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Bar Chat

02/24/2025

College Hoops, remembering Jerry Butler....

Add-on posted very early Tues. a.m.

College Basketball

--New AP Poll, records a/o Sunday....

1. Auburn 25-2 (60)
2. Duke 24-3
3. Florida 24-3
4. Houston 23-4
5. Tennessee 22-5
6. Alabama 22-5
7. St. John’s 24-4
8. Michigan State 22-5...up 6
9. Iowa State 21-6
10. Texas Tech 21-6
11. Wisconsin 21-6
12. Texas A&M 20-7
13. Clemson 22-5...up 5!
14. Missouri 20-7
15. Michigan 20-6
16. Maryland 21-6
17. Kentucky 18-9
18. Memphis 22-5
19. Louisville 21-6...up 6!
20. Purdue 19-9...down 7
21. Marquette 20-7
22. Arizona 18-9
23. Saint Mary’s 25-4
24. Mississippi State 19-8
25. BYU 19-8

Yes, no Kansas.  The Jayhawks (19-9, 9-7) did beat Colorado (11-17, 2-15) 71-64 in Boulder Monday night.

--Also last night, 4 Houston (24-4, 16-1) beat 10 Texas Tech (21-7, 12-5) on the road, 69-61.

North Carolina (18-11, 11-6) won its fourth straight, 96-85 at Florida State (16-12, 7-10).  The Tar Heels are putting themselves in the bubble conversation.

--The Star-Ledger (NJ.com) had an extensive piece Monday on Rutgers basketball fans and this incredibly disappointing season.  RU (14-14, 7-10) defeated USC (14-13, 6-10) at home Sunday night, 95-85, Dylan Harper with a super effort, 25 points, 9 assists.

But the fans are all in agreement, as one put it who drives hours to see each game.

“This was supposed to be the season of all seasons, and it just hasn’t been.”

As NJ.com put it: “There’s disappointment, frustration and even disgust weaving through the fanbase as the regular season grinds to an underwhelming finish.”

They have two freakin’ lottery picks in the upcoming NBA Draft in Harper and Ace Bailey...two of the top three with Cooper Flagg!  And as I wrote a number of weeks ago, they will be the first team in NCAA history with such talent and no NCAA tournament appearance.  I know I’ve beaten this topic to death...but it truly is extraordinary, and Coach Steve Pikiell must be fired.  [This will not be an attractive job either, for the next coach.  You ain’t gettin’ anymore lottery picks to commit for a while, mused the editor.]

NBA

--Sunday night after I posted...the Cavs moved to 47-10 with a 129-123 home win over the Grizzlies (37-20), while the Thunder improved to 46-10, 130-123 over the T’Wolves (31-27).

And then Monday night, the T’Wolves (32-27) won the return game against the Thunder, 131-128, so OKC (46-11) can’t match the Cavs’ mark.

NHL

--Sunday, Alex Ovechkin got a hat trick in Washington’s 7-3 tour of Edmonton, putting him 13 away at 882 career goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s 894.  Just amazing.

Even after missing 16 games because of a broken leg, the 39-year-old has scored 15 times in 18 games since coming back from the injury.

Ovechkin has 20 consecutive 20-goal seasons.

--The Rangers bounced back from their drubbing at Buffalo on Saturday, beating the Penguins in Pittsburgh, 5-3, Sunday, with Igor Shesterkin playing better in goal, New York 2 points out of a wild card slot.

Golf Balls

--I posted before sudden death at the Mexico Open at Vidanta Vallarta between Brian Campbell and Aldrich Potgieter, and on the second hole, the par-5 18th, Campbell caught the break of a lifetime.  His tee shot headed far right and seemingly out of bounds, when the trees spit it out into the rough.  Campbell then got on in three, his third a brilliant shot to four feet, he sank the bridie putt, game over. [Potgieter having made a mess of things.]

The 31-year-old journeyman thus captured his first win in 28 career starts, never having a top-10 finish.  Plus he was winless in 186 combined starts on the Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.  But he got his Tour card by virtue of three second-place finishes on the Korn Ferry circuit last year.

I love how his ‘girlfriend’ was so thrilled.  I didn’t hear her described as Campbell’s fiancé...just sayin’.

The Tour now heads to Florida for four weeks, including a signature event at Bay Hill, followed by The Players Championship.

And before you know it, we’ll have The Masters, a tradition unlike any other...on CBS....

--There are conflicting reports whether or not the PGA Tour and the Saudis/LIV are close to an agreement after a second meeting with President Trump.

Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch reported that “rumblings from informed sources suggest that Thursday’s meeting at the White House didn’t go as well as Tour executives had hoped, which suggests that PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, remains determined to keep shoveling cash into the furnace of his own pridefulness.”

LIV Golf is burning cash with limited return, but the PIF has bags of money.

But...IF there is a deal, as Eamon Lynch notes in his Golfweek spot:

“(What) will the return of LIV players [potentially soon] look like?  It will be D.E.I. without the D, since golf has never really been about diversity. The focus will be on who has Equity and is worthy of inclusion.

“Given the narrowing pathways to access and remain on the PGA Tour, the organization would face a rank-and-file revolt if opportunities were gifted to a significant volume of LIV guys.  That means any near-term invitations to Tour events will be handled as carefully as unstable Semtex, and likely extended only to those who can be argued to have credible status, regardless of suspensions or membership forfeitures. That ‘status’ might encompass recent major winners like Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith.  Or lifetime members with more than 20 Tour victories (Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson).

“After that, black and white quickly shades to gray thanks to the Tour’s byzantine eligibility  criteria... Would Joaquin Niemann be considered to have status since his 2022 Genesis Invitational victory came with a three-year exemption?  Can Sergio Garcia or Patrick Reed argue for the one-time exemptions given the top 50 on the career money list, even if the Tour deleted their names when they left?  How about past champions? ....

“Niemann is one of LIV’s better players... He’s competitively relevant, but is he commercially relevant?  Is his presence a boon to the Tour’s business? That’s a tougher case to make.  Mickelson and Johnson retain commercial appeal, albeit diminished, but aren’t competitive.  (DJ seems more apt to retire than return, while Mickelson is about as welcome in any Tour locker as chickenpox.)

“The list of LIV players who check both boxes – who matter competitively and commercially – is short and inarguable: DeChambeau, Rahm, Koepka and Smith. It ends there.”

Well, we’ll see where the negotiations go.

NASCAR

--Christopher Bell edged Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson in overtime Sunday in another close NASCAR Cup Series finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Bell led only the final lap in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and had a slight edge on the outside when the caution light came on in overtime following a wreck by Josh Berry.

Bell, 30, now has 10 career cup victories.

Mikaela

--I can’t believe I missed Mikaela Shiffrin’s 100th World Cup victory in Sestriere, Italy, Sunday, in a slalom race, teammate Paula Moltzan taking third.

I keep all my Bar Chat notes on a legal pad, game scores and such, and at the top I always have ‘Golf, NASCAR, PL (Premier League), and FIS (Alpine World Cup)’ as reminders to check before I post.  But Saturday, after checking, I crossed FIS out for some reason, and put WFU baseball, which I did check before posting, and I was embarrassed I blew it.  My apologies.

But it’s terrific Shiffrin picked up the win, her first since her awful injury at Killington, and with just two more slalom races in the 2024-25 campaign, she now doesn’t have to think about the milestone all off season.

What a superstar.  You go Girl!

MLB

--The Mets lost a second starting pitcher already...Frankie Montas is out until probably June, and now Sean Manaea, last season’s leader on the mound, suffered an oblique strain and I’m guessing mid-May return.  [You always add a month to what the team first says.]

Manaea had re-signed, a new 3-year, $75 million contract.  Montas was a free agent who signed for two years, $34 million.

So Tylor Megill (a guy I’ve written of in the last few weeks), again, here’s your opportunity.  You wanted it...grab it.

College Baseball

It is very early in the season, just two weeks into it, and we aren’t in conference play yet, but you can see it’s all about the SEC and ACC.

Baseball America poll, released Monday....

1. Texas A&M
2. Tennessee
3. LSU
4. Arkansas
5. Florida State
6. Florida
7. Clemson
8. Virgina
9. North Carolina
10. Georgia

14. Wake Forest

Stuff

--Local sports fans note the passing of Al Trautwig, 68. Trautwig was the longtime MSG Network broadcaster covering both the Knicks and Rangers, but he worked as well with ABC, NBC and USA Network, including the Olympics.  He had been undergoing cancer treatment.

--And we note the passing of Roberta Flack, like Jerry Butler, 88.

Flack had publicly revealed she had ALS in late 2022, which made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak, her manager said at the time.

Flack was best known for hits like “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,”* both #1 Billboard hits in 1972-73, my favorite, also a #1, “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” and the #5 brilliant duo with Donny Hathaway, “Where Is The Love.”  Plus the #2 “The Closer I Get To You,” also with Hathaway.  What a legacy.

*Clint Eastwood used this one for his 1971 movie “Play Misty for Me,” a highly underrated suspense thriller.

For both “Killing Me Softly...” and “The First Time...” Flack won back-to-back Grammy Awards for Record of the Year in 1973 and 1974.  She was the first artist to accomplish that feat.

Over her career, Flack won five Grammys.  She released 15 albums.

“One of the hassles of being a Black female musician is that people are always backing you into a corner and telling you to sing soul,” she once told TIME.  “I’m a serious artist.  I feel a kinship with people like Arthur Rubinstein and Glenn Gould. If I can’t play Bartok when I want to play.”

Flack was a virtuoso classical pianist.  Major respect for that.  She attended Howard University, having received a full scholarship for her classical music ability.

Flack was born in Black Mountain, N.C., the family moving to Virginia and ending up in Arlington.

But Flack always identified with her family’s Southern history.  “I like to say that two preachers came from Black Mountain, Billy Graham and I,” she was quoted as saying in a 1971 Ebony article. “He’s preaching in his way and I’m preaching my way.”

Next Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

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[Posted Sunday p.m., prior to ending of the PGA Tour and NASCAR events.]

College Basketball Quiz: Since the 2000-01 season, name all the schools with multiple NCAA titles.  Answer below.

College Basketball Review

--In games this week since I last posted, we had two upsets on Tuesday....

7 Texas A&M (20-6, 9-4) lost at 21 Mississippi State (19-7, 7-6) 70-54, and 9 Texas Tech (20-6, 11-4) lost at TCU (15-11, 8-7) 69-66.

Also Tuesday, BYU (18-8, 9-6) handed 23 Kansas (17-9, 8-7) the third-worst defeat in the storied program’s history, 91-57 in Provo.  The 34-point margin tied for worst under Jayhawks coach Bill Self.

This is staggering.  The Jayhawks should tumble out of the Top 25 on Monday, and think about this, they have finished in the final AP Top 25 every season since 1999-2000, and just that one miss since 1988-89.  [The 17-9 record through Tuesday was also the worst through 26 games since the same 1988-89 campaign, which was Roy Williams’ first year in Lawrence.  Larry Brown coached Kansas to a national title the year before.]

So picture how the spoiled Kansas fans must be going nuts

Wednesday, 4 Alabama (21-5, 10-3) lost at 15 Missouri (20-6, 9-4) 110-98. 

So three top ten teams losing on the road.

Saturday....

15 Missouri (20-7, 9-5) then lost at Arkansas (16-11, 5-9) 92-85, a good win for Coach Cal’s boys.

And 23 Kansas (18-9, 9-7) finally got a win, 96-64 at home over Oklahoma State (13-14, 5-11).

In more important games, 6 Tennessee (22-5, 9-5) defeated 7 Texas A&M (20-7, 9-5) on the road, 77-69...the Aggies will be tumbling in the rankings after a rough week.

5 Houston (23-4, 15-1) beat 8 Iowa State (21-6, 11-5) 68-59, behind L.J. Cryer’s 28 points, 5 of 7 from downtown.

Oregon (20-8, 9-8) had a big win on the road at 11 Wisconsin (21-6, 11-5), 77-73.

And No. 1 Auburn moved to 25-2, 13-1, with an 82-70 win over Georgia (16-11, 4-10), as probable Player of the Year Johni Broome had 31 points, 14 rebounds.

Saturday night, 3 Duke (24-3) demolished Illinois (17-11) at Madison Square Garden, 110-67, seven Blue Devils in double figures.

One Dookie who is coming on strong is freshman Isaiah Evans, who is lighting it up off the bench, consistently, with the guy hitting 45.8% from three!  To me he’s the ‘X-Factor’ in how deep Duke can go...and for the sake of the conference, and I’m always a conference guy come tourney time, I hope he does great.

Yes, I’ll be rooting for Duke and Clemson in the NCAAs, because Wake Forest sure as hell won’t be there after a second atrocious loss in less than two weeks, 85-73 at North Carolina State (11-16, 4-12).

Wake fell behind 11-0 in this one, didn’t panic, got it to 11-10 and trailed 40-34 at the half.  OK, I wasn’t that concerned at this point.  The Deacs (19-8, 11-5) then took a 61-56 lead with 8:22 to play, but, just like in the Florida State game, we lost our composure, made countless mistakes, and this is the final nail in our coffin.

Wake, the best team in the ACC in defending the three, gave up a season-high 13 to the Wolfpack, while the Deacs hit 2 of 9.

I feel for Wake coach Steve Forbes, who I’ve actually gained more respect for this year than others.  It’s his fifth season, it will be four straight with at least a .500 conference record, third 20-win season in the last four, but zero NCAA tournament appearances.  He didn’t work his portal magic like he has in the past with this year’s transfers, and we lost Andrew Carr and Boopie Miller, but Forbes did OK with a squad limited in talent...like severely limited.  For the first time, instead, he got them to play defense, but at critical moments against NC State and FSU, we folded.

Oh well...as Tony Soprano would have said, ‘Whaddya gonna do...’  There’s always baseball.  [The Deacs swept St. John’s, normally a good baseball team, in a 3-game series this weekend to go to 7-1 in the early season.]

--UConn head coach Dan Hurley believes that his players cannot handle his typical coaching style.

Hurley was asked about the current state of the Huskies on Mad Dog Sports Radio on Thursday, and he talked about the difficulties in coaching this year’s squad after back-to-back NCAA championships.

“I started the year breathing fire, talking like a coach that believes his team can compete for a three-peat,” Hurley said on the show. “I still think that this team has the potential to get on a roll late in the year.”

However, Hurley said this year’s squad can’t handle “hard” coaching.

Well, at the same time, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino loathes the lack of toughness his 10th-ranked Johnnies have displayed this season, despite their gaudy record.

Pitino relayed the message to his players during an all-time rant, captured during filming of the “Vice” series, “Red Storm Rises.”

“Dig in and be a basketball player.  Dig in,” Pitino said in the clip.  “Every time you miss a shot, your game deflates. We don’t care about your missed shots, play (expletive) defense. You guys keep blowing opportunity upon opportunity upon opportunity. You are like children with bad things happening.  Instead of digging in and being tougher, you wilt.  Where is your (expletive) toughness?  Where have you guys been raised that you are so weak mentally that you just (expletive) give up when something doesn’t go right for you.”

“Don’t you know what adversity is all about?” he raged.  “That’s the (expletive) game of life.  Not the game of basketball.  You don’t (expletive) get down when things go wrong, you dig in and get tougher.  Your whole life is gonna be adversity.  Learn how to (expletive) deal with it.”  [Todderick Hunt / NJ.com]

Well, UConn and St. John’s squared off at Madison Square Garden Sunday....and it was all St. John’s, the Johnnies hitting 8 of 16 from three in the first half on their way to a 50-32 lead at the intermission, and Pitino’s Boys cruised from there, 89-75 to move to 24-4, 15-2; UConn falling to 18-9, 10-6.  Great for Gotham (another sellout at MSG) and fans of college hoops in the New York metropolitan area.  I’ll be rooting hard for St. John’s in the NCAAs as well.

--Fresno State is the latest college sports program to be embroiled in a betting scandal.

The Bulldogs’ men’s basketball team is being investigated by both the NCAA and university for potential ties to a gambling scheme, according to ESPN.

The school suspended two players – Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins – for Saturday’s 72-69 loss to Air Force, and it could be for longer.

The investigation kicked off after Fresno State was reportedly tipped on some gambling-related wrongdoing.

Mykell Robinson, who averaged 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Bulldogs, is also no longer on the team, having not played since Jan. 11.

Fresno State is 5-23, the most losses in program history.

NBA

--The big story in the NBA this week was the announcement that San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the season following the team saying he had been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his right shoulder.

DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in a blood vessel deep within the body.  It’s most common in the legs, though it may develop in other parts of the body, including the pelvis and arms.

The Spurs said they discovered his condition following his return from the All-Star Game.  He had talked of having low energy, and with DVT the blood flowing through the body can be “sluggish.”  Per the Cleveland Clinic, possible causes include long periods of inactivity – such as on long plane rides, or dehydration.

Former Miami Heat star Chris Bosh missed months in 2016 with DVT, and then retired.

The Spurs, in their announcement, said they will provide updates on his status “as appropriate.” The team is confident he will be ready to play next season.

Separately, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich “is not expected to return this season, and his NBA future is uncertain,” ESPN reported Saturday.

In November, Popovich had a mild stroke that’s kept him away from his day-to-day duties as coach and out of the public spotlight. He is the NBA’s all-time winningest coach.

ESPN reported Popovich continues to make progress and get stronger through rehab, but he’s 76.  After 29 years as Spurs’ head coach, he’ll likely retire.

Mitch Johnson has been serving, ably, as acting coach.  The 38-year-old has been an assistant with the Spurs since 2019 and deserves the job.  This is a franchise that has also always stressed continuity.

--As a die-hard Knicks fan, it’s hard to be optimistic about their playoff prospects, in terms of making a deep run, because against the league’s top three teams – the Cavs, Thunder and Celtics – New York is now 0-6, including Friday night’s demolition in Cleveland, 142-105, the worst loss of the Tom Thibodeau era.

The Knicks (37-19) were without Josh Hart, who also missed Thursday’s stirring 113-111 overtime win over the Bulls at the Garden with a knee injury.

OG Anunoby (foot) also missed Thursday but returned Friday and was awful.

So, Sunday afternoon up in Boston, the Knicks took on the Celtics.  Could they flip the script?

Nope, 38-19 Celts after the first quarter, 64-43 at the half, and despite a run in the fourth that cut the lead to 92-87 with 10:18 to play, Boston kicked it into high gear, 111-93 at 4:53 and won it 118-105.

Knicks fans had a scary moment right after the Knicks cut the lead to five when Karl-Anthony Towns went out with what seemed to be a serious knee injury, but he returned at the end of the game.  [He had 24 points, 18 rebounds.]  Josh Hart returned...and he busted his ass, as usual, 20-11-9.

However, fingers crossed on KAT.  New York 37-20, Boston 41-16, and the Knickerbockers now 0-7 against the NBA’s elite.

--Luka Doncic had his best game for the Lakers (34-21) in a nice 123-100 road win at Denver (37-20) Saturday, Luka with 32 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists.

--Milwaukee’s Bobby Portis was suspended 25 games without pay for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy, the league announced Thursday.

Portis tested positive for Tramadol, which is not only banned by the NBA but is also on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances.

Portis’ agent said his client “unintentionally” took Tramadol, mistakenly thinking it was Toradol and said they support the league’s anti-drug policy and Portis is “absolutely not a drug abuser.”

The agent said: “The Tramadol pill he took came from an assistant of his, with a valid prescription for the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol.”

This doesn’t make sense...at all.

MLB

--Vladimir Guerrero Jr. plans to become a free agent after the season following the passing of his deadline Tuesday to reach a long-term agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays.

A four-time All-Star at age 25, Guerrero said during the offseason he would cut off negotiations when he reported for spring training.

“I don’t want, especially my teammates, to go through any distractions about that,” Guerrero said.  “I’m here today and I’m ready. I want to win a lot of games and I want to make it to the playoffs.  That’s all that’s in my head right now.”

Guerrero has a $28.5 million, one-year contract and will be probably the top free agent on the market one year after Juan Soto’s 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets.

Guerrero hit .323 last season with a .940 OPS, 30 homers and 103 RBIs.

One thing about Guerrero, the last four seasons, he has played in 156+ games.  And yes, he is one of the great young sluggers in the league.

Mets fans are already dreaming of signing him to go along with Soto.

Soto, in his first at bat as a Met Saturday, homered.  Very sweet.

--I was kind of surprised to read how after the Red Sox signed third baseman Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million contract, to play third base, that Rafael Devers, the incumbent at third, apparently hadn’t been told that this meant he was going to be the DH.

“Third base is my position,” Devers said through an interpreter at Red Sox camp in Fort Myers, Fla.  “That’s what I’ve played.  I don’t know what their plans are. I know we had a conversation. I made it clear what my desires were, and yeah, whatever happens from here, I don’t know.”

Devers has never started a game in the pros other than at third.

Bregman did win a Gold Glove at third last season with Houston.

--Boy, I couldn’t agree more with Stephen A. Smith, when it comes to Friday’s big announcement by the Yankees from owner Hal Steinbrenner, down at spring training.  The New York Post called it “Breaking News.”  NBC Nightly News actually covered it.

Stephen A. on ESPN: “A 20-minute press conference over facial hair? I mean, what a disgrace.”

“I couldn’t believe it,” he continued.  “I’m a Yankee fan, you know I’m a die-hard Yankee fan. I’m trying to keep my cool.  You understand what I’m saying?  But I mean, damn.  You ain’t won a World Series title since 2009. You ain’t been to one since then until last year – you got romped by the Dodgers.

“And facial hair is a reason there was a press conference?”

Meanwhile, the Yankees lost two pitching prospects, one the No. 2 prospect in MLB Pipeline’s rankings, Chase Hampton, to Tommy John surgery.  Thrasher Hurd was the other.

--Major League Baseball and ESPN have “mutually agreed” to end their national television deal after the upcoming 2025 season, according to a memo from commissioner Rob Manfred sent to the owners Thursday.  Manfred wrote the league has “not been pleased with the minimal coverage that MLB has received on ESPN’s platforms over the past several years outside of the actual live game coverage.”

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, its wild-card round playoff broadcasts and the rest of the partnership remain in place through the 2025 season.  ESPN opted out Thursday morning.  The league, in turn, then proceeded to say it too would opt out.

The network was due to pay the league an estimated $500 million each of the next three years, which ESPN deemed way above current market value.

--Into the December file go Mike Trout and Freddie Freeman, for all the right reasons.

As Chris Bengal of CBSSports.com writes:

“The Los Angeles wildfires destroyed the homes of thousands of families in the area, and ruined decades of memories and personal items in the process.  For two young baseball fans, Anthony and Joe, their home burnt down and they also lost baseball memorabilia that they spent years acquiring.

“However, MLB stars Mike Trout and Freddie Freeman are trying to restart Anthony and Joe’s collection.  In a partnership with Fanatics, Trout and Freeman surprised the two young boys with several pieces of memorabilia, including a signed bat and an Angels jersey from Trout.

Freeman gifted the young fans a jersey from the 2024 season in which he helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series title and was named WS MVP.

Freeman and his wife have donated $300,000 to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the Pasadena Fire Department and the Salvation Army.

4 Nations

Thursday night’s USA-Canada championship game, won by Canada dramatically in overtime, 3-2, on a goal by Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid, averaged 9.3 million viewers, ESPN’s biggest hockey audience ever.  It peaked at 10.4 million.

The network’s previous top hockey telecast was the Florida Panthers’ victory against the Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, which averaged 7.7 million viewers on ABC.

The NHL hit on a formula.  And the audiences for NBC for next year’s Winter Olympics hockey competition should be super as well.

The NHL and the players association also have announced a World Cup of Hockey for 2028.

The last international tournament featuring top NHL players was the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.  This year’s tournament blew that one away.

Back to the game, McDavid earned his place in Canadian lore with his winner, a la 15 years earlier when Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal, giving Canada a gold medal against the U.S. in overtime at the Olympics.  It made him a legend, and now McDavid is.

Meanwhile, Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington was brilliant, particularly in OT.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a justified shot at the U.S. afterwards.

“You can’t take our country – and you can’t take our game.”

--In the NHL, the Rangers got back to action Saturday night in Buffalo following the 4 Nations Tournament; New York with zero margin for error as they attempt to snag a wild-card spot in the playoffs.

Alas, it was 5-0 after the first period, Buffalo, Igor Shesterkin removed in goal for the Rangers, the team going on to lose 8-2.  Ugh.  Igor is 1-5 in his last six starts.

--In Men’s College Hockey, I’ve been remiss in not giving a Top Ten, per USCHO.

1. Michigan State (23)
2. Boston College (11)
3. Western Michigan (16)
4. Maine
5. Minnesota
6. Denver
7. Ohio State
8. Providence
9. Boston University
10. Michigan

Golf Balls

--At this week’s PGA Tour stop, the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld (sic), Vallarta (Puerto Vallarta), Mexico...the story was 20-year-old South African Aldrich Potgieter, who took a one-stroke lead into the final round.  This guy bombs it.  Today, on the 667-yard, par-5 12th, for his second shot, he used a 4-iron from 289 and was just 15 yards short.  Good Lord!

But did he win the tournament?  His short-game sucks.

But he hit a great bunker shot on 18, birdied it, and he and Brian Campbell, a 31-year-old journeyman in his 28th PGA Tour stop, head to a playoff, and that’s where I exit.  I’ll cover it in my Add-on. [Ditto the NASCAR race in Atlanta, which won’t end for a while.]

--There are persistent reports the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund, i.e., backers of LIV Golf, are getting closer and closer to a deal.  We can only hope so.

--Kai Trump – the oldest granddaughter of President Trump – picked up a major endorsement...she signed an endorsement deal with TaylorMade Golf.

Kai is a high school junior who has committed to the University of Miami for golf.

She joins Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler, Nelly Korda, Rory McIlroy and Colin Morikawa on the TaylorMade roster.

Oh brother.  Please make this stop.

Premier League

Saturday, Arsenal inexplicably lost to West Ham at home, 1-0.  Dreadful.  Tottenham won its third straight, 4-1 at Ipswich, and Aston Villa had a big win against Chelsea, 2-1.

But Sunday we had a biggie, Liverpool at Manchester City, and the Reds win it in Etihad, 2-0, to move 11 in front.

Newcastle had a huge win, 4-3 over Nottingham, to leap from 8th to 5th in the standings.

We have a helluva race for the fourth and final Champions League slot.  It’s over.

The Table...26/27 of 38 played – points....

1. Liverpool... 27 – 64
2. Arsenal... 26 – 53
3. Nottingham... 26 – 47
4. Man City... 26 – 44 ...CL line....
5. Newcastle... 26 – 44
6. Bournemouth... 26 – 43
7. Chelsea... 26 – 43
8. Aston Villa... 27 – 42

Relegation Battle

17. Wolverhampton... 26 – 22
18. Ipswich... 26 – 17
19. Leicester City... 26 – 17 ...this would be incredibly embarrassing....
20. Southampton,,, 26 – 9

Stuff

--The Los Angeles Rams have given quarterback Matthew Stafford permission to speak with other teams about his value, NFL Network reported this weekend, and the Giants are one team that would be interested.

The Rams can save $27 million in cap space if they trade him after June 1, and $23 million if they cut him after that date.

But Stafford, 37, can still play.

--The Big Ten and SEC commissioners said Wednesday they will push for something closer to “straight seeding” in the College Football Playoff next season to give less of a break to lesser-ranked conference champs and better reflect how teams are ranked by the playoff selection committee.

No one is against this.  It’s clear the selection committee needs to change to format, and I’m sure they will.

While it was largely viewed a success, the first season with a 12-team CFP format rewarded byes to the four highest-ranked major conference champions and all four lost in the quarterfinals – Arizona State, Boise State, Georgia and Oregon.

Ohio State and Notre Dame each won three playoff games before the Buckeyes knocked off the Fighting Irish in the title game.

--Separately, Texas joined a growing list of college football programs doing away with traditional spring games in favor of a slightly restructured practice slate.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said: “I just don’t know if rolling the ball out, playing the game, when we only get 15 practices (in the spring), is the best for us to maximize the opportunities that we get. So it’s going to be a little bit of a different approach, but I think college football’s changing right now and we need to do a great job, as coaches, of adapting to college football, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Instead, Sarkisian said that Texas will try and mimic the NFL’s organized team activities, while moving more towards a scrimmage format as spring practice wears on.

Nebraska’s Matt Rhule said he decided to move away from open spring games due to increased worries over transfer portal tampering.

“The word ‘tampering’ no longer exists,’ Rhule said.  “It’s just absolute free, open, common market. So I don’t necessarily want to open up to the outside world.  I don’t want these guys all being able to watch our guys and say ‘Wow, he looks like a pretty good player.  Let’s go get him.’”

--At the end of “SNL50,” Martin Short and Maya Rudolph shared a kiss.  They both got Covid.  Really, per Steve Martin.

Lots of folks were wondering why Dana Carvey wasn’t part of the special, and it turns he had the flu.

--We note the passing of a man I have long considered immensely underrated...the great soul singer Jerry Butler, 85.

Just look at this list....

1958 – For Your Precious Love...#11 Billboard Pop Chart
1960 – He Will Break Your Heart...#7
1961 – Moon River...#11
1962 – Make It Easy On Yourself...#20
1964 – Let It Be Me....with Betty Everett...#5...easily in my all-time Top 50.
1968 – Hey, Western Union Man...#16
1969 – Only The Strong Survive...#4

Butler is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a three-time Grammy Award nominee.  He was a voice for two major soul music hubs: Chicago and Philadelphia. Together with childhood friend Curtis Mayfield, he helped found the Impressions and sang lead on the breakthrough hit “For Your Precious Love,” which made Butler a star before the age of 20.  A decade later, in the late 60s, he joined the Philadelphia-based production team of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff for the last two songs you see on the list above.  I’ve been whistling “Western Union Man” the last few days.

Butler was known as the “Iceman” for his understated style.  He was the son of Mississippi sharecroppers who moved to Chicago when Butler was three, part of the era’s “Great Migration” of Black people out of the South.  He would meet Mayfield at the Rev. A.B. Mayfield’s church.

The Associated Press had a story about “Moon River” I didn’t know.  This was one of Butler’s early solo performances, a 1961 cover of “Moon River,” the theme to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”  Butler was the first performer to hit the charts with what became a pop standard, but “Moon River” would be associated with Andy Williams after the singer was chosen to perform it at the Academy Awards, a snub Butler long resented.

You know, “Moon River” was never a Top 40 for Andy Williams!  Just looked it up.  Huh.

Butler became interested in politics and ran successfully for the Cook County (Ill.) Board in 1985 and didn’t retire from it until 2018.  I didn’t know this either.  God I’m stupid.

The Iceman was also married to the same woman, Annette Smith, for 60 years.  She died in 2019.

RIP, Mr. Butler. 

Top 3 songs for the week of 2/22/75:  #1 “Pick Up The Pieces” (AWB)  #2 “Best Of My Love” (The Eagles)  #3 “Some Kind Of Wonderful” (Grand Funk)...and...#4 “Black Water” (The Doobie Brothers)  #5 “Have You Never Been Mellow” (Olivia Newton-John)  #6 “Lonely People” (America)  #7 “My Eyes Adored You” (Frankie Valli)  #8 “You’re No Good” (Linda Ronstadt)  #9 “#9 Dream” (John Lennon)  #10 “Nightingale” (Carole King...B+ week...)

College Basketball Quiz Answer: Multiple NCAA titles since the 2000-01 season....

UConn 5
North Carolina 3
Duke 3
Florida 2
Kansas 2
Villanova 2

The Big East has 9 titles in that stretch (including Syracuse and Louisville when they were in the conference).  ACC has 8 (including Maryland, when they were in the league, and Virginia).  SEC has 3 and Big 12, 3 (including Baylor).

The Big Ten has zero.  And the SEC has just one since Florida’s 2-year run, 2005-06, 2006-07; Kentucky, 2011-12.

I bring this up because some of us are so freakin’ tired of hearing about the SEC, and the Big Ten hasn’t won since Michigan State, 1999-00.

Reminder, no tournament due to Covid, 2019-20 season.  Boy, looking back, that period sucked.  But then the PGA Tour and NASCAR worked it out and we did shortly have sports, sans fans, and we were so grateful.

Brief Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday, if not sooner.

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