Add-on posted Tues. AM….
World Cup
–I posted my instant reactions to the FIFA decision to reinstate Folarin Balogun as the news broke in the two hours before I went to post. Normally I like to wait 24 hours before reacting, but I couldn’t this time.
We all agree, as I wrote last week, that the initial decision by the referee in the U.S.-Bosnia and Herzegovina game to hand Folarin Balogun a red card for stepping on his opponent’s ankle, accidentally, was a bogus call, but it was confirmed by VAR and FIFA rules were that Balogun had to sit out a game. It sucked. But the U.S. team had to move on and others like Pepe were going to have to step up against Belgium Monday night in Seattle.
But then for President Trump to intervene, and we’ve learned since, at the urging of Andrew Giuliani and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and call FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reverse the call and allow Balogun to play also sucks. That’s my opinion.
Upon further reflection, it is also understandable that not only is Belgium outraged, but basically the world soccer/football community.
The red card itself was not rescinded; Balogun’s one-game ban was suspended for a year. FIFA’s disciplinary committee has broad powers to, essentially, do whatever it wants.
Soccer fans across the world have cried foul over what they saw as a head of state putting his thumb on the scale – and forever tarnishing the integrity of the World Cup.
FIFA has declined to comment on the White House’s influence and insisted that its Disciplinary Committee was an independent body.
Belgium’s soccer federation said that it was “astonished” by the reversal and announced that it was reviewing its options. The team’s coach, Rudi Garcia, wondered if the whole affair was an April Fool’s prank played in July.
Norway coach Stale Solbakken condemned the episode as a “Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad decision that will hurt the World Cup.”
“I feel also sorry for the United States,” Solbakken said, “because if they win, that will always hang in the balance for it.”
English coach Thomas Tuchel says there is total confusion over the disciplinary process at the World Cup after FIFA’s shock decision.
With Jarrell Quansah’s red card in England’s 3-2 win over Mexico, Tuchel was asked if he would be petitioning FIFA to get the ban cancelled before Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway.
“Where does this start and where does this end now?” Tuchel said. “Can we overturn it or not overturn it? What’s going on?
“Where to draw the line is the question that I ask. I have no answer to that.
“Do we appeal if a yellow card is not a yellow card? Do we think it is not a red card or who thinks it? Where does this start and where does this end? It’s my question. I don’t have an answer.”
Both Balogun and Quansah were sent off following a video assistant referee (VAR) review.
[By the way, the assistant VAR in the Mexico-England game was Juan Soto, who was the official who ordered the review that resulted in Balogun’s red card!]
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino found himself in an awkward position. He had insisted after Balogun’s ejection that it was “never a red card.” The Americans had been forced to finish the game a man down, which he said was punishment enough. Yet he refused to address whether or not it was appropriate for the President of the United States to involve himself.
“In the end, it’s not that we’re victims,” Pochettino said in Spanish. “But we’re not the bad guys here.”
There have been 189 red cards in the history of the World Cup, and only two players have not served a suspension.
The other came in 1962, when Brazil’s Garrincha was sent off against Chile in the semi-final, but played in the victory over Czechoslovakia in the final.
Back then, however, there was no automatic ban. It was decided by committee with evidence given by the officials.
The FIFA disciplinary committee’s decision in 1962 was shrouded in allegations of political interference, external.
As Monday progressed, UEFA strongly criticized FIFA’s decision, calling it “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable.”
Belgium appealed, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) saying in a statement that it “has no alternative but to challenge the player’s eligibility for the upcoming match.”
Glenn Micallef, the European Union’s commissioner for sport, said that decisions on sport “belong to sporting bodies, not politicians.”
“Influencing sporting decisions would undermine the autonomy of sport,” he posted on X.
President Trump, addressing the press at an event in the Oval Office Monday morning, admitted he called Infantino to have the call reviewed.
Trump told reporters, “That wasn’t a foul, that wasn’t even an infraction,” while admitting he didn’t know what a red card is!
Trump then said the U.S. team’s match will be more fair after his intervention because both teams will have their full roster available. And then he invoked his baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
“We’re going to have a full team, and Belgium is going to have a full team,” he said. “And you know what? If they beat us, then they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us, we’ll say it was – I’d say – it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020.”
–Meanwhile, in the England-Mexico game, Sunday night, after a slow start to the contest at rockin’ Azteca Stadium, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham had two goals in 2:38 (36’ and 38’] to suddenly put England up 2-0.
But Mexico scored on a Julian Quinones shot from a corner three minutes later, 2-1, and that’s where we were at the half.
And then at the 54’ mark, Quansah received his red card when he went high on the calf of Jesus Gallardo during a challenge.
But England, now a man down for the rest of the match, extended the lead to 3-1 on a penalty kick by Harry Kane at 60 minutes, and after that England hung for dear life. Mexico got a penalty kick to make it 3-2 at 69’ and Thomas Tuchel responded by setting England up in a 5-4-0 formation and sitting deep.
Mexico would put in 49 crosses in all but England stood firm.
At the end of game, however, Jordan Hernandez was taken off on a stretcher after he fell over the advertising banner during the post-game celebration and reportedly suffered a serious wrist injury. But he’s not a key player for the Three Lions.
England now plays Norway in Miami next Saturday.
–So, we move on to Monday night and U.S.-Belgium…. and Belgium blitzed the U.S. 4-1. Not one facet of the USMNT’s game was good, the defense was horrible, goalkeeper Matt Freese made a fatal error on Belgium’s third goal, and the dream was over.
“A very bad day,” said Pochettino. “It’s not like you are in a rocket and you improve and you grow… It’s not linear.”
“Everyone had nerves, right, because we knew how much this meant for the whole country, not just our team,” said 21-year-old defender Alex Freeman.
Yes, Belgium had the last laugh. And on their X page, they posted a simple two-word message after:
“Overturn this.”
In the earlier knockout game, Spain defeated Portugal 1-0, ending Ronaldo’s World Cup career.
Spain takes on Belgium, Friday.
MLB
–In late baseball action after I posted, Sunday, the Marlins’ Eury Perez had a perfect game after seven innings against the A’s in Sacramento when he was removed, and the fans booed the decision.
But Perez was making just his third start after a return from injury and he had thrown 92 pitches. You can’t fault the decision.
The thing is, the Marlins were up 8-0 heading to the bottom of the eighth and ended up winning just 9-8, as the Miami bullpen blew up and almost cost Perez (5-6, 3.84) the win.
[The slumping Nick Kurtz was 0-for-4 for the A’s.]
–The Padres took Sunday’s finale of their 4-game series with the Dodgers, 5-2, thus avoiding a sweep.
But L.A., 59-32, is 14 games up on San Diego (44-45) and Arizona (44-45) in the AL West.
—Monday night, the Yankees (50-40) won the first of an important 4-game series against Tampa Bay (52-36) 5-1, as Cam Schlittler had a good bounce back outing, 8 innings, one run, to move to 9-5, 2.01, while Jose Caballero hit two home runs.
The Mets won their second straight against the Braves in Atlanta, 7-6 in 10. Juan Soto had hit a dramatic two-out, 3-run homer in the top of the ninth to give the Mets a 5-3 lead, but closer Devin Williams gave it away in the bottom of the inning, only for the Mets to prevail in the tenth.
The Phillies were brutalized by the Royals, 15-1, as All-Star Cristopher Sanchez gave up 9 earned in 3 1/3, his ERA zooming to 2.62.
And Shohei Ohtani was back from his little bicep issue, 3-for-4, a home run, 4 RBIs in L.A.’s 8-7 win over the Rockies.
Golf Balls
–Going back to Sunday’s finale at the John Deere Classic, won by Chris Gotterup and his final-round 62, he now goes to Scotland to defend his title at the Scottish Open, which last year put him on the map as a rising star and he hasn’t looked back with three of his five wins this year.
So this begins a terrific two-week stretch for golf fans, rising early to catch the coverage, particularly at The Open Championship which will be held at Royal Birkdale the following week.
But I have to note, again, Ben Kohles’ amazing collapse on No. 18 that sent him from a tie for the lead and a playoff with Gotterup to T3.
Kohles has never won on tour and has had very little success, and his approach shot into the water on 18 while he sat in the middle of the fairway, and then three-putting for double bogey, cost him dearly.
Kohles walked away with $466,000, his biggest payday, but a win would have been worth $1.584 million, and the short miss that cost him a tie for second erased more than $300,000 from his check.
The poor guy did not sleep well Sunday night, nor will he for a while.
–On the Champions Tour, Padraig Harrington won the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio. It was Padraig’s third victory in the championship, tying him with Miller Barber for most wins in this event for players 50 and older.
Stewart Cink, who had won the last three Champions Tour majors, was second.
Stuff
—Chase Briscoe captured his sixth career NASCAR Cup Series win, taking Sunday’s night’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. Christopher Bell was second, his fourth runner-up of the season. Denny Hamlin third.
NASCAR ran 10 Cup races in Joliet, Ill., before pulling out after the 2019 season. It tried to build interest in the event in a crowded sports market, but the race struggled with attendance.
After racing on a street course in downtown Chicago each of the previous three years, NASCAR decided to go back to Chicagoland and officials have to be thrilled as it was a sellout crowd Sunday.
Next Bar Chat Sunday PM.
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[Posted Sun. PM…prior to Mexico-England…]
Baseball Quiz: We go to the end of the 1976 season. What was the top ten in career home runs at that point in time. Answer below.
World Cup
I don’t know about you, but while I was looking forward to the World Cup, it has far exceeded my expectations, and it’s become ‘must-see television’ as we headed to the Round of 16.
Fox Sports’ TV audience for the USMNT’s last-32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina drew a record 24.43 million viewers, making it the most watched English-language broadcast of a soccer fixture in U.S. history.
You’d certainly think that Monday night’s U.S. vs. Belgium game in Seattle will break that record.
But in recent games, Thursday, Portugal vs. Croatia, Croatia thought it had tied it late at 2-2, only to have the goal waved off due to an agonizing offside call, a closeup showing Igor Matanovic’s head grazing the ball in the lead-up to the ‘tying’ score, which triggered offside, and Portugal barely prevailed 2-1.
Friday, we had a scintillating game, Argentina beating upstart Cape Verde 3-2 on a 111th-minute Diney Borges own goal, saving defending champion Argentina from one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.
Cape Verde, 64th in the FIFA rankings, twice came back to equalize against the now second-ranked team in the world.
It was 1-1 heading into extra time when Lisandro Martinez thought he had won it for Argentina with a superb finish in the 92nd minute.
But Sidny Lopes Cabral produced one of the World Cup’s great goals 11 minutes later when he cut inside to the left of the box and whipped a curling strike over goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into the top corner to make it 2-2.
Cabral then forced a stunning save from Martinez four minutes from the end of extra time (which would have meant penalty kicks to decide it) – but they could not draw level for a third time.
What an effort.
In Saturday’s first Round of 16 match, heavily-favored Morocco was playing awful against Canada and it was scoreless, before Morocco scored three goals in the second half, all basically on superb individual efforts, not necessarily because the team started playing up to its potential, and in the end it was 3-0.
And then we had Paraguay-France, and Paraguay tried to provoke, intimidate, and rough up France right from the start, as they had done successfully the game before in knocking out Germany.
But in the end, Les Bleus weathered the test of Paraguay’s defense – and the near-100-degree heat in Philadelphia to win 1-0 on a Kylian Mbappe penalty kick at the 70’ mark.
“It could have gone another way,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “If we did respond to provocation, it could have been bad. Germany did respond and I said, ‘Please stay focused, focus on what we are able to do.’”
Sunday, we had Norway-Brazil at the Meadowlands…but first, early in the afternoon, Team USA received stunning news. FIFA ruled Folarin Balogun would be eligible to play against Belgium Monday night! Massive news.
In a statement, FIFA said: “In line with article 27 of the FIFA disciplinary code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year. If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”
“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” President Trump posted on Truth Social.
We all agreed it was an injustice at the time. It was a bogus call. It should have been corrected. And glad it was.
But then the New York Times reported at about 4:00 PM: “President Trump called Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, on Wednesday and asked him to review the suspension….
“The reversal is highly unusual and the first time since 1962 that FIFA has allowed a player to appear in a game when they should have been suspended after being sent off in the World Cup. It also comes as Mr. Infantino has spent years trying to curry favor with Mr. Trump. Last year, FIFA created and gave Mr. Trump the FIFA Peace Prize amid the president’s public, but failed, campaign to win the Nobel Peace Prize.”
FIFA didn’t respond when asked for a comment. The White House referred to Trump’s post.
The Times also noted: “It is not the first time FIFA has drawn scrutiny for altering rules that appear to favor certain teams or star players. Cristiano Ronaldo…was cleared to play at the start of the World Cup when under regular rules he should have missed the first two games because of a red card before the tournament began.”
And then in the match, Brazil had an early penalty kick and instead of Vinicius taking it, Bruno did, and he freakin’ stutter-stepped and Norway’s goalkeeper saved it…the very thing I talked about in penalty kicks early on in the tournament.
So in the 79th minute, Erling Haaland did his thing, and he did it a second time at the 90’ mark, and Norway shocks Brazil 2-1, Brazil with a late meaningless penalty kick.
But the big story is the incredible corruption with FIFA and Donald Trump.
I hope Pochettino keeps Balogun out the first half. We’ll see. The pressure, and politics, all night and Monday leading up to the match will be unreal.
Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Mexico-England at the Azteca, will be fascinating. It is a very intimidating stage for England to have to play on. C’mon, Lads! Go Harry Kane.
—Jurgen Klopp confirmed he’s in negotiations to take over as Germany coach and says he’s “recharged” the energy he was missing when he left Liverpool.
Klopp is the German soccer federation’s preferred candidate after Julian Nagelsmann resigned Friday, four days after Germany lost on penalties to Paraguay in the Round of 32.
MLB
–Going back to Wednesday, the Yankees suffered their seventh straight loss, falling to the Tigers 6-2 in 11 innings at the Stadium as Detroit scored four in the eleventh.
But after an off-day Thursday, the Yanks snapped the losing streak, beating the visiting Twins 5-2, Gerrit Cole with five innings, 2 runs, for the win, evening his mark at 3-3, 4.01.
Saturday, however, New York returned to its losing ways, falling 11-4 as the Twins (43-47) hit six home runs, the Yanks falling to 49-39.
And Sunday, Twins won again, 6-1, Joe Ryan with seven scoreless.
But Byron Buxton left early with another hip injury…hopefully he’s just day-to-day.
The Yankees are in trouble. The return of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton isn’t imminent, last I saw.
—Mets fans finally heard from owner Steve Cohen on the state of the franchise, which is depressing, with zero hope for the future, and on a podcast with the New York Post’s Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Cohen said team president David Stearns, in his third year and on the way to a second straight postseason miss, will live out his five-year contract.
“We’re two and a half hears into a contract,” Cohen said. “Everyone forgets – does he get any credit for ’24? Does that count? We almost made it to the World Series. And that was just two years ago. It’s a mixed record. I’m not gonna say it’s going great, but it’s too early to really make evaluations. And I feel really strongly that if we’re going to burn and churn, that’s a terrible place to be. Every time you burn and churn, guess what, the next time nobody wants to come. Is someone going to put their career in your hands, if you’re going to be short term oriented?
“I have a contract. It’s a five-year contract. And we’re going to live that contract out.”
The thing is, Uncle Stevie, just look at the Mets’ farm system. It is beyond bleak. Optimists are reduced to talking about some low-A players perhaps having some potential. Everyone that we’re told is on the verge of breaking out, like Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Francisco Alvarez, has failed to do so, though Alvarez has hit OK recently.
Anyway, the Mets are in Atlanta this weekend and lost Friday night, 5-3.
And once again on Saturday, Fox put the Mets on national TV and the Metropolitans (36-53, losers of 12 of 14), were blown out 14-3. Totally embarrassing. They don’t even compete anymore.
The Braves, 52-35, now have a 17-game lead over the Metsies.
But what a rain-delayed game we had today, Sunday. The Mets scored five in the top of the ninth to take a 10-3 lead…game over…until it wasn’t.
Atlanta scored six in the bottom on the ninth, five off normally reliable reliever Huascar Brazoban, closer Devin Williams was brought in, and with the game 10-9, runners on second and third, Williams struck out former Met Dom Smith…Mets win.
—Last Tuesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts became the fastest manager to reach 1,000 wins with L.A.’s 9-3 win over the Athletics. That made Roberts 1,000-606, every one of the victories with the Dodgers.
This weekend, the Dodgers hosted the Padres for a 4-game series, and on Thursday, L.A. came back from being down six runs to win it 12-7.
Friday, L.A.’s Teoscar Hernandez hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning for what proved to be the game-winner, 4-3. Shohei Ohtani pitched six innings, 3 earned, ERA up to 1.79, but it was a no-decision.
But Ohtani has a sore bicep and he was held out of Saturday’s game at the plate, L.A. winning again, 3-0, as Yoshinobu Yamamato threw seven scoreless, 10 strikeouts, to move to 9-5, 2.49.
–Last Wednesday, the Cubs beat the Padres 23-3, as Dansby Swanson had three home runs, 8 RBIs, including a grand slam.
Swanson had an astounding 9 home runs and 29 RBIs in his last 13 games through Wed.
Before the 13-game output, Swanson was batting .175 with a .598 OPS. After Wednesday, he was up to .210, .731.
The Cubs then had a big weekend series against the Cardinals at Wrigley, and Friday night, the Cards blasted the Cubbies 17-1, as former Met David Peterson showed his true stuff on the mound for Chicago, giving up 10 runs in 3 2/3.
And Saturday, five St. Louis pitchers shut out the Cubs, 3-0, as the Cards are now 47-39, Chicago 49-40.
–Also Wednesday, in what was billed as a terrific pitchers’ duel, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes vs. Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler, the Phils won it 10-6, hardly the score expected.
Skenes was rocked again…7 earned in four innings, as his record fell to 6-8, 3.62. Wheeler got a no-decision, going 4 2/3, 4 earned, but 10 strikeouts. He was pissed he was relieved before he had a chance to go the requisite five innings, but he had thrown 104 pitches in Philadelphia’s heat and humidity…the right move by interim manager Don Mattingly.
Back to Skenes, he is 0-6 over his last nine starts!
–In my irregular ‘How are the Deacs’ Doin’ in the Majors’…Thursday, Cincinnati’s Chase Burns moved his mark to 10-1, 2.40 ERA with six innings of 2-run ball in the Reds’ 7-2 win over the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Fellow Demon Deac Nick Kurtz remains in a bit of a funk and lost his major-league RBI to Yordan Alvarez, who through Saturday’s play was at 67 ribbies to Kurtz’ 66. [Alvarez, who is having a potential Triple-Crown season, had two homers and 6 RBIs in Saturday’s game.]
—Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli and Boston first baseman Willson Contreras were each suspended seven games for their roles in a benches-clearing brawl at Fenway Park on Tuesday night, MLB said Thursday.
In addition, Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas received a five-game suspension, and Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton got a three-game ban.
Cavalli shouted at Contreras after striking him out looking with a full-count pitch in the fourth inning of the Nationals’ 8-1 victory, saying to him, “Sit down, boy.”
Well, as you know, the term “boy” has a rather racist history in the U.S. Contreras, who is Venezuelan, demurred when asked after the game if he felt there was a racial component to Cavalli’s word choice, adding that he plans to “let MLB handle that.”
Cavalli apologized profusely, saying in part, “I’m extremely torn up about the way that things were perceived. Obviously, there was no ill intention behind that….
“It hurt my heart, knowing that if there’s a 13-year-old Black kid in D.C. that sees that – that looked up to me and thinks that he perceived it in a way that wasn’t intended the way that it came out, and then he’s not looking up to me anymore – that hurts my heart.”
—The All-Star Game rosters were filled out for the Midsummer Classic, which is being held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Tuesday, July 14.
The Braves, Dodgers and the host Phillies are sending five players to the All-Star Game.
Wake Forest’s Burns and Kurtz are going for their first time.
The Mets, as it should be, only have one player, Juan Soto, who will be starting.
And the Yanks are represented by Aaron Judge, Cam Schlittler, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger.
I do not understand Paul Skenes going (except for the fact he is Pittsburgh’s lone representative, so I guess it makes sense, but that means someone like Zack Wheeler isn’t going). [And the Phillies already have pitchers Jhoan Duran and Cristopher Sanchez.]
I’m glad Minnesota’s Byron Buxton is in the AL starting outfield. Well deserved, plus I just like the guy. Wish the Mets had him.
Another reason to like Buxton is he just doesn’t want to leave the Twins, despite a ton of offers for him. That speaks to his character.
Golf Balls
–As the Tour’s best players gear up for The Open Championship in two weeks, with many of them also playing in next week’s Scottish Open, we had the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, IL, and it wasn’t exactly a scintillating leaderboard, but a huge tournament for those looking to break into the Signature Event crowd.
After 36 holes….
Lucas Glover -14
Lee Hodges -12
After 54 holes….
Glover -16
Hodges -16
Ben Kohles -15
Jackson Suber -15
Zac Blair -15
And 50-year-old Zach Johnson, whose last win was the 2015 Open Championship, was at -13!
But in a group tied at -11 was 19-year-old Blades Brown, who has two top-10s this year in alternate field events.
I mention this because coming into the tournament, all eyes were on 21-year-old Jackson Koivin, who was making his pro debut, but he missed the cut. It was like everyone was forgetting about Brown. He’s the story.
And now maybe Zach.
And also, 21-year-old amateur Preston Stout, a rising senior at Oklahoma State. Stout was -12!
So in the fourth round, Chris Gotterup, the big name in the tournament in terms of his play the last two years, suddenly shoots a 9-under 62 and is in the clubhouse at -20.
Ben Kohles is in the fairway on the par-4 18th, also -20, and we’re thinking playoff.
But then Kohles inexplicably pulls his approach shot left into the water!!!
Chris Gotterup, who played at Rutgers, with his fifth career win at the age of 26. Kohles remains winless. Wow.
Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest
Saturday, the great Joey Chestnut won his 18th Mustard Belt with 66 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes, a comfortable 15-wiener win over Patrick Bertoletti, though ten shy of his world record, the weather a big factor…95 degrees, heat index 105.
Chestnut was leading 48-36 over James Webb with 4:00 to go and cruised from there, Webb third at 47.5.
Miki Sudo won her 12th belt, taking the women’s competition by swallowing 38 wieners and buns.
But to appreciate Chestnut’s amazing career, consider that he tied Jack Nicklaus, who won 18 majors in golf, and now has to be thinking about Novak Djokovic’s 24 tennis grand slams, Djokovic not too likely to add to that total.
[Actually, Djokovic just qualified for his 17th Wimbledon quarterfinal.]
Chestnut, however, is now 42. How much longer can he go on?
To appreciate the breadth of Chestnut’s accomplishments, though, consider some of the other world records he holds, as documented by Major League Eating.
61.5 4-oz. Pork Roll sandwiches in 10 minutes.
141 hard boiled eggs in 8 minutes.
47 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes.
53 soft beef tacos (from Taco Bell) in 10 minutes.
45 pulled pork sandwiches in 10 minutes.
121 Twinkies in 6 minutes.
165 pierogis in 8 minutes.
And he still holds the ultimate mark, 76 hot dogs and buns at Nathan’s.
Jack Nicklaus didn’t do this. Nor Novak.
Babe Ruth no doubt could have, however, and that’s probably why he’s still No. 1 among the greatest athletes in U.S. history.
Shohei Ohtani, Michael Phelps, Carl Lewis…I doubt they could eat 45 pulled pork sandwiches in 10 minutes. [Though Michael Phelps would be intriguing. I bet he’d be good at MLE competitions.]
Lastly, Rich Shea, brother of Nathan’s emcee George Shea (one of the funniest men on the planet) had an interesting thought in a discussion with ESPN broadcast partner Jeremy Schaap.
“New York City has been on point,” Rich Shea said. The Knicks ended their 53-year drought, Joey Chestnut won another title in Staten Island, and Taylor Swift “got married at Penn Station.”
When Schaap asked why Taylor and Travis got married there, Rich said, “The Port Authority was booked.”
I hadn’t heard that before.
Stuff
—St. John’s basketball suffered a big blow this week, when Coach Rick Pitino announced that perhaps their top portal pickup, forward Donnie Freeman, will miss the entire 2026-27 season after suffering a torn Achilles injury.
Freeman, a 6-foot-9 junior, was slated to play a starring role in a renovated St. John’s frontcourt after losing three NBA Draft selections – Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell.
Freeman averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds for Syracuse last season. Pitino wrote on social media that Freeman suffered the “non-contact injury in a workout.”
St. John’s had won the recruiting battle for Freeman over Kentucky.
–I’m not following every move in NBA free agency. Us Knicks fans have our championship, but after losing backup centers Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti to free agency, we needed a backup for Karl-Anthony Towns and New York went out and signed 32-year-old veteran Andre Drummond to a one-year deal. Perfect.
We just need 15-18 minutes a night from Drummond and he more than fits the bill. He’s a force down low for sure and can grab some rebounds, though his free-throw shooting is iffy, but better than Robinson’s.
—But basketball fans, let alone Boston Celtics fans, are wondering what the hell the team was thinking in literally unloading All-Star Jaylen Brown to the Sixers for 36-year-old Paul George, the oft-injured former All-Star.
Philadelphia is also sending the Celtics two first-round choices (2028 via the Clippers, their own in 2031) and two second-round picks.
Following Brown’s career year, the Celtics would tell you they traded him while his value was high, but for this package?
Everyone gives the Sixers an ‘A,’ while Boston’s grade on the trade is more like ‘D.’
–At Wimbledon, for the record, Serena Williams lost her first professional singles match in nearly four years on Tuesday, falling 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 to 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia. Williams hadn’t played a singles match since the 2022 U.S. Open.
It was Joint’s first Wimbledon victory in just her second appearance at the All England Club.
Serena then dropped out of her doubles match with sister Venus, about 30 minutes before they were slated to play, citing a knee injury.
Meanwhile, 3 Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, was upset by 29 Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, who becomes the first Filipino player to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles tournament.
And 2 Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, was upset in the third round by 25 Elise Mertens.
Sunday, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka squared off against 14 Naomi Osaka, and Osaka rolled, 6-2, 7-6.
So Nos. 1, 2 and 3 out already.
–Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won today’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
–We note the passing of Victor Willis, 74, the lead singer of the Village People who co-wrote the hits “Y.M.C.A.” and “Macho Man.”
The Village People became global stars in the depressing late 1970s by singing in the garb of sexualized male stereotypes, with Willis often wearing the helmet and outfit of a police officer.
Although the group had widespread popular success, with “Y.M.C.A.” reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and “In the Navy” hitting No. 3, it was their association with President Trump that propelled them to new stardom the past decade or so. [“Macho Man” peaked at No. 25.]
Regardless of its use at political rallies, “Y.M.C.A.” has long been a cultural touchstone – widely played at wedding receptions and sung in karaoke bars.
The last karaoke bar I appeared in was like 28 years ago during my last at PIMCO where I went to a joint in Richmond, VA, with my work colleague and won $100 singing Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Can’t Hide Love.”
Top 3 songs for the week 7/7/79: #1 “Ring My Bell” (Anita Ward…ugh…) #2 “Bad Girls” (Donna Summer) #3 “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer)…and…#4 “Chuck E.’s In Love” (Rickie Lee Jones) #5 “She Believes In Me” (Kenny Rogers) #6 “The Logical Song” (Supertramp) #7 “Boogie Wonderland” (Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions) #8 “We Are Family” (Sister Sledge…theme song for the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates…) #9 “Makin’ It” (David Naughton) #10 “I Want You To Want Me” (Cheap Trick…music was dreadful at the time…D+…)
Baseball Quiz Answer: Top ten in career home runs at the end of the 1976 season.
Hank Aaron 755
Babe Ruth 714
Willie Mays 660
Frank Robinson 586
Harmon Killebrew 573
Mickey Mantle 536
Jimmie Foxx 534
Ted Williams 521
Eddie Matthew and Ernie Banks 512
Mel Ott 511
I just have to go on a little rant concerning this quiz. I asked AI the question and they had Willie McCovey at 520.
Well, when it comes to statistical matters, I never, ever rely solely on AI…and I sure hope you don’t.
At the end of 1976, McCovey was at 465. He hit 56 home runs after 1976, including one in his final season, 1980, for 521 in his Hall of Fame career.
Of course, I then double-checked using Wikipedia. I’ll be commenting on Wiki in my next Week in Review. It’s an important topic.
But Wiki is the definitive source for me when I want to double-check stats on things like the PGA Tour, NASCAR, and World Cup Alpine.
As a subscriber to various sports publications, you wouldn’t believe how many mistakes the writers make on stats.
Up top I talk about Dansby Swanson’s RBI streak. Believe me, I double-checked going through his individual game stats. I wasn’t just going to rely on what I saw in an article.
That said, there are times when I am rushed and I’m not able to double-check as thoroughly as I’d like to, and for that I’m sorry.
Anyway….
Brief Add-on up top early Tues. AM.
