to the format, Scottie Scheffler started out at -10, a two-shot lead over Vicktor Hovland, 3 over Rory McIlroy, as the reward for season-long excellence.

But Scheffler picked a poor time for his worst round of the season, given the import, a one-over 71, while Collin Morikawa was shooting a career-best 61, -9, and after just one round we had a golf tournament.

Morikawa -10
Keegan Bradley -10…after a 63
Hovland -10
Scheffler -9

Rory and Jon Rahm were at -7, with Rory saying he had a bad back suffered working out at home.

After two rounds…

Hovland -16
Morikawa -16…both with 64s
Scheffler -14…bounce-back 65
Bradley -13
Xander Schauffele -12
Rahm -12
McIlroy -10

But after three, Viktor Hovland had taken control….

Hovland -20
Schauffele -14
Morikawa -13
Bradley -13…making his Ryder Cup bid…
Scheffler -11
Rahm -11
Wyndham Clark -11

Reminder, if you didn’t watch today…this is what they are playing for….

1. $18,000,000
2. $6,500,000
3. $5,000,000
4. $4,000,000
5. $3,000,000

So we’re going to have some $1,000,000 putts, or more, late in the fourth round.

And despite Viktor Hovland playing well, after 12, and 15, Xander Schauffele had cut the lead to 3.

Hovland -24
Schauffele -21

Hovland made a massive long par putt on No. 14 to keep it three.

Schauffele then pars No. 16, but Hovland birdies it…lead four and the title heading to Norway.

Lead five after 17.

By the way, the most expensive beer in the world is in Scandinavia…so Viktor needs that $18 million. At least I would.

And the final….

Hovland -27…63…a great champion who now has the world by the balls…
Schauffele -22…62
Clark -16
McIlroy -14
Cantlay -13

--Tuesday, Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson will name his six “captain’s picks.”  I’ll have this in my Tuesday evening Add-on.  But I had an analysis in last week’s Add-on…so if you missed it, hit the archives.

--At a news conference on Tuesday, Commissioner Jay Monahan said he remained confident that the PGA Tour will reach an agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the DP World Tour by the end of the year, saying the Tour is in the “driver’s seat” and “in a position to control our future.”

But Monahan would not get into any specifics about negotiations, which he said are ongoing.

On the issue of the Tour’s 2024 opener, The Sentry Championship at the Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui, Monahan said the Tour is planning on playing the opener there, despite the devastating wildfires in nearby Lahaina.

‘We hope to be a source of inspiration for the great people of Maui and Lahaina by the time that we get to Maui in January,” Monahan said.  He added he has been in communication with Hawaii’s governor Josh Green on several occasions to determine a proper course of action.

“If it looks like (playing there) is not a possibility, then we’ll go to plan B.  I want to be clear, there’s no indication that we won’t be back there. We’re just trying to be respectful.”

[Late Saturday, there was another evacuation in west Maui due to a wildfire.]

--On the Korn Ferry Tour, as we follow our two official Bar Chat golfers and their quest to get their PGA Tour card, they held the first of four playoff events and Ryan McCormick finished T13, moving from 20 to 19 on the points list.  He’s in great shape.

But Thomas Walsh is not…a missed cut, falling from 47 to 50.  C’mon Thomas.  Make your parents, college classmates of mine, proud.  [They certainly have sacrificed a lot for the lad, who went to Virginia.]

--Congratulations to former president Donald Trump, who posted on Truth Social Saturday that he won his Senior Club Championship at Trump National Golf Club in nearby Bedminster, “shooting a round of 67.  Now, some people will think that sounds low, but there is no hanky/panky.  Many people watch, plus I am surrounded by Secret Service Agents.  Not much you can do even if you wanted to, and I don’t.

“For some reason, I am just a good golfer/athlete – I have won many Club championships, and it’s always a great honor!”

Now discuss amongst yourselves.

MLB

--Wild Card Standings thru Saturday….

AL

Tampa Bay 79-52…+5
Texas 73-56…--
Seattle 73-56…--
Houston 73-58…1
Toronto 71-59…2.5
Boston 69-61…4.5

AL West

Texas 73-56…--
Seattle 73-56…--
Houston 73-58…1

NL

Philadelphia 71-58…+3.5
Chicago 68-61…+0.5
Arizona 68-62…--
Cincinnati 68-63…0.5
San Francisco 66-63…1.5
Miami 65-65…3

--The Baseball World was shocked, and somewhat saddened, to learn that Shohei Ohtani has a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and will not pitch the rest of the season for the Angels.

Tommy John surgery is a possibility, which would be his second and mean he couldn’t pitch in 2024.  The same day, the team put Mike Trout back on the IL as the pain from his broken hamate bone in his left hand is too severe, Trout having played just one game after coming off the IL.

But in Ohtani’s case, this injury will severely impact his free agency.  He was looking at a contract for a minimum of $500 million.  But would a team risk not having Ohtani on the mound for at least the first year of a contract…or an Ohtani whose use in terms of pitching could be severely limited?  There are pitchers who have continued their careers even with this injury, and no surgery, but their use had to be carefully monitored…see Masahiro Tanaka and Seth Lugo.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal says Ohtani is still worth at least $500 million.  Aaron Judge, after all, received nine years, $360 million, and he can’t pitch.  Plus Ohtani doesn’t turn 30 until next July, while Judge signed his deal at age 30.

You can go on and on with this topic, and this is going to be one helluva offseason for the lad.

Meanwhile, imagine being an Angels fan.  Trout has not played 120 games in a season since 2019.  Anthony Rendon has not played 60 games in a season since 2019.

They awarded Tyler Anderson a $39 million contract after posting a 2.57 ERA  for the Dodgers last season, and he has a 5.35 ERA this season, 4.31 for his career.

Ohtani was in New York this weekend as the Angels played the Mets, and Friday night he was in the lineup at DH, 1-for-2, a double, and three walks, in L.A.’s 3-1 win, despite the Mets’ Kodai Senga strong effort, now 10-7, 3.17.

Saturday, the Angels won again, 5-3, as Ohtani was 2-for-3, an RBI-triple (his eighth), and two more walks.

The Mets’ much-maligned bullpen was heroic in defeat…7 1/3, no runs, 2 hits, in relief of godawful Carlos Carrasco, who fell to 3-8, 6.80!  Why he is still allowed out there I’ll never know.  Johnny Schmo would be better…anybody….

So heading into Sunday’s Peacock contest, the Angels were 63-67, trying to head off their eighth consecutive losing season. 

But the Mets prevailed, 3-2, Ohtani 0-for-4.  Mets fans are happy to see David Peterson look terrific for seven innings, one run.

--Speaking of awful pitching performances in 2023, I can’t help but note that in Saturday’s 15-2 Seattle win over Kansas City, the Royals’ Jordan Lyles fell to 3-15, 6.51, after yielding 7 earned in 3 innings.

--Speaking of awful in general, the Yankees entered Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay 62-67.  Wednesday, it took three home runs from Aaron Judge to snap a 9-game losing streak, during which the Yanks hit .176.

They then lost Thursday, won Friday, and lost yesterday to the Rays’ Tyler Glasnow (7-4, 3.12) and Co., 3-0, the Yanks with two hits.

Friday, in New York’s 6-2 win, Gerrit Cole did enhance his Cy Young chances with 7 2/3, 1 earned, 11 Ks, improving to 11-4, 2.95.  The Rays’ Zach Eflin, also in the Cy Young hunt, gave up 2 runs in six innings, 11 Ks, in falling to 13-8, 3.55.

Today, Sunday, the Yanks blew a 4-2 lead and the Rays won 7-4.  Aaron Judge is 1-for-16 since his 3-homer game.

New York is 14-30 since July 4.  Aaron Boone is a dead man walking.

--The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts made his return to Fenway Park, the Dodgers taking 2 of 3, Betts 7-for-15 in his return, including his 35th home run today in a 7-4 win.

--Stephen Strasburg will announce his retirement from the Washington Nationals.  The 35-year-old was star of the 2019 postseason, becoming the first pitcher to go 5-0 in a single postseason and the first No. 1 pick to win World Series MVP.

Strasburg then signed a huge extension after the World Series, but struggled with a litany of injuries: carpal tunnel neuritis, shoulder inflammation, neck strain, thoracic outlet syndrome, stress reaction in ribcage, thoracic outlet syndrome (again).  In June, he was reportedly dealing with severe nerve damage.

Since 2019, he has made just eight starts.  He has not pitched in over a year.

Strasburg’s career began in 2010 with a dazzling 14-strikeout debut.  In eight full seasons, 2012-2019, at least 22 starts in each, but only three seasons of 30+ starts, he never had an ERA over 3.74, and had two top-5 Cy Young finishes.

Strasburg ended up 113-62, 3.24, with 1,723 strikeouts.  He made three All-Star teams.

A news conference is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 9 at Nationals Park.  There are issues to be hammered out regarding his contract. He’s been paid $35 million a year beginning in 2020, despite just the eight starts, and was to be paid $35 million a year for 2024-26.  Normally in such a situation, the player and team negotiate a settlement for lower money on the remaining contract.

But despite all the money and zero production, Nats fans are far from bitter.  They got their title, and he was the primary reason for it.  Stephen Strasburg did his job when called on in the most important moments in team history.  That’s a stud.  Forever a legend in Washington who I’m sure will be warmly welcomed at the park in future years.

--The Rays’ Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball “until further notice” as the league continues its investigations into allegations against him, specifically whether or not he has had an inappropriate relationship with underage women.  The Associated Press confirmed that a prosecutor in the D.R. was investigating Franco under a division specializing in minors and gender violence.

College Football

--No. 13 Notre Dame opened up the 2023 college football season with a resounding 42-3 win over Navy in Dublin, Ireland, yesterday.  It was the debut of former Wake Forest star quarterback Sam Hartman, and as the announcers said (Jason Garrett was good, by the way), Hartman’s extensive experience showed.  He was cool, calm and collected…19 of 23, 251 yards, four touchdowns.  The perfect beginning.  Mark R., ND alum, was proudly in the stands with wife Judy (aka Judy R.), and 39,000 other Americans who made the trek, most of them fans of the Fighting Irish.  Mark said a good time was had by all.

And not for nothing, but the game, and all 39,000 tacking on vacations on the Emerald Isle either before the contest or after, pumped about $160 million into the Irish economy.

--No. 6 USC, 31.5-point favorites going in, failed to cover in a 56-28 win over San Jose State.

Returning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams was solid, 18/25, 278, 4-0, but the star was freshman Zachariah Branch, who had 232 all-purpose yards, including a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and three punt returns for 66 yards.  [Four receptions for another 58, and 12 rushing.]

That said, once again the Trojans should not be giving up 28 points to lowly San Jose State if they want to be in the national title hunt.  It’s the same old story at Southern Cal.  A porous ‘D’ that will cost them against better opponents at some point in the campaign.  This is a team that many believe should run the table prior to the CFP.

--One other…many picked UMass to be the worst of the 130-some D-I football teams this year.  But they beat New Mexico State on the road, 41-30, the Minutemen snapping a 24-game road losing streak.

UMass was 1-11 last season.  NMSU was actually 7-6 with a bowl win.

Go UMass!

--The ACC is nearing a deal to bring in Stanford, Cal and SMU.  SMU makes sense, I like it.  The other two, just stupid.  Insane road trips in the minor sports.  A freakin’ joke.

Wake should be poaching Rutgers…and Maryland, while we’re at it.  You know both of those schools would like it, the Terps have to admit they made a mistake in leaving the ACC.

NFL

--At 6:12 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, Aaron Rodgers made his debut for the Jets.  Us fans were on pins and needles, praying there wouldn’t be a freak injury, but Rodgers played two series, looking rusty at times, but then throwing a beautiful scoring strike to Garrett Wilson.  All good.  The rest of the game against the Giants was meaningless.

On to Week 1…Monday, Sept. 11, vs. the Bills at MetLife Stadium.

--The San Francisco 49ers traded quarterback Trey Lance to the Cowboys for a fourth-round draft pick less than three years after trading three first-round picks to draft him third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

So Lance, who lost out on the backup QB job to Sam Darnold (who is behind Brock Purdy), has a chance to salvage his career as potentially Dak Prescott’s backup.

The Cowboys will owe Lance $940,000 for the remainder of 2023 and $5.3 million in 2024, all of which is guaranteed, and will get to decide after this season whether or not to pick up his fifth-year option for 2025.

--Tampa Bay named Baker Mayfield its starter in Week 1 over Kyle Trask.  This will be Baker’s third different team in three seasons where he will be the Week 1 starter (the others being Carolina and Cleveland).

World Track and Field Championships

--I saw Noah Lyles, live, win the 200-meter gold on Friday in Budapest, to go along with his 100-meter gold, a rare double-double.

Lyles, 26, won the 200 in 19.52, as he ran away from 19-year-old American Erriyon Knight, who took the silver.  It was Lyles’ third straight world championship in his better race, the 200.

So now the flamboyant runner guns for Paris and the chance to become truly famous.  But as Lyles himself put it, he wants to “transcend the sport… I am the guy who wants to move past just being ‘track famous.’”

But Lyles shouldn’t have then thrown shade on the NBA champion Nuggets: “I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have world champion on their heads,” Lyles said, according to the Daily Mail. “World champion of what? The United States?  Don’t get me wrong, I love the U.S. at times.  But that ain’t the world.”

He did go on to point out at the World Athletics Championships, virtually every country is represented, all proudly representing their countries, and thus it is a true world championship. [He’s actually right.]

Also Friday, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson blitzed her field in the 200, 21.41, beating American Gabby Thomas by .4 seconds, with Sha’Carri Richardson taking bronze to go with her gold in the 100.

Jackson fell just short of Florence Griffith-Joyner’s record 21.32, which is nearly 35 years old.

--In other events since my Add-on post:

Britain’s Josh Kerr stunned Norway’s Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrightsen to take the 1500m gold.

Faith Kipyegan of Kenya won the women’s 1500.

American Grant Holloway won another 110m hurdles gold (his third), with fellow American Daniel Roberts taking the bronze.

In the women’s 440m hurdles, sans Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Femke Bol of the Netherlands won gold, American Shamier Little silver.

In the men’s 400m hurdles, Norway’s Karsten Warholm is back in form, winning the gold, while American Rai Benjamin was a disappointing third (for him).

In the women’s 400m final, also without Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (who would have selected this over the 400m hurdles if not for injury, it seems), Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic took gold.

In the men’s high jump, Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy took the gold, American JuVaughn Harrison the silver.

In the women’s pole vault, American Katie Moon and Australia’s Nina Kennedy agreed to share the gold…very cool.

Moon had won gold in Tokyo and took gold at last year’s worlds.

Team USA took gold and silver in the women’s discus, Laulauga Tausaga-Collins beating teammate Valarie Allman.

In the women’s triple jump, Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas took the gold over Ukrainian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, Ukraine’s first medal of the tournament, Rojas now having won every major championship in the event since 2019.  She did it on her last jump.

So then Saturday and Sunday….

The U.S. men and women both took gold in the 4X100 relay, the men defeating Italy, the women besting rival Jamaica.

Noah Lyles anchored for the U.S. and picked up his third gold, Sha’Carri Richardson anchored for the women, her second gold.

Today, the American men won the 4X400 relay, Rai Benjamin on anchor.

The U.S. women did not qualify for the final of the 4X400 due to a poor baton exchange in the qualifier…I did not know that the American offender, who will go nameless, suffered incredible vitriol on social media until just now. You bastards!  I saw the tape.  It was not egregious…just out of the box.  The gals will be there in Paris.

In the final, which I watched, in a stretch run for the ages, the Netherlands’ Femke Bol chased down Jamaica and Great Britain for a spectacular win for her team.

Also, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen defended his world title in the 5000, with Spain’s Mo Katir a terrific second.

And Chopra of India, the Tokyo Olympic champion, won the javelin, with Pakistan’s Nadeem taking the silver.  Understand, this is Pakistan’s first medal in world track and field competition.  Imagine what a hero this guy is in his country.  As for Chopra, he has six million social media followers!

In the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Yavi of Bahrain…Bahrain…took the gold.  She’ll get free meals at the finest restaurants in her country.  [I’d say free drinks, too, but guessing Yavi doesn’t imbibe like your editor does.]

And in the women’s 800, USA’s Athing Mu lost her first race in years, getting bronze, as Kenya’s Mary Moraa won the gold, and Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson the silver.  A terrific race, but Mu just hasn’t been in enough races this year and it showed.  [NBC’s Leigh Diffy also had a great comment before the race, that Mu, normally smiling all the time, hadn’t smiled once in Budapest.]

Team USA, otherwise, is in great shape heading to Paris, including in the field events.

29 Medals…12 Gold…next was Jamaica with 12 medals.

I’m glad I caught as much as I did of the Worlds.  Good stuff.

Soccer

--Inter Miami manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino said Friday that Lionel Messi’s availability for his potential MLS debut in New York (Harrison, N.J.) Saturday against the New York Red Bulls, was up in the air, this being the team’s seventh game in just 23 days.

The 36-year-old Messi has played every minute of Miami’s past six games and looked exhausted in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal win at FC Cincinnati, which went the maximum 120 minutes.  Messi claimed two assists and converted the opening kick in the penalty shootout victory.

Martino said he’ll need to give Messi a break “at least three times this year, and next year more.  We will have to find a solution.”

Messi has exceeded all expectations with 10 goals and three assists in eight appearances, the team 8-0, but with Miami at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference, Martino knows he needs to use Messi as much as possible the rest of the way.

The cheapest tickets at the 25,000-capacity Red Bull Arena were going for over $400 on secondary resale sites.  Hundreds of fans camped out Friday afternoon outside the team hotel, hoping to catch a glimpse of their hero.  Amazing stuff…like the Beatles, actually.

But you can’t risk injury.

So, I wrote the above early Saturday and it’s the back story.

Messi didn’t start, much to the chagrin of the packed crowd.

But he made his entrance to a thunderous reception in the 60th minute, and both set up and finished a goal to seal a 2-0 win for Inter Miami over the Red Bulls.  Goal number eleven for him in nine games…all wins.

--In the Premier League…

We’re just 3 matches into the season (of 38 in all), but Tottenham, sans-Harry Kane and with new Aussie manager Ange Postecoglou, is off to terrific start, two wins and a draw, including Saturday’s road win at Bournemouth 2-0.  Huh.

Arsenal was tied by Fulham yesterday, 2-2.

Today…two dramatic finishes….

Manchester City prevailed 2-1 at Sheffield on a goal by Rodri at the 88’ mark.

Liverpool, playing a man down the last 62+, got two late goals nonetheless from Darwin Nunez to take out Newcastle, 2-1, also on the road.

--Spanish soccer boss Luis Rubiales refused to quit on Friday for kissing star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory, fueling anger among players and government ministers who decried his actions as unacceptable macho behavior.

The government cannot sack Rubiales, who is head of the independent Royal Spanish Football Federation.  But he was suspended by FIFA using a legal procedure before a sports tribunal.

Rubiales has threatened legal action against Hermoso, which is beyond outrageous.  He claims she initiated physical contact by lifting him off the ground by his hips.  He said he asked Hermoso if he could give her “a little peck” and she said “OK.”

The incident occurred while the players were being handed their medals after they beat England 1-0 in the World Cup final in Sydney, and we all saw it (though evidently it wasn’t shown in Spain).

--In College Soccer, the season is underway, with defending champion Syracuse ranked No. 1 in the Unted Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.  Six ACC teams are in the top 25, with Wake Forest ranked 18th.  [Duke (4), Pitt (5), Clemson (9) and Virginia (15) the others.]

Wake won its opener Friday against Grand Canyon, 3-1.

NASCAR

They had the last regular-season race Saturday night at Daytona, before the 10-race playoff series, and it was almost a tragic night, as Ryan Preece survived a spectacular late crash where his car flipped at least ten times.

Preece was taken off on a stretcher and after staying in the hospital for overnight observation, was released Sunday morning and headed back home to North Carolina.  Just amazing. 

Preece was able to tweet just two hours after the race: “If you want to be a race car driver, you better be tough…I’m coming back.”

Earlier, Ryan Blaney was involved in another scary crash.

Chris Buescher ended up winning the race, eliminating fan favorite Chase Elliott from the playoffs and sending Bubba Wallace into the postseason.  It was Buescher’s third win in the last five races.  Wallace got the 16th and final playoff spot on points.  Elliott needed to win it to get into the playoffs.  He had missed six races after breaking his leg in a snowboarding accident in early March and it was too big a hole to dig out of.

Martin Truex Jr. took the regular-season championship over Denny Hamlin.

--Before the race, the 2004 NASCAR champion, Kurt Busch, announced his retirement at the age of 45, Busch choosing to call it a day at one of his favorite tracks, where he celebrated his win in the 2017 Daytona 500.

“My body is just having a battle with Father Time,” Busch said, adding he has dealt with arthritis and gout while trying to recover from a rear-impact collision he says rattled his brain.

Busch won 34 races over 23 years in the Cup Series.

It was last summer that Busch suffered a life-changing concussion during a qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway.  After slamming into a wall backward, the front end of his Toyota smacked it at a G-force that raised safety concerns about the Next Gen cars.

NASCAR then spent much of the offseason tweaking its car to try to limit the effects of rear-impact collisions that wreaked havoc on drivers in 2022.  The effort, including other safety features, seems to have worked, witness Ryan Preece being released from the hospital about 12 hours after an accident that a decade earlier might have killed him.  [There have also been no reported concussions this year thus far.]

Stuff

--Arcangelo, winner of the Belmont Stakes, won the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Springs, NY, on Saturday.  You have the Triple Crown races, finish with the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but in between you’ve always had the Travers.  It drives me crazy that they call it the “Mid-Summer Derby,” because it is freakin’ late summer, but we’ll let this slide.

More importantly, Arcangelo gave trainer Jena Antonucci her second major Grade 1 victory after winning the Belmont.  In a sport struggling mightily, with two horses dying at Saratoga yesterday on the undercard (seven for the meet), horse racing definitely needs a female presence in both training and ownership.

Arcangelo was ridden by Javier Catellano, who won his seventh Travers.  But aside from winning the Belmont with the horse, Castellano was also up on Kentucky Derby winner Mage!  That’s one helluva year.

--Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk knocked out British challenger Daniel Dubois in nine rounds in Wroclaw, Poland, on Saturday to retain his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight boxing titles in a fight overshadowed by a low blow controversy.

Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon counted out Dubois after he went down 48 seconds into the ninth round.  Dubois was also given a nine count at the end of the previous round but the key moment came in round five when Usyk, now 21-0, went down gasping for breath after being hit on the band of his shorts.  The referee ruled it a low blow and told Usyk to take his time as he remained on the canvas grimacing and shaking his head, with the round eventually continuing.

Dubois, who lasted longer than expected, said the blow was legal.  “I’ve been cheated out of victory tonight,” he told TNT Sports in the ring.  His promoter pointed out that “If it’s a low blow why didn’t he take points off (Dubois).”  [Reuters]

Meanwhile, Usyk said he’s ready to fight WBA heavyweight champion Tyson Fury if the Briton was willing.  This would finally…finally…unify the titles.

There were seven Ukrainians on the undercard and Ukrainian President Zelensky gave a pre-fight video address to the crowd.  “Ukraine is fighting because of the strength you’ll see.  The strength of our people as mighty as Oleksandr Usyk, the strength of our friends as solid as Daniel Dubois.”

--We learned that USC freshman guard Bronny James is expected to return to the court “in the very near future” after suffering cardiac arrest during a workout in July, the James family said in a statement Friday.

The likely cause of James’ cardiac arrest was a congenital heart defect, which was identified after an initial evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and follow-up evaluations at the Mayo Clinic, according to the family.

“It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated,” the statement said.  “We are very confident in Bronny’s full recovery and return to basketball in the very near future.”

--I have been reading some articles on the issue of theft at the world famous British Museum, many of which since the discovery they were missing have been found/returned. 

But this is an interesting fact for you museumgoers.  In the case of the British Museum, there are 8 million objects, of which only 1% is usually on display.  Ergo, the other 99% is supposed to be in safe keeping, but lots of people have access to it.  Imagine the Baseball Hall of Fame, or Smithsonian, for example.  A number of employees have been fired and/or are under investigation.

By the way, the Mona Lisa was missing for two years once, an inside job, 1911. 

Personally, she’s not my type.  I mean I’m not sure I’d like to have a beer with her, but that’s me.

--Speaking of babes, Bob Barker died, age 99.

Seriously, at least once a week the theme song for “The Price Is Right” pops into my head and that’s not a bad thing.  [As opposed to “Cavatina” from “The Deer Hunter”, which I find myself waking up to more often than not, and as beautiful as it is, I need something more cheerful.]

Ah yes, Barker’s Babes, who still grace the set today with Drew Carey as host, Barker having retired as same back in 2007.

As I tell my brother, one way to keep the brain sharp is to watch this show for at least 15 minutes each day, owing to, err, trying to guess the prize package prices yourself. 

Barker won 14 Daytime Emmy Awards for the show.  He once said it lasted as long as it did because “all our games are based on prices, and everyone can identify with that.”  See, he said this himself!

But to be serious, Barker was a giant in the cause of animal rights.  He quit as master of ceremonies for both the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants in 1988 because they gave fur coats as prizes.  He also protested the mistreatment of animals by their trainers on the sets of various movies and television shows.  And as he said at the end of every installment of “The Price Is Right,” “Help control the pet population.  Have your pets spayed or neutered,” a tradition Drew Carey has carried on.

Top 3 songs for the week 8/27/66: #1 “Summer In The City” (The Lovin’ Spoonful)  #2 “Sunny” (Bobby Hebb)  #3 “See You In September” (The Happenings)…and…#4 “Lil Red Riding Hood” (Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs)  #5 “Sunshine Superman” (Donovan)  #6 “Wild Thing” (The Troggs)  #7 “You Can’t Hurry Love” (The Supremes)  #8 “Yellow Submarine” (The Beatles)  #9 “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” (Petula Clark) #10 “Summertime” (Billy Stewart…A week…)

NFL/Notre Dame Quiz Answer: Eight who played for ND and later made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, playing at least some in the 1960s and beyond….

Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Nick Buoniconti
Dave Casper
Paul Hornung
Alan Page
Joe Montana
Bryant Young

Very brief Add-on up top sometime Tues. evening. Ryder Cup decision….



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Bar Chat

08/28/2023

Viktor Hovland Wins FedExCup Title!

Add-on posted Tuesday evening….

Golf Balls / Ryder Cup…Zach’s Captains Picks

U.S. Captain Zach Johnson made his six captain’s picks for Rome.

Joining the six already in (Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark and Patrick Cantlay) are….

Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas.

Koepka was seventh on the points list, Spieth 8th, Morikawa 10th, and Burns 12th, so for Zach, easier picks…and Burns and Scheffler are great friends and no doubt will be paired at some point.

The tough ones were Fowler (13th) and Thomas (15th) over Cam Young (9th), and Keegan Bradley (11th).

While I have written that it would be a travesty to put Thomas on the team given his poor play this year (71st in FedEx Cup points, missing the playoffs), I do get it.  He’s got a proven track record in Ryder Cup / Presidents Cup play, 6-2-1 in the Ryder Cup, 4-2 when paired with Spieth.

As for Young and Bradley, I feel most for Bradley, who has to be crushed. 

Tony Finau is another who may have been a bit disappointed, but just not good enough results this season.

If Bryson DeChambeau complains, tell him to go pound sand.

That said, I thought Koepka might be left off due to personal issues back home, but very glad he’s on the team.  This helps bring peace between the PGA Tour and LIV when it comes to the negotiations between the Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund.  And we all know, Koepka has hardly been a LIV table-pounder like DeChambeau and primo-asshole Patrick Reed.

Reminder, the U.S. hasn’t won on European soil in 30 years.

--Back to the Tour Championship, yes, it’s official.  Viktor Hovland is a superstar.  To win two straight playoff events in crushing fashion is what stars are made of…Tigeresque.

And having him on the Euro Ryder Cup team is a huge plus for them.

By the way, kudos to CBS for a terrific bit on Hovland and his swing coach going back to Memphis, where they showed Hovland’s post-first-round work on the driving range, as the two dissected things and the coach, whose name escapes me, convinced Hovland his hands were getting too high on the back swing and he wasn’t on a good plane through the ball and, presto, Hovland has been magical since.

--I have to go back to Sunday on the PGA Tour Champions and Vijay Singh’s first win on the senior circuit in nearly five years.  Singh, and everyone else, were shocked he emerged victorious, at age 60, when Paul Goydos, with Singh in the clubhouse, held a one-shot lead over Vijay heading to the par-3 17th hole. 

Goydos left his tee shot 18 feet from the hole.  Two putts for the par, then par No. 18 and the title is his.

Only Goydos proceeded to five-putt, four putts from three feet.  That put him two behind Singh, who was incredulous when he saw the leaderboard change drastically in the clubhouse, not knowing how it happened.  The video is gruesome.

MLB Bits

--Aaron Judge homered Monday night in a meaningless game against the Tigers, No. 29, the Yanks winning 4-1.

Luis Severino, however, in a late-season bid to get a contract for 2024, threw seven scoreless, after 6 2/3 of one-hit ball his last time out.  Quite a turnaround, his ERA down to a still putrid 6.64.  But this is the pitcher the team was hoping to have all season.

Back to Judge, Monday was game No. 84.  If he had been available for 150, he’s on a pace for 51 home runs.

Well, today, the Yankees placed Harrison Bader, mired in a 5-for-46 slump, on waivers, and released Josh Donaldson, who hit 25 home runs in 584 ABs over two seasons in New York, but batted .207, with a .678 OPS, and for this he was paid $43,500,000, with an $8m buyout.  Yankees fans, for good reason, literally hated this guy.  And hate Brian Cashman for freakin’ trading for him.

--Ronald Acuna Jr. went 4-for-5 Monday night against the Rockies, despite a scary episode when two fans ran out onto the field to get their pictures taken with him…and one of the guys in particular looked rather crazed.  Thank God, Acuna wasn’t hurt as he fell backwards at one point.  I hope these two get prison time.

But talk about an MVP race for the ages…these are the stats of the three favorites thru Monday.

Acuna: .335 batting average, 29 home runs, 79 RBIs, 61 steals (as he’s about to become the first 30-60 player in baseball history), 119 runs scored, .989 OPS

Mookie Betts: .312 BA, 35 HR, 93 RBI, 110 runs, 1.011 OPS

Freddie Freeman: .340 BA, 24 HR, 87 RBI, 50 doubles!, .998 OPS

Down in fourth place is Atlanta’s Matt Olson, .272 BA, 43 HR, 112 RBI, .979 OPS.

This vote is going to be fascinating.

Regarding Freeman, there have only been six players with 60 doubles and Freddie has a helluva shot at hitting that magic mark.  While any baseball fan worth his salt knows Earl Webb holds the all-time mark at 67, it’s still amazing that no one has reached 60 since Joe Medwick (64) and Charlie Gehringer (60) way back in 1936.

Freeman also now has 464 doubles for his career, placing him 97th on the all-time list.  If (when) he gets to 600, that’s top 20 all time.

--How have Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander done since their trades from the Mets?  Quite well, thank you.

Scherzer, 3-1, 2.64, 5 starts (one of them a poor one)
Verlander, 4-1, 2.79, 5 starts (also one poor effort)

Both the Rangers and Astros should be very happy.

On the flip side, baseball folks are still asking, what the heck were the Cleveland Guardians thinking when they traded Amed Rosario to the Dodgers for starter Noah Syndergaard.  I said at the time this was one of the worst trades of all time and Syndergaard was DFA’d Sunday after going 1-2, 5.40, in six starts for Cleveland.

Through Monday, Rosario was batting .243, but with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs in 70 at-bats, and a respectable .741 OPS.  He has been a contributor and still has a bright future.

--Jose Altuve hit for the cycle for the first time in his career, Monday, in the Astros’ 13-5 win over the Red Sox in Fenway Park.  Kind of surprising.

Only six players overall have hit for the cycle at Fenway Park, also surprising.

Altuve finished with four hits, four RBIs, four runs.

--So much for my praise of the Mets’ bullpen after 7 1/3 scoreless on Sunday.  Monday, the Mets blew a 3-1 eighth-inning lead against Texas, the Rangers pulling it out 4-3 in the ninth, wasting six solid innings (one run) by Tylor Megill.  Huge win for Texas.

Meanwhile, all of Metsville has one topic at the top of mind these days, Pete Alonso.  He wants a monster 8-year, $240 million+ contract, Pete being a free agent after 2024, and no way the Mets give him that.  I like the talk of potentially 5 years, $150m, perhaps.

Otherwise, I have zero issue in trading him.  As great a Met as he’s been, he is hitting just .220 this season and his months-long slump in the middle of the campaign killed us.

Is this the new Alonso for the rest of his career, a .230 or so hitter who hits 40 home runs but otherwise fails in the clutch more often than not?  Who knows.

I trust management not to give him away, and we have him for 2024 if we want and he refuses to sign a reasonable deal, at which point we’d trade him at the 2024 deadline, but a lot of teams will be after him this offseason and we should be able to get at least two top-5 prospects and a respectable current pitcher in return.

--The Angels placed six players on waivers, and I’m going to post before having time to get into it (the Mets doing the same with Carlos Carrasco…as the Yankees did with Bader), but it was a startling move to place that many on waivers at one time.

Until claimed, though, the players can keep playing for their current team, and as I post, the Angels’ Randal Grichuk is 3-for-3, two doubles as L.A. is getting blown out by the Phillies.

--The Dodgers’ Tony Gonsolin is officially out for the season, and 2024, as the team announced he will undergo Tommy John surgery.

Gonsolin was a rather gaudy 16-1, 2.14, in 24 starts in 2022, but just 130 innings, and he was off to a terrific start in 2023, 4-1, 1.93, his first nine outings.  But boy did he suck thereafter, and finishes 8-5, 4.98.  No big loss for L.A. in the postseason, as long as Kershaw stays healthy.

--We note the passing of former catcher and manager, Pat Corrales, who died Monday at 82.

Corrales played for the Phillies, Reds and Padres from 1964 to 1973, a classic backup, never receiving 200 at-bats in any campaign and hitting .216 for his career.  When you got a Pat Corrales in your pack of cards back then, it wasn’t a good day for you (unless a Mickey Mantle or Tom Seaver was in the pack as well).

As a manager, Corrales was mediocre for Texas, Philadelphia and Cleveland.

I’m sorry…I can’t come up with more.  Fergie Jenkins, in sending his condolences to the family, spoke fondly of Corrales, and having met Fergie (through Willie Wilson), I’ll let him have the last word.

“Sad to hear about the passing of Pat Corrales.  We had quite a few battles on the field, Pat was a great guy, a great teammate, and a friend.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the Corrales family.”

College Football

--We have a few games this Saturday worthy of interest…Coach Prime has Colorado at 17 TCU; 3 Ohio State at Indiana; West Virginia at 7 Penn State; 21 North Carolina at South Carolina.

--But Sunday night, 5 LSU at 8 Florida State.  And Monday, 9 Clemson at Duke, the Blue Devils with high expectations.

Thursday, Wake Forest starts out at home against Elon.  Us Demon Deacon fans are very curious to see how we look with new starting quarterback Mitch Griffis…eleven new starters overall, but that’s deceiving, as many of these players are in their fourth year, at least.

[Until the CFP rankings start to be revealed, I use AP rankings.]

--Sports Illustrated’s Top Ten….

1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Penn State
4. LSU
5. Ohio State
6. Washington
7. Alabama
8. Florida State
9. USC
10. Clemson

12. Notre Dame

A good cheerleader Final Four would be Bama, FSU, USC and Clemson, I can’t help but add.

Stuff

--Summit’s Michael Badgley was cut by Tennessee after going 3-for-4 on field goals in last weekend’s exhibition game (the miss from 39).  As I noted, days earlier he had been cut by Washington.

There are already more than a few teams looking for kickers approaching Week One, and Badgley will find a home, somewhere, between Weeks 4 and 8, is my guess.

--You have to feel for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jakeem Grant, who is sidelined for a second straight season, this time with a knee injury after missing 2022 due to an Achilles tear.

Grant is also a terrific kick returner, with six touchdowns in his NFL career (4 PR, 2 KR).

--This is too early, but the college basketball season is just ten weeks away, and with rosters finally set, The Athletic published a preseason top 25.  Herewith just the top ten.

1. Kansas
2. Marquette…huh, this would be fun…
3. Duke
4. Purdue
5. Tennessee
6. Michigan State
7. UConn
8. Arizona
9. Creighton
10. Baylor

--Congrats to Simone Biles, who has come all the back from the issues in Tokyo to claim her eighth all-around national title Sunday night in San Jose, Ca.  At 26, she is the oldest woman to win.

On to Paris?  Sure seems so.  That would be pretty amazing…NBC is certainly hoping she’s there.

--Good lord…did you see the alligator caught by four hunters in Mississippi the other day, the largest gator ever taken in the state…802.5 pounds, more than 14 feet long!

This authentically prehistoric-looking monster was taken out of the Yahoo River on the second day of Mississippi’s alligator hunting season.

Don Woods, one of the four men who killed the gator, told the Clarion Ledger that he and his companions – all seasoned alligator hunters – took seven hours to reel it in, helped by the fact the gator tired out before they did.

New Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

-----

[Posted Sunday p.m. after FedExCup Finals]

Add-on up top Tuesday evening.

NFL/Notre Dame Quiz:  In honor of the Fighting Irish being in Dublin, Ireland this weekend (I can’t believe I’m writing this), name the eight ND alum who then made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (as players), who also played at least some in the 1960s and beyond.  Answer below.

Golf Balls

--At the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Ga., due to the format, Scottie Scheffler started out at -10, a two-shot lead over Vicktor Hovland, 3 over Rory McIlroy, as the reward for season-long excellence.

But Scheffler picked a poor time for his worst round of the season, given the import, a one-over 71, while Collin Morikawa was shooting a career-best 61, -9, and after just one round we had a golf tournament.

Morikawa -10
Keegan Bradley -10…after a 63
Hovland -10
Scheffler -9

Rory and Jon Rahm were at -7, with Rory saying he had a bad back suffered working out at home.

After two rounds…

Hovland -16
Morikawa -16…both with 64s
Scheffler -14…bounce-back 65
Bradley -13
Xander Schauffele -12
Rahm -12
McIlroy -10

But after three, Viktor Hovland had taken control….

Hovland -20
Schauffele -14
Morikawa -13
Bradley -13…making his Ryder Cup bid…
Scheffler -11
Rahm -11
Wyndham Clark -11

Reminder, if you didn’t watch today…this is what they are playing for….

1. $18,000,000
2. $6,500,000
3. $5,000,000
4. $4,000,000
5. $3,000,000

So we’re going to have some $1,000,000 putts, or more, late in the fourth round.

And despite Viktor Hovland playing well, after 12, and 15, Xander Schauffele had cut the lead to 3.

Hovland -24
Schauffele -21

Hovland made a massive long par putt on No. 14 to keep it three.

Schauffele then pars No. 16, but Hovland birdies it…lead four and the title heading to Norway.

Lead five after 17.

By the way, the most expensive beer in the world is in Scandinavia…so Viktor needs that $18 million. At least I would.

And the final….

Hovland -27…63…a great champion who now has the world by the balls…
Schauffele -22…62
Clark -16
McIlroy -14
Cantlay -13

--Tuesday, Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson will name his six “captain’s picks.”  I’ll have this in my Tuesday evening Add-on.  But I had an analysis in last week’s Add-on…so if you missed it, hit the archives.

--At a news conference on Tuesday, Commissioner Jay Monahan said he remained confident that the PGA Tour will reach an agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia and the DP World Tour by the end of the year, saying the Tour is in the “driver’s seat” and “in a position to control our future.”

But Monahan would not get into any specifics about negotiations, which he said are ongoing.

On the issue of the Tour’s 2024 opener, The Sentry Championship at the Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui, Monahan said the Tour is planning on playing the opener there, despite the devastating wildfires in nearby Lahaina.

‘We hope to be a source of inspiration for the great people of Maui and Lahaina by the time that we get to Maui in January,” Monahan said.  He added he has been in communication with Hawaii’s governor Josh Green on several occasions to determine a proper course of action.

“If it looks like (playing there) is not a possibility, then we’ll go to plan B.  I want to be clear, there’s no indication that we won’t be back there. We’re just trying to be respectful.”

[Late Saturday, there was another evacuation in west Maui due to a wildfire.]

--On the Korn Ferry Tour, as we follow our two official Bar Chat golfers and their quest to get their PGA Tour card, they held the first of four playoff events and Ryan McCormick finished T13, moving from 20 to 19 on the points list.  He’s in great shape.

But Thomas Walsh is not…a missed cut, falling from 47 to 50.  C’mon Thomas.  Make your parents, college classmates of mine, proud.  [They certainly have sacrificed a lot for the lad, who went to Virginia.]

--Congratulations to former president Donald Trump, who posted on Truth Social Saturday that he won his Senior Club Championship at Trump National Golf Club in nearby Bedminster, “shooting a round of 67.  Now, some people will think that sounds low, but there is no hanky/panky.  Many people watch, plus I am surrounded by Secret Service Agents.  Not much you can do even if you wanted to, and I don’t.

“For some reason, I am just a good golfer/athlete – I have won many Club championships, and it’s always a great honor!”

Now discuss amongst yourselves.

MLB

--Wild Card Standings thru Saturday….

AL

Tampa Bay 79-52…+5
Texas 73-56…--
Seattle 73-56…--
Houston 73-58…1
Toronto 71-59…2.5
Boston 69-61…4.5

AL West

Texas 73-56…--
Seattle 73-56…--
Houston 73-58…1

NL

Philadelphia 71-58…+3.5
Chicago 68-61…+0.5
Arizona 68-62…--
Cincinnati 68-63…0.5
San Francisco 66-63…1.5
Miami 65-65…3

--The Baseball World was shocked, and somewhat saddened, to learn that Shohei Ohtani has a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and will not pitch the rest of the season for the Angels.

Tommy John surgery is a possibility, which would be his second and mean he couldn’t pitch in 2024.  The same day, the team put Mike Trout back on the IL as the pain from his broken hamate bone in his left hand is too severe, Trout having played just one game after coming off the IL.

But in Ohtani’s case, this injury will severely impact his free agency.  He was looking at a contract for a minimum of $500 million.  But would a team risk not having Ohtani on the mound for at least the first year of a contract…or an Ohtani whose use in terms of pitching could be severely limited?  There are pitchers who have continued their careers even with this injury, and no surgery, but their use had to be carefully monitored…see Masahiro Tanaka and Seth Lugo.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal says Ohtani is still worth at least $500 million.  Aaron Judge, after all, received nine years, $360 million, and he can’t pitch.  Plus Ohtani doesn’t turn 30 until next July, while Judge signed his deal at age 30.

You can go on and on with this topic, and this is going to be one helluva offseason for the lad.

Meanwhile, imagine being an Angels fan.  Trout has not played 120 games in a season since 2019.  Anthony Rendon has not played 60 games in a season since 2019.

They awarded Tyler Anderson a $39 million contract after posting a 2.57 ERA  for the Dodgers last season, and he has a 5.35 ERA this season, 4.31 for his career.

Ohtani was in New York this weekend as the Angels played the Mets, and Friday night he was in the lineup at DH, 1-for-2, a double, and three walks, in L.A.’s 3-1 win, despite the Mets’ Kodai Senga strong effort, now 10-7, 3.17.

Saturday, the Angels won again, 5-3, as Ohtani was 2-for-3, an RBI-triple (his eighth), and two more walks.

The Mets’ much-maligned bullpen was heroic in defeat…7 1/3, no runs, 2 hits, in relief of godawful Carlos Carrasco, who fell to 3-8, 6.80!  Why he is still allowed out there I’ll never know.  Johnny Schmo would be better…anybody….

So heading into Sunday’s Peacock contest, the Angels were 63-67, trying to head off their eighth consecutive losing season. 

But the Mets prevailed, 3-2, Ohtani 0-for-4.  Mets fans are happy to see David Peterson look terrific for seven innings, one run.

--Speaking of awful pitching performances in 2023, I can’t help but note that in Saturday’s 15-2 Seattle win over Kansas City, the Royals’ Jordan Lyles fell to 3-15, 6.51, after yielding 7 earned in 3 innings.

--Speaking of awful in general, the Yankees entered Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay 62-67.  Wednesday, it took three home runs from Aaron Judge to snap a 9-game losing streak, during which the Yanks hit .176.

They then lost Thursday, won Friday, and lost yesterday to the Rays’ Tyler Glasnow (7-4, 3.12) and Co., 3-0, the Yanks with two hits.

Friday, in New York’s 6-2 win, Gerrit Cole did enhance his Cy Young chances with 7 2/3, 1 earned, 11 Ks, improving to 11-4, 2.95.  The Rays’ Zach Eflin, also in the Cy Young hunt, gave up 2 runs in six innings, 11 Ks, in falling to 13-8, 3.55.

Today, Sunday, the Yanks blew a 4-2 lead and the Rays won 7-4.  Aaron Judge is 1-for-16 since his 3-homer game.

New York is 14-30 since July 4.  Aaron Boone is a dead man walking.

--The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts made his return to Fenway Park, the Dodgers taking 2 of 3, Betts 7-for-15 in his return, including his 35th home run today in a 7-4 win.

--Stephen Strasburg will announce his retirement from the Washington Nationals.  The 35-year-old was star of the 2019 postseason, becoming the first pitcher to go 5-0 in a single postseason and the first No. 1 pick to win World Series MVP.

Strasburg then signed a huge extension after the World Series, but struggled with a litany of injuries: carpal tunnel neuritis, shoulder inflammation, neck strain, thoracic outlet syndrome, stress reaction in ribcage, thoracic outlet syndrome (again).  In June, he was reportedly dealing with severe nerve damage.

Since 2019, he has made just eight starts.  He has not pitched in over a year.

Strasburg’s career began in 2010 with a dazzling 14-strikeout debut.  In eight full seasons, 2012-2019, at least 22 starts in each, but only three seasons of 30+ starts, he never had an ERA over 3.74, and had two top-5 Cy Young finishes.

Strasburg ended up 113-62, 3.24, with 1,723 strikeouts.  He made three All-Star teams.

A news conference is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 9 at Nationals Park.  There are issues to be hammered out regarding his contract. He’s been paid $35 million a year beginning in 2020, despite just the eight starts, and was to be paid $35 million a year for 2024-26.  Normally in such a situation, the player and team negotiate a settlement for lower money on the remaining contract.

But despite all the money and zero production, Nats fans are far from bitter.  They got their title, and he was the primary reason for it.  Stephen Strasburg did his job when called on in the most important moments in team history.  That’s a stud.  Forever a legend in Washington who I’m sure will be warmly welcomed at the park in future years.

--The Rays’ Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball “until further notice” as the league continues its investigations into allegations against him, specifically whether or not he has had an inappropriate relationship with underage women.  The Associated Press confirmed that a prosecutor in the D.R. was investigating Franco under a division specializing in minors and gender violence.

College Football

--No. 13 Notre Dame opened up the 2023 college football season with a resounding 42-3 win over Navy in Dublin, Ireland, yesterday.  It was the debut of former Wake Forest star quarterback Sam Hartman, and as the announcers said (Jason Garrett was good, by the way), Hartman’s extensive experience showed.  He was cool, calm and collected…19 of 23, 251 yards, four touchdowns.  The perfect beginning.  Mark R., ND alum, was proudly in the stands with wife Judy (aka Judy R.), and 39,000 other Americans who made the trek, most of them fans of the Fighting Irish.  Mark said a good time was had by all.

And not for nothing, but the game, and all 39,000 tacking on vacations on the Emerald Isle either before the contest or after, pumped about $160 million into the Irish economy.

--No. 6 USC, 31.5-point favorites going in, failed to cover in a 56-28 win over San Jose State.

Returning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams was solid, 18/25, 278, 4-0, but the star was freshman Zachariah Branch, who had 232 all-purpose yards, including a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and three punt returns for 66 yards.  [Four receptions for another 58, and 12 rushing.]

That said, once again the Trojans should not be giving up 28 points to lowly San Jose State if they want to be in the national title hunt.  It’s the same old story at Southern Cal.  A porous ‘D’ that will cost them against better opponents at some point in the campaign.  This is a team that many believe should run the table prior to the CFP.

--One other…many picked UMass to be the worst of the 130-some D-I football teams this year.  But they beat New Mexico State on the road, 41-30, the Minutemen snapping a 24-game road losing streak.

UMass was 1-11 last season.  NMSU was actually 7-6 with a bowl win.

Go UMass!

--The ACC is nearing a deal to bring in Stanford, Cal and SMU.  SMU makes sense, I like it.  The other two, just stupid.  Insane road trips in the minor sports.  A freakin’ joke.

Wake should be poaching Rutgers…and Maryland, while we’re at it.  You know both of those schools would like it, the Terps have to admit they made a mistake in leaving the ACC.

NFL

--At 6:12 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, Aaron Rodgers made his debut for the Jets.  Us fans were on pins and needles, praying there wouldn’t be a freak injury, but Rodgers played two series, looking rusty at times, but then throwing a beautiful scoring strike to Garrett Wilson.  All good.  The rest of the game against the Giants was meaningless.

On to Week 1…Monday, Sept. 11, vs. the Bills at MetLife Stadium.

--The San Francisco 49ers traded quarterback Trey Lance to the Cowboys for a fourth-round draft pick less than three years after trading three first-round picks to draft him third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

So Lance, who lost out on the backup QB job to Sam Darnold (who is behind Brock Purdy), has a chance to salvage his career as potentially Dak Prescott’s backup.

The Cowboys will owe Lance $940,000 for the remainder of 2023 and $5.3 million in 2024, all of which is guaranteed, and will get to decide after this season whether or not to pick up his fifth-year option for 2025.

--Tampa Bay named Baker Mayfield its starter in Week 1 over Kyle Trask.  This will be Baker’s third different team in three seasons where he will be the Week 1 starter (the others being Carolina and Cleveland).

World Track and Field Championships

--I saw Noah Lyles, live, win the 200-meter gold on Friday in Budapest, to go along with his 100-meter gold, a rare double-double.

Lyles, 26, won the 200 in 19.52, as he ran away from 19-year-old American Erriyon Knight, who took the silver.  It was Lyles’ third straight world championship in his better race, the 200.

So now the flamboyant runner guns for Paris and the chance to become truly famous.  But as Lyles himself put it, he wants to “transcend the sport… I am the guy who wants to move past just being ‘track famous.’”

But Lyles shouldn’t have then thrown shade on the NBA champion Nuggets: “I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have world champion on their heads,” Lyles said, according to the Daily Mail. “World champion of what? The United States?  Don’t get me wrong, I love the U.S. at times.  But that ain’t the world.”

He did go on to point out at the World Athletics Championships, virtually every country is represented, all proudly representing their countries, and thus it is a true world championship. [He’s actually right.]

Also Friday, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson blitzed her field in the 200, 21.41, beating American Gabby Thomas by .4 seconds, with Sha’Carri Richardson taking bronze to go with her gold in the 100.

Jackson fell just short of Florence Griffith-Joyner’s record 21.32, which is nearly 35 years old.

--In other events since my Add-on post:

Britain’s Josh Kerr stunned Norway’s Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrightsen to take the 1500m gold.

Faith Kipyegan of Kenya won the women’s 1500.

American Grant Holloway won another 110m hurdles gold (his third), with fellow American Daniel Roberts taking the bronze.

In the women’s 440m hurdles, sans Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Femke Bol of the Netherlands won gold, American Shamier Little silver.

In the men’s 400m hurdles, Norway’s Karsten Warholm is back in form, winning the gold, while American Rai Benjamin was a disappointing third (for him).

In the women’s 400m final, also without Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (who would have selected this over the 400m hurdles if not for injury, it seems), Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic took gold.

In the men’s high jump, Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy took the gold, American JuVaughn Harrison the silver.

In the women’s pole vault, American Katie Moon and Australia’s Nina Kennedy agreed to share the gold…very cool.

Moon had won gold in Tokyo and took gold at last year’s worlds.

Team USA took gold and silver in the women’s discus, Laulauga Tausaga-Collins beating teammate Valarie Allman.

In the women’s triple jump, Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas took the gold over Ukrainian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, Ukraine’s first medal of the tournament, Rojas now having won every major championship in the event since 2019.  She did it on her last jump.

So then Saturday and Sunday….

The U.S. men and women both took gold in the 4X100 relay, the men defeating Italy, the women besting rival Jamaica.

Noah Lyles anchored for the U.S. and picked up his third gold, Sha’Carri Richardson anchored for the women, her second gold.

Today, the American men won the 4X400 relay, Rai Benjamin on anchor.

The U.S. women did not qualify for the final of the 4X400 due to a poor baton exchange in the qualifier…I did not know that the American offender, who will go nameless, suffered incredible vitriol on social media until just now. You bastards!  I saw the tape.  It was not egregious…just out of the box.  The gals will be there in Paris.

In the final, which I watched, in a stretch run for the ages, the Netherlands’ Femke Bol chased down Jamaica and Great Britain for a spectacular win for her team.

Also, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen defended his world title in the 5000, with Spain’s Mo Katir a terrific second.

And Chopra of India, the Tokyo Olympic champion, won the javelin, with Pakistan’s Nadeem taking the silver.  Understand, this is Pakistan’s first medal in world track and field competition.  Imagine what a hero this guy is in his country.  As for Chopra, he has six million social media followers!

In the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase, Yavi of Bahrain…Bahrain…took the gold.  She’ll get free meals at the finest restaurants in her country.  [I’d say free drinks, too, but guessing Yavi doesn’t imbibe like your editor does.]

And in the women’s 800, USA’s Athing Mu lost her first race in years, getting bronze, as Kenya’s Mary Moraa won the gold, and Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson the silver.  A terrific race, but Mu just hasn’t been in enough races this year and it showed.  [NBC’s Leigh Diffy also had a great comment before the race, that Mu, normally smiling all the time, hadn’t smiled once in Budapest.]

Team USA, otherwise, is in great shape heading to Paris, including in the field events.

29 Medals…12 Gold…next was Jamaica with 12 medals.

I’m glad I caught as much as I did of the Worlds.  Good stuff.

Soccer

--Inter Miami manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino said Friday that Lionel Messi’s availability for his potential MLS debut in New York (Harrison, N.J.) Saturday against the New York Red Bulls, was up in the air, this being the team’s seventh game in just 23 days.

The 36-year-old Messi has played every minute of Miami’s past six games and looked exhausted in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal win at FC Cincinnati, which went the maximum 120 minutes.  Messi claimed two assists and converted the opening kick in the penalty shootout victory.

Martino said he’ll need to give Messi a break “at least three times this year, and next year more.  We will have to find a solution.”

Messi has exceeded all expectations with 10 goals and three assists in eight appearances, the team 8-0, but with Miami at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference, Martino knows he needs to use Messi as much as possible the rest of the way.

The cheapest tickets at the 25,000-capacity Red Bull Arena were going for over $400 on secondary resale sites.  Hundreds of fans camped out Friday afternoon outside the team hotel, hoping to catch a glimpse of their hero.  Amazing stuff…like the Beatles, actually.

But you can’t risk injury.

So, I wrote the above early Saturday and it’s the back story.

Messi didn’t start, much to the chagrin of the packed crowd.

But he made his entrance to a thunderous reception in the 60th minute, and both set up and finished a goal to seal a 2-0 win for Inter Miami over the Red Bulls.  Goal number eleven for him in nine games…all wins.

--In the Premier League…

We’re just 3 matches into the season (of 38 in all), but Tottenham, sans-Harry Kane and with new Aussie manager Ange Postecoglou, is off to terrific start, two wins and a draw, including Saturday’s road win at Bournemouth 2-0.  Huh.

Arsenal was tied by Fulham yesterday, 2-2.

Today…two dramatic finishes….

Manchester City prevailed 2-1 at Sheffield on a goal by Rodri at the 88’ mark.

Liverpool, playing a man down the last 62+, got two late goals nonetheless from Darwin Nunez to take out Newcastle, 2-1, also on the road.

--Spanish soccer boss Luis Rubiales refused to quit on Friday for kissing star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory, fueling anger among players and government ministers who decried his actions as unacceptable macho behavior.

The government cannot sack Rubiales, who is head of the independent Royal Spanish Football Federation.  But he was suspended by FIFA using a legal procedure before a sports tribunal.

Rubiales has threatened legal action against Hermoso, which is beyond outrageous.  He claims she initiated physical contact by lifting him off the ground by his hips.  He said he asked Hermoso if he could give her “a little peck” and she said “OK.”

The incident occurred while the players were being handed their medals after they beat England 1-0 in the World Cup final in Sydney, and we all saw it (though evidently it wasn’t shown in Spain).

--In College Soccer, the season is underway, with defending champion Syracuse ranked No. 1 in the Unted Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll.  Six ACC teams are in the top 25, with Wake Forest ranked 18th.  [Duke (4), Pitt (5), Clemson (9) and Virginia (15) the others.]

Wake won its opener Friday against Grand Canyon, 3-1.

NASCAR

They had the last regular-season race Saturday night at Daytona, before the 10-race playoff series, and it was almost a tragic night, as Ryan Preece survived a spectacular late crash where his car flipped at least ten times.

Preece was taken off on a stretcher and after staying in the hospital for overnight observation, was released Sunday morning and headed back home to North Carolina.  Just amazing. 

Preece was able to tweet just two hours after the race: “If you want to be a race car driver, you better be tough…I’m coming back.”

Earlier, Ryan Blaney was involved in another scary crash.

Chris Buescher ended up winning the race, eliminating fan favorite Chase Elliott from the playoffs and sending Bubba Wallace into the postseason.  It was Buescher’s third win in the last five races.  Wallace got the 16th and final playoff spot on points.  Elliott needed to win it to get into the playoffs.  He had missed six races after breaking his leg in a snowboarding accident in early March and it was too big a hole to dig out of.

Martin Truex Jr. took the regular-season championship over Denny Hamlin.

--Before the race, the 2004 NASCAR champion, Kurt Busch, announced his retirement at the age of 45, Busch choosing to call it a day at one of his favorite tracks, where he celebrated his win in the 2017 Daytona 500.

“My body is just having a battle with Father Time,” Busch said, adding he has dealt with arthritis and gout while trying to recover from a rear-impact collision he says rattled his brain.

Busch won 34 races over 23 years in the Cup Series.

It was last summer that Busch suffered a life-changing concussion during a qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway.  After slamming into a wall backward, the front end of his Toyota smacked it at a G-force that raised safety concerns about the Next Gen cars.

NASCAR then spent much of the offseason tweaking its car to try to limit the effects of rear-impact collisions that wreaked havoc on drivers in 2022.  The effort, including other safety features, seems to have worked, witness Ryan Preece being released from the hospital about 12 hours after an accident that a decade earlier might have killed him.  [There have also been no reported concussions this year thus far.]

Stuff

--Arcangelo, winner of the Belmont Stakes, won the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Springs, NY, on Saturday.  You have the Triple Crown races, finish with the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but in between you’ve always had the Travers.  It drives me crazy that they call it the “Mid-Summer Derby,” because it is freakin’ late summer, but we’ll let this slide.

More importantly, Arcangelo gave trainer Jena Antonucci her second major Grade 1 victory after winning the Belmont.  In a sport struggling mightily, with two horses dying at Saratoga yesterday on the undercard (seven for the meet), horse racing definitely needs a female presence in both training and ownership.

Arcangelo was ridden by Javier Catellano, who won his seventh Travers.  But aside from winning the Belmont with the horse, Castellano was also up on Kentucky Derby winner Mage!  That’s one helluva year.

--Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk knocked out British challenger Daniel Dubois in nine rounds in Wroclaw, Poland, on Saturday to retain his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight boxing titles in a fight overshadowed by a low blow controversy.

Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon counted out Dubois after he went down 48 seconds into the ninth round.  Dubois was also given a nine count at the end of the previous round but the key moment came in round five when Usyk, now 21-0, went down gasping for breath after being hit on the band of his shorts.  The referee ruled it a low blow and told Usyk to take his time as he remained on the canvas grimacing and shaking his head, with the round eventually continuing.

Dubois, who lasted longer than expected, said the blow was legal.  “I’ve been cheated out of victory tonight,” he told TNT Sports in the ring.  His promoter pointed out that “If it’s a low blow why didn’t he take points off (Dubois).”  [Reuters]

Meanwhile, Usyk said he’s ready to fight WBA heavyweight champion Tyson Fury if the Briton was willing.  This would finally…finally…unify the titles.

There were seven Ukrainians on the undercard and Ukrainian President Zelensky gave a pre-fight video address to the crowd.  “Ukraine is fighting because of the strength you’ll see.  The strength of our people as mighty as Oleksandr Usyk, the strength of our friends as solid as Daniel Dubois.”

--We learned that USC freshman guard Bronny James is expected to return to the court “in the very near future” after suffering cardiac arrest during a workout in July, the James family said in a statement Friday.

The likely cause of James’ cardiac arrest was a congenital heart defect, which was identified after an initial evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and follow-up evaluations at the Mayo Clinic, according to the family.

“It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated,” the statement said.  “We are very confident in Bronny’s full recovery and return to basketball in the very near future.”

--I have been reading some articles on the issue of theft at the world famous British Museum, many of which since the discovery they were missing have been found/returned. 

But this is an interesting fact for you museumgoers.  In the case of the British Museum, there are 8 million objects, of which only 1% is usually on display.  Ergo, the other 99% is supposed to be in safe keeping, but lots of people have access to it.  Imagine the Baseball Hall of Fame, or Smithsonian, for example.  A number of employees have been fired and/or are under investigation.

By the way, the Mona Lisa was missing for two years once, an inside job, 1911. 

Personally, she’s not my type.  I mean I’m not sure I’d like to have a beer with her, but that’s me.

--Speaking of babes, Bob Barker died, age 99.

Seriously, at least once a week the theme song for “The Price Is Right” pops into my head and that’s not a bad thing.  [As opposed to “Cavatina” from “The Deer Hunter”, which I find myself waking up to more often than not, and as beautiful as it is, I need something more cheerful.]

Ah yes, Barker’s Babes, who still grace the set today with Drew Carey as host, Barker having retired as same back in 2007.

As I tell my brother, one way to keep the brain sharp is to watch this show for at least 15 minutes each day, owing to, err, trying to guess the prize package prices yourself. 

Barker won 14 Daytime Emmy Awards for the show.  He once said it lasted as long as it did because “all our games are based on prices, and everyone can identify with that.”  See, he said this himself!

But to be serious, Barker was a giant in the cause of animal rights.  He quit as master of ceremonies for both the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants in 1988 because they gave fur coats as prizes.  He also protested the mistreatment of animals by their trainers on the sets of various movies and television shows.  And as he said at the end of every installment of “The Price Is Right,” “Help control the pet population.  Have your pets spayed or neutered,” a tradition Drew Carey has carried on.

Top 3 songs for the week 8/27/66: #1 “Summer In The City” (The Lovin’ Spoonful)  #2 “Sunny” (Bobby Hebb)  #3 “See You In September” (The Happenings)…and…#4 “Lil Red Riding Hood” (Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs)  #5 “Sunshine Superman” (Donovan)  #6 “Wild Thing” (The Troggs)  #7 “You Can’t Hurry Love” (The Supremes)  #8 “Yellow Submarine” (The Beatles)  #9 “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” (Petula Clark) #10 “Summertime” (Billy Stewart…A week…)

NFL/Notre Dame Quiz Answer: Eight who played for ND and later made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, playing at least some in the 1960s and beyond….

Jerome Bettis
Tim Brown
Nick Buoniconti
Dave Casper
Paul Hornung
Alan Page
Joe Montana
Bryant Young

Very brief Add-on up top sometime Tues. evening. Ryder Cup decision….