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Bar Chat

03/17/2025

March Madness...Players Championship

Add-on posted early Tuesday a.m.

March Madness

Well, I said my piece on the NCAA Tournament and the Selection Committee.  Suffice it to say, there is one guy in America happier than just about anyone else and that is UNC’s Jae’Lyn Withers, whose boneheaded play against Duke Saturday virtually everyone thought spelled the end for the Tar Heels’ season.  Alas, they were bailed out by the committee, despite a 1-12 record against Quad 1 opponents.

Aside from Carolina, the other three teams in the “Last Four In” list were Texas, Xavier and San Diego State.

The “First Four Out” list contained West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State and Boise State.

Meanwhile, the SEC gets a tournament record 14 teams into the field.  Outrageous.  Though I do have Florida losing to Duke for the championship in my bracket.

But how does Oklahoma (20-13, 6-12) and Texas (19-15, 6-12) get in?!!!  6-12 conference records?!  You kidding me?!  Fellow Demon Deacon alum Paul J. and I say this is unfathomable, given Wake’s 13-7 conference record. 

I was at my auto dealership Monday morning for a lengthy service appointment and used part of the time to fill out my bracket.  Heck with it...I have Clemson and Louisville in my Final Four.

It’s actually the most absurd bracket I’ve ever filled out, with Wofford, Troy, High Point, Akron, Yale, and Drake winning their first-round games.  I have Troy going to the Elite Eight.

Yes, totally nonsensical. 

But to further the outrage over the work of the Selection Committee...here is the AP Top 25 heading into the tournament.

1. Duke 31-3 (49)
2. Houston 30-4 (6)
3. Florida 30-4 (2)
4. Auburn 28-5 (2)...how the committee selected them the No. 1 overall seed is rather quizzical
5. St. John’s 30-4
6. Tennessee 27-7
7. Alabama 25-8
8. Michigan State 27-6
9. Texas Tech 25-8
10. Louisville 27-7
11. Maryland 25-8
12. Clemson 27-6
13. Wisconsin 26-9
14. Michigan 25-9
15. Iowa State 24-9
16. Memphis 29-5
17. BYU 24-9
18. Kentucky 22-11
19. Texas A&M 22-10
20. Saint Mary’s 28-5
21. Arizona 22-12
22. Purdue 22-11
23. Missouri 22-11
24. Gonzaga 25-8
25. Oregon 24-9

OK, boys and girls.  What stands out to you? Time’s up...Louisville, which got an 8-seed!  It means that if they beat Creighton, which is not a fair first-round matchup, they then face Auburn!  God, I hope Louisville can perform like they have all season.

On the Women’s side, I don’t know why they label their regions Albany 1/2 and Portland 3/4, but there are some potential powerhouse matchups down the road.

1. Iowa
2. UCLA

1. USC
2. Ohio State

1. South Carolina
2. Notre Dame

1. Texas
2. Stanford

NBA

--The Mavericks have so many injuries, they are finding it exceedingly difficult to field eight healthy players, which is the NBA rule.  Some of the players the Mavs have been using are also on dual contracts, which, due to two-way player limitations, are restricted in how many NBA games they can play.

As in, seriously, the Mavs could be forced to forfeit games!

But there is word Anthony Davis could be coming back after a stint in the G-League, A.D., to his immense credit, telling the team, ‘I’m comin’ back, whether you like it or not.’

--The Knicks returned to the Garden Monday night after their long West coast swing and defeated Miami (29-39), 116-95, to move to 43-24.  Josh Hart had another triple-double, 12-13-11, with four steals.

NFL

The Bengals did what their fans have been demanding, let alone Joe Burrow.  Star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins agreed to massive extensions. Chase, four years, $161 million, comes out to $40.25 million per year, most ever for a non-quarterback.  He also got $112 million guaranteed.  Higgins (four years, $115 million) had been franchise tagged for the second straight year, but this time he got the long-term deal he had been seeking.

The Players

Rory McIlroy handily won Monday morning’s 3-hole aggregate playoff over J.J. Spaun, Rory’s 28th PGA Tour win and second Players Championship to go with his four majors, but he’s still lacking one big prize...The Masters...a tradition unlike any other...on CBS.

Rory also bagged the PGA Tour’s biggest single purse, $4.5 million, while Spaun can console himself with a cool $2.725 million.

Now we have three straight full-field, non-Signature events, where the lesser-lights get a chance to shine and move up in the rankings as most of the top players will take a little break, maybe play just one of the three heading into Augusta.

--President Trump claimed another club championship this weekend at his course near West Palm Beach.

Two years ago, he declared he won a club championship when he didn’t play the first round. According to reports, Trump told tournament organizers he played a strong round two days before the tournament started and decided that would count as his Saturday score for the club championship.

Later that year, Trump posted he won the Senior Club Championship at his club in Bedminster, N.J., with a 67.  That same month, LIV Golf held an event at the same course and of the 144 rounds, only six LIV golfers shot 67 or lower.

In recounting that victory, Trump wrote online: “For some reason, I am just a good golfer/athlete – I have won many Club Championships, and it is always a great honor!”

In January, a photo of the scores of the 11 contestants in the Senior Club Championship at his course outside of West Palm Beach appeared on Instagram, showing Trump four shots ahead of the field. Those scores were posted at the course.

Yet, nobody claims to have witnessed Trump play, and it was reported nobody knew he had played in the tournament “until his name was spotted atop the leaderboard.” [Golfweek / Palm Beach Post]

College Baseball

Baseball America’s Top Ten, following the weekend’s action.

1. Tennessee 20-0
2. LSU
3. Arkansas
4. Florida State
5. Texas
6. Georgia
7. Clemson
8. Florida
9. Oklahoma
10. Alabama

12. Wake Forest

NASCAR

--Josh Berry captured his first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but just as importantly, it was win No. 101 for Wood Brothers Racing, a legendary outfit.  Daniel Suarez was second.

It’s the culmination of a rags-to-riches story for Berry, out of Hendersonville, Tenn., who went from mostly a regional racer on southern short tracks to a full-time Cup driver by 2024 after success in the Xfinity Series.

It’s the first time the Wood Brothers have victories in consecutive seasons (Harrison Burton at Daytona last August) since Kyle Petty won for the team in both 1986 and 1987.

Stuff

--I saw an Associated Press report from Indonesia where crocodile attacks are on the rise.  In 2024, there were 179 such attacks in the country, the highest number in the world, with 92 fatalities, according to CrocAttack, an independent database.

Crocodiles are legally protected in Indonesia, but as attacks rise, picture how natives are not real keen to go outside at night.

Next Bar Chat, Sunday p.m.

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[Posted Sunday p.m., right after the release of the Men’s top seeds...]

*The timing of the announcing of the NCAA brackets and the end of the Players Championship was not good for yours truly...and all sports fans.

College Basketball Quiz: Name the starting five for the 1984-85 Villanova team that beat Georgetown for the national title, pitching an almost ‘perfect game,’ 22 of 28 in field goals, in winning it 66-64.  Answer below.

College Basketball Review...Top Seeds....

The following is in chronological order, and I have the NCAA Men’s seedings below.  The Women’s seeding come later and will be in my Add-On Tuesday.

--I have to admit, my interest in championship week has been minimal with Wake Forest needing to win out in the ACC to gain an NCAA berth, which we all knew wasn’t happenin’.

But, geezuz, at least on Thursday the Deacs should have beaten North Carolina, only to fall to the Tar Heels, 68-59, because Wake was 2 of 22 from three-point land!  Two of 22!  We go a mediocre 7 of 22 and we win, 6 of 22.

Last season Wake shot a solid, if not good, 37.2% from three.  But we couldn’t play defense.

This season, our defense improved, but we hit 28.5% from behind the arc.  That is atrocious!

Hunter Sallis went from 40.5% last season to 27.7%.  Cam Hildreth from 35.1% to 31.2%.  Parker Friedrichsen from 36.5% to 25.3%.  Newcomer Ty-Laur Johnson hit 24.1% from three.

And for this sole reason, it’s another season without getting to the NCAA tournament.

It just sucks.  I’ll be posting before the NIT bids go out, but I get the impression the Deacs, 21-11, 13-7 in the ACC, will decline because players like Sallis won’t want to risk injury.

--Meanwhile, I care about the ACC and how we do in the tournament, so I’ll be all in on Duke, Clemson and Louisville.  And I’m following St. John’s for local interest, and Maryland, since I touted them early on as a sleeper title contender.

Otherwise, I do watch some of the mid-major championship games, mainly to check out portal prospects.  Like Bryant (23-11), which beat Maine for the America East title on Saturday, 77-59, has three guys who are terrific pure athletes.  I don’t know if they are particularly good basketball players, but I wish Wake Forest had at least one of the Bulldogs on their roster, Wake with virtually zero real athleticism this season.  So I’m like, hey Coach Forbes, raid the Bryant roster, at least for depth.

But speaking of Duke, their fans had a scary Thursday when Cooper Flagg hobbled off with a seemingly disastrous ankle injury in the 78-70 win over Georgia Tech, but X-rays were negative.  Defensive ace Maliq Brown, however, wasn’t as fortunate, suffering a dislocated left shoulder less than a week after returning from the injury.

In Friday’s ACC semifinals, Flagg, as one scribe put it, showed more energy sitting on the bench than the entire North Carolina team, Duke managing to eke it out in unimpressive fashion, 74-71, as in the final seconds, the score 72-71, Ven-Allen Lubin went to the line to shoot two for UNC.

Lubin missed the first but hit the second, only it was nullified by a lane violation committed by Carolina’s Jae’Lyn Withers, dooming the opportunity for victory and a probable NCAA bid.

It was potentially one of the costliest idiotic blunders of all time in Tar Heel history.

Saturday, Duke then took on 13 Louisville, which had defeated 10 Clemson in the other semi, 76-73, both the Cardinals and Tigers locked in on high seeds.

And Duke (31-3) won it, 73-62, sans Flagg, who will be just fine for the NCAA Tournament.  Louisville, one of the best stories in college hoops this season, flying under the radar, however, is 27-7.

2 Houston (30-4) won the Big 12 championship, 72-64 over Arizona (22-12).

6 St. John’s did it...it won the Big East Conference tournament Saturday night after winning the regular-season title, 82-66 over Creighton (24-10), which had beaten UConn in the semis.

The Johnnies, 30-4, got 29 points and 10 rebounds from RJ Luis Jr., 27 of his 29 in the second half.

We keep saying it, but what a job by Rick Pitino, and what a hire for St. John’s.  I thought this at the time...and boy, has he brought glory back to St. John’s and an incredible vibe at Madison Square Garden, just like the mid-1980s, when the Big East was the story in college basketball.

Pitino, 72, became the first coach to lead two different programs to a Big East championship after guiding Louisville to two of them.

He is also the first coach to guide six different programs to the NCAA Tournament.

St. John’s should be a 2-seed and get to open up in Providence on Thursday.

--Rutgers’ historically awful season ended in a first round loss at the Big Ten tournament to USC in overtime, 97-89, Dylan Harper finishing out his only season with 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, teammate Ace Bailey a non-factor.

A team with two of the top-five picks in the upcoming NBA Draft finishes 15-17 and doesn’t make the Big Dance.  No other team in the history of college hoops has failed so miserably.

Harper chose Rutgers over a list of schools that included Duke.  Bailey selected Rutgers over Auburn.  They both said the right thing after, “I love Rutgers...I still stand by my decision...No regrets...I loved being here, being with the guys.”

The truth is coach Steve Pikiell got nothing out of his portal class, and at the end of the day that was the real killer.

--Iowa fired coach Fran McCaffery after 15 seasons.  He departs as the school’s sll-time wins leader with 297 (297-207 overall), and a record 143 Big Ten victories.

But the Hawkeyes finished the season 17-16, and 7-13 in the Big Ten.

During his years McCaffery led Iowa to seven NCAA tournament appearances but never reached the Sweet 16.

McCaffery spent five years as head coach at Siena prior to taking over in Iowa City.  And he coached at UNC Greensboro and Lehigh.  Overall, he was 548-384 as a D-I head coach.

But Wake Forest fans remember McCaffery.  He was a highly recruited freshman on the Deacs’ 1977-78 team, nicknamed “White Magic” because of his so-called playmaking ability at guard.  Alas, he was far from that and transferred to Penn after one season.

--And now...the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament!

East

1 Duke
4 Arizona
3 Wisconsin
2 Alabama

South

1 Auburn
4 Texas A&M
3 Iowa State
2 Michigan State ...vs. Bryant...watch out....

Midwest

1 Houston
4 Purdue?!
2 Tennessee
3 Kentucky?

West

1 Florida
4 Maryland
3 Texas Tech
2 St. John’s...but in Providence

I’ll have much more in my Add-on, but Louisville was an 8-seed?!!!!  WTF!  Clemson a 5-seed?! C'mon, Selection Committee!

North Carolina, however, made it in as an 11-seed play-in vs. San Diego State.

UConn is an 8-seed.

***Wake Forest declined an NIT bid.

--Finally, while I was raised in Summit, NJ, and have been back ‘home’ the last 15 years, next door New Providence, where I lived for 16 years and have a lot of friends and acquaintances, is what I really consider home these days.  I’m also connected to New Providence High School with some charity work, awarding scholarships each year, for nearly 20 years, many of which have gone to NPHS Girls basketball team members, and so congrats to the Lady Pioneers for winning their second New Jersey Group championship in three years over the weekend.  This is like a really big deal, a huge accomplishment.  It’s a little school...and a damn good one.

NBA

--The Knicks had a huge, thrilling 114-113 victory over the Trail Blazers in Portland Wednesday night, as Mikal Bridges hit a buzzer-beating trey in overtime. Bridges with 33 points in 41 minutes.

What was interesting is that prior to the game, Bridges said he had told coach Tom Thibodeau that he was playing the starters too many minutes, and understand Bridges is an iron-man in the sport, having led the league in games played four times, not missing a game this season, and holding the NBA’s current longest consecutive games streak.

Thibodeau denied the two discussed the matter, so that led to reports of dissension, while Bridges said the coach was receptive but “sometimes I think he just gets in his ways and gets locked in.  He just wants to keep the guy out there,” Bridges said.  “Sometimes you’ve got to tell him, like Landry (Shamet), for example or somebody, keep him out there, they’re playing well.”

This has been a topic among Knicks fans all season.  Our starters play more minutes than any other starting five in the league, and come playoff time, you have legitimate concerns.

Knicks management would say the bench isn’t that good, but we have quality reserves in the backcourt and Precious Achuwa is a solid backup forward/center. And now Mitchell Robinson is back.

The Knicks were then looking to complete a 3-2 West Coast swing Saturday night at Golden State...but it ends up being 2-3, New York falling 97-94 to Steph Curry and Co., Curry with 28.

The Warriors are 14-2 since acquiring Jimmy Butler, 14-1 in games he played in; Butler with a sublime 11 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists.

--Also last night, the Thunder improved to 55-12, with a good 113-107 win at Detroit (37-31), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 48 points on 17 of 26 shooting from the field, 4 of 6 from three.

--Friday, Cleveland won its franchise-record 16th straight, 133-124 over the Grizzlies (42-25), the Cavs moving to 56-10.  What a year.  Remember, they started out the season 15-0.

The Cavaliers then hosted Orlando Sunday afternoon...and the Magic (32-37) upset the Cavs, 108-103, streak over.

--Dallas has had major injury issues post the Luka Doncic trade, but pity San Antonio, which not only lost rising superstar Victor Wembanyama for the season due to blood clots, but just lost point guard De’Aaron Fox for the duration because of finger surgery. And prior to that, coach Gregg Popovich said he wouldn’t return after suffering a mild stroke in November.

--We note the passing of Junior Bridgeman, one of the great players in Milwaukee Bucks history and an accomplished businessman.  He died suddenly at the age of 71 while attending a fundraising event in Louisville.

Bridgeman, after a sterling career at Louisville, spent 10 of his 12 seasons with Milwaukee and had his No. 2 retired, averaging 13.9 points per game with the Bucks; nine consecutive seasons averaging at least 12.5 points per game.

Teaming with the likes of Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief, the Bucks won at least 50 game in seven consecutive seasons.

But after basketball, Bridgeman made his mark in owning Jet and Ebony magazines, and he was reported to be a billionaire, and a terrific role model.

Before his Ebony and Jet ventures, he owned 100 Wendy’s and Chili’s restaurants.

--And Oliver Miller died, 54. He had been battling cancer.

Miller played nine seasons in the NBA, averaging 7.4 points and 5.9 rebounds.

But as a rookie on the Phoenix Suns, the 1992-93 team made the NBA Finals before losing to Michael Jordan and the Bulls in six games and Miller was key cog in the lineup.

Miller was a first-round pick (No. 22 overall) of the Suns out of Arkansas, where he led the Razorbacks to the Final Four two years earlier.  At 6-9, 280 lbs., he was an imposing presence down low.

NFL

--Cooper Kupp signed a three-year contract worth $45 million with the Seahawks.  Kupp is a Yakima, Wash., native and attended Eastern Washington, so this is a homecoming for the 2021 All-Pro wide receiver.  He’ll be taking passes from Sam Darnold.

--The Bills and Joey Bosa agreed to terms on a one-year, $12.6 million deal, after he was released by the Chargers.

--Daniel Jones, the failed Giants QB, agreed to terms with the Colts on a one-year, $14 million contract.  Jones will compete with Anthony Richardson, the former No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft who has had an inconsistent first two seasons in the NFL.

--The Atlanta Falcons are keeping Kirk Cousins, for now, where he’ll back up Michael Penix, Cousins apparently OK with that.

--The Ravens signed former Dallas QB Cooper Rush to a two-year deal to backup Lamar Jackson.  Rush has proved to be a very able 2nd-string QB, 9-5-0 as a starter, 20 touchdowns, 10 interceptions.  Baltimore is 4-10, including playoffs, when Lamar hasn’t been able to play.

MLB

--The Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday withdrew from a $1.3 billion ballpark project, citing hurricanes and delays that likely will drive up the proposal’s cost.

“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” principal owner Stuart Sternberg said.

This is a mess for MLB, which is trying to force Sternberg to sell the team.

The Rays are set to play this season’s home games across Tampa Bay at the New York Yankees’ spring training home, 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field.  Meanwhile, repairs are envisioned to the Trop, including replacing its roof shredded by Hurricane Milton, that would have it ready for the 2026 season.

Under their current contract with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays would play three more seasons at their existing ballpark after it is repaired.  Beyond that, who knows.

--With the Yankees losing Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, 2/5ths of their starting rotation, former Yankee great Ron Guidry (170-91, 3.29...all in a Yankee uniform, 4-0 for the 1977-78 World Champions), who is an instructor in camp, commented on the difference between today’s pitchers and those of his day.

“Some of the kids asked me, ‘What did you do over the wintertime?’” Guidry said in an interview with The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner.  “I took my bag when I got home and I threw it in the closet and I didn’t see it again until that first day of spring training.  I didn’t see it at all, because I wanted to rest. That’s what we all did.  Whether that has anything to do with any injuries or noninjuries, I can’t answer that.  I’m just saying what we did.”

--In College Baseball...

Kansas powered its way into the NCAA record book Wednesday afternoon by hitting five consecutive home runs in a 29-1 win over Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

--And Wake Forest swept Miami at home this weekend; 8-0, 5-4 (10 innings) and 12-10. The Deacs, No. 13 in Baseball America’s Top 25, are 18-3, and 6-0 in the ACC for the first time in school history.  But they travel to No. 5 Clemson for a huge early 3-game series next weekend.  Dr. W., I hope you get to go to one or two of them.

Golf / The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida...a biggie....

The tournament took shape in the second round as Justin Thomas, who had a miserable opening-round 78, staged a turnaround for the ages with a 62 on Friday.

But he was seven back of the leaders...and so after two rounds....

Min Woo Lee -11
Akshay Bhatia -11
J.J. Spaun -10
Rory McIlroy -9
Collin Morikawa -9 ...he’s been very testy with the press this year, chill out, Collin...
Alex Smalley -9

Scottie Scheffler -5...seeking to three-peat.

And after three rounds....

Spaun -12
Bud Cauley -11...66
Lucas Glover -9
Corey Conners -8
Rory -8
Bhatia -8

Scheffler -5...his short putting is killing him thus far this year, and he’s showing his temper more than ever.

But Saturday was as much about the fierce winds as anything, and also Wake Forest’s Will Zalatoris, who late in the round was at -11, tied for the lead, when he hit his drive right on the par-4 14th, an already very hard hole, and made a mess of it...a quadruple-bogey 8!  The first quadruple bogey of his career.  He doubled 15, and ended up at -2 for the tournament, having lost nine shots the last five holes.  Eegads.

And just an aside.  It would do Patrick Cantlay good to smile just once!  Really.  He’s incredibly unlikable. 

Well, with awful weather approaching, they moved up Sunday’s tee times, going off both No. 1 and No. 10, in an attempt to get the final round in, but looking at the forecasts, it didn’t look good, wrote the editor early Sunday morning.

And the weather came around 1:00 p.m. Eastern...but I was surprised how much had been played.  There was some hope we’d finish before dark after the weather moved through.

At the time....

Rory -12...thru 11
Spaun -11...thru 10
Tom Hoge -10...thru 17
Bhatia -10...thru 12
Danny Walker -10...thru 12...Walker finding out Thurs. morning he was in the field, after Jason Day had to withdraw, and found himself paired with Wyndham Clark and Jordan Spieth.  He then barely made the cut.

And they are going to finish....

Rory -12 thru 17
Spaun -12 thru 16

Rory in the fairway at 18, Spaun a long birdie putt on the island 17.

Spaun pars 17.

Rory pars 18.

Spaun from the pinestraw for his second on 18. But he hits a solid approach and has a chance to win it...

His birdie putt is short...we have a 3-hole aggregate playoff tomorrow (while your editor is in his Honda dealership for long-needed maintenance...DRAT!!!!)

--Among those missing the cut were Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, Tony Finau, and Clark, who withdrew due to a neck injury after a poor first round.

--Meanwhile, poor Tiger Woods.  He suffered another significant injury, a ruptured Achilles while training that will no doubt keep him out at least through summer, you would think.  It’s important it was ruptured and not just torn, the former being worse.

Woods commented on social media and his doctor said “The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery.”

It would have been great to see Tiger at Augusta, especially if he made the cut and was within striking distance even on Saturday, let alone Sunday, but it’s not to be.

--And this was the week of the PGA Tour’s State of the Union from Commissioner Jay Monahan at The Players, and he led off talking about the negotiations with the Saudi Public Investment Fund and LIV Golf.  Monahan gave no real details on where things stand but he expressed optimism an agreement can be concluded while at the same time emphasizing the tour had lines it was not willing to cross.  He didn’t discuss LIV golf’s continued operation, its format or any potential pathways for LIV golfers to return to the PGA Tour.

There’s a growing consensus the tour doesn’t need a deal.  It’s doing just fine.  Actually, doing well according to some key metrics.  The big thing is corporate sponsorships, and the big players on that front continue to renew or sign up.  [Should there be an economic recession, that does have an impact on such decisions, CEOs needing to explain some expenses to their boards and shareholders.]

--Joaquin Niemann won the LIV Golf Singapore event, five shots over Brooks Koepka.  Dustin Johnson, T5, played much better at -9, which bodes well for him at Augusta.  Ditto Koepka and Niemann.

NHL

--Alex Ovechkin got No. 887 in a 5-1 win Saturday over the Sharks.  Eight more to break Gretzky before the end of the regular season.  Very reachable. He has 34 this season in just 51 games.

--My New York Rangers had a massive...massive!...4-0 win at Columbus last night, to pull ahead for the second wild card spot; Igor Shesterkin pitching the shutout.

Rangers...72 points...67 played
Montreal...71...66
Columbus...70...66

New York hosts Edmonton tonight.

Premier League

--Just nine games left in the season.

Saturday, Nottingham beat Ipswich 4-2, while Brighton and Manchester City tied at 2-2.

Sunday, Arsenal solidified its hold on second, 1-0 over Chelsea, and Fulham beat Tottenham 2-0.

Table...29 of 38 played – points

1. Liverpool 29 – 70
2. Arsenal 29 – 58
3. Nottingham Forest 29 – 54
4. Chelsea 29 – 49
5. Man City 29 – 48
6. Newcastle 28 – 47...game in hand
7. Brighton 29 – 47
8. Fulham 29 – 45
9. Aston Villa 29 – 45

So a helluva race for the fourth and final Champions League slot.  But there is talk the Premier League could be awarded a fifth spot for next year’s Champions League...some saying up to 7 in the future...due to the PL’s play in European League competition; like the Champions League and Europa League tourneys.

Meanwhile, when it comes to relegation, that game is over.  Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton fan bases are very depressed, their pubs not a pleasant place to be in...as in I’d avoid them.

17. Wolverhampton 29 – 26
18. Ipswich 29 – 17
19. Leicester City 28 – 17
20. Southampton 29 – 9

Stuff

--Lando Norris, the preseason favorite in F1 this year, overcame Max Verstappen to win a frenzied Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, the circuit’s debut race of the year. 

Norris, in his McLaren, held off Verstappen, crossing the line just 0.8 seconds ahead of the reigning world champion.

It was Norris’ fifth career victory.

Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli claimed fourth for Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton, in his debut for Ferrari, finished tenth. 

Multiple cars crashed out in the rain-whipped race.

--We note the passing of the great sportswriter/author John Feinstein, 69, who died suddenly at his brother’s home, the brother saying it was probably a heart attack.

Feinstein joined the Washington Post as a night police reporter in 1977, but soon distinguished himself on the sports beat.  Early on he became best known for his coverage of college basketball, and in 1985, he took a leave of absence from The Post to follow the Indiana Hoosiers and their coach, Bob Knight, for the season.

When “A Season on the Brink” appeared in 1986, it was immediately recognized as a breakthrough in sports writing.  Instead of deifying a successful coach, Mr. Feinstein portrayed Knight in all his complexities, which combined a sensitivity toward his players with a volatile, uncontrollable temper often marked by obscenity-laden tirades.

The book spent 17 weeks as a No. 1 bestseller.  But Knight did not speak to Feinstein for eight years, “upset, of all things, with seeing profanity in the book,” Feinstein would recount.

Perhaps his other best-known book was “A Good Walk Spoiled” (1995) about professional golf.

Barry Svrluga / Washington Post

“At some point during the 1987-88 academic year, Gary Williams – then the men’s basketball coach at Ohio State – was planning on taking a recruiting trip to Sparta, New Jersey, to see a 6-foot-7 shooting guard named Chris Jent.  At that time, John Feinstein – the prodigious sports reporter and author – was working on his second book, the follow-up to the groundbreaking ‘A Season on the Brink.’

The book’s premise: show everything that went on behind the scenes in college hoops.  In those days, there were no restrictions on who could come to these visits.  Feinstein called Williams: Can I accompany you on an in-home visit?

“ ‘He was good,’ Williams said.  ‘He didn’t try to dominate anything.  He just sat there and took notes.’

“Jent committed to Ohio State.

“ ‘John never let me forget that,’ Williams said.  ‘He wanted credit for his outstanding recruiting ability.’

“There’s Feinstein, in one story: Gaining the trust of a coach, turning that into access, dutifully letting the scene play out before him, then documenting for readers to give them a peek behind otherwise closed doors.

“ ‘You could have a conversation with him, and he was staunch in his beliefs,’ Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said in a phone interview Thursday from the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.  ‘But he wasn’t arrogant about it.  He would listen to what you’re saying.  He’d see the other person’s point, even when he was convinced he was right.’

“Izzo paused a second.

“ ‘God, I was sad today when I heard this,’ he said.

“That was the reaction around men’s college basketball as the most important month of its calendar truly cranked up.  Feinstein wrote books and columns on all sorts of sports – tennis, golf, baseball, the NFL, almost any game you can think of – but men’s college basketball was woven into who he was. From the blue bloods such as his alma mater, Duke, to the many small school with unknown coaches just trying to find their way, he went anywhere there were stories to tell.”

Among Feinstein’s other books were “The Last Amateurs,” about a season of Patriot League hoops; “When Nobody Knows Your Name,” about the struggles of minor league baseball players and managers; “Tales from Q School,” on the PGA Tour’s nerve-racking qualifying system.

Svrluga:

“It’s so fitting that his final column for The Post – the paper for which he had his first full-time job, the paper for which he continued to write columns for decades – was on Izzo, who is 70 and in his 30th season coaching the Spartans.  Last week, he told Feinstein he wasn’t retiring because, as that final column said, ‘I do still love the job.’

“The Post published that column the day John Feinstein passed.  Later that day, he was supposed to go to the Atlantic 10 tournament at Capital One Arena.  One of the giants of sports writing wasn’t working the opening rounds of a mid-major tournament because he had to. He was doing it because, till his last day, he did still love the job.”

--Into the December file goes an American woman, supposed “influencer,” known as “Sam Jones” from Montana on Instagram.

Victoria Kim / New York Times

“In times of tumult and uncertainty, a society can come together over resounding, unequivocal disdain against a common villain.

“This week, Australia, which is gearing up for a divisive election, found that antagonist in an American media social influencer.  The woman snatched a baby wombat from near its mother at night from the side of what appeared to be a remote road. Then she ran back to her vehicle and held the marsupial up for a camera, as it wriggled and squealed.

“ ‘Mama’s right there, and she’s pissed,’ the woman said in a video posted online.  She went on to release the joey on the roadside in the darkness, illuminated only by her car’s headlights.

“Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, suggested that she try the same with a crocodile and see how that goes.  ‘To take a baby wombat from its mother, and clearly causing distress from the mother is just an outrage,’ Mr. Albanese said.

The Wombat Protection Society of Australia denounced the video, explaining that human interaction could cause “severe stress”...and that it wasn’t clear from the short clip whether the animal had been reunited with its mother.

“A baby of this size is highly dependent on its mother, and prolonged separation could have fatal consequences,” the group said in a statement.

Quickly there was a drumbeat of calls to deport the idiot.  The next day, it was reported she had left Australia.

You aren’t supposed to use the word ‘hate’ in print.  But how can you not help but totally despise  this woman.  She apologized when she got back to the States, but then she lied about her intentions, which makes her even more loathsome. 

I swear, this story really, really upsets me.

--And on a sad wildlife note, one of the three eaglets in the nest of Southern California’s famous bald eagle couple Jackie and Shadow has died, according to Friends of Big Bear Valley.

Severe weather in the area dumped two feet of snow and the nest was inundated.

In years past, Jackie, the 11-year-old female, and Shadow, the 13-year-old male, have drawn the attention of wildlife enthusiasts across the country due to the unique chance to watch their day-to-day happenings online.  In years past, they have successfully raised a few eaglets and lost others.

Two eaglets survive as of today.

Top 3 songs for the week 3/19/77: #1 “Love Theme From ‘A Star Is Born’ (Evergreen)” (Barbra Streisand)  #2 “Fly Like An Eagle” (Steve Miller)  #3 “Rich Girl” (Daryl Hall & John Oates)...and...#4 “Night Moves” (Bob Seger)  #5 “Dancing Queen” (Abba)  #6 “I Like Dreamin’” (Kenny Nolan) #7 “Torn Between Two Lovers” (Mary MacGregor)  #8 “Don’t Give Up On Us” (David Soul)  #9 “Don’t Leave Me This Way” (Thelma Houston)  #10 “Go Your Own Way” (Fleetwood Mac...C+ week...spring of my freshman year, little did I know that my GPA was headed towards a freefall that would take me to historic lows...as President Trump would say, ‘to levels never seen before...’)

College Basketball Quiz Answer: Starting five on the 1984-85 Villanova national championship team that beat Georgetown 66-64.

Ed Pinckney (15.6 ppg, 8.9 reb), Dwayne McLain (14.8 ppg), Harold Presley (12.0 ppg, 7.9 reb), Gary McLain (8 ppg, 4 asst), Dwight Wilbur (7.5 ppg).

Harold Jensen and Mark Plansky were the top two reserves.

The starting five was small, 6-9 (Pinckney), 6-7, 6-6, 6-2, 6-0.

In the national title game, Jensen came in early for Wilbur and was 5 for 5 from the field.

This was the Georgetown team that won the national title the year before, beating Houston.  In 1985 their starting five was Patrick Ewing, David Wingate, Bill Martin, Michael Jackson, and Reggie Williams.

While the Wildcats hit 22 of 28 from the field, they also committed 17 turnovers.

Rollie Massimino was of course the coach.

Villanova was only 25-10, 9-7 in the Big East, and a No. 8 seed.

Brief Bar Chat up top by noon, Tues.

 

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