Jay GreesonWeekend winners
New York Little Leaguers. That was a fun and entertaining tournament. Yes, a lot of us missed the first week of it because of the Olympics, but the story lines coming from Williamsport, Pa., were awesome. And here's the best one: The team of 12-year-olds from the Empire State did not lose a game. Talk about a magical summer. They did not lose a game through the entire tournament, form local qualifiers to Sunday's World Series clincher.
Football fans. It's here. It's game week. The wait is dead; long live the wait. We will hit you with our UT preview Tuesday, a look at UTC on Wednesday and the SEC on Thursday. Deal? Deal.
Kyle Larson. The NASCAR driver claimed his first win on the Sprint Cup series. Kudos young dude.
The FCS. Great debut game on a national stage Saturday night with a thriller as North Dakota State pulled out an OT win over Charleston Southern.
Vegas. Speaking of college football, the season-opener was Friday night in Australia with Cal rolling over Hawaii. But how good is Vegas at setting lines? Well, the spread was 20.5; the final score was Cal 51, Hawaii 31 with Cal driving down inside the Hawaii 5 as the game ended.
Weekend losers
The NFL. And this is not even touching the Colin Kaepernick controversy (more on that below, and in some ways the Kaepernick thing has added to the cloud cover). New York Giants kicker Josh Brown got a one-game suspension for a domestic violence arrest, not the new agreed upon six-game suspension primarily because his then wife refused to speak with the league during its 10-month investigation. In those 10 months, the league claimed it "made numerous requests - as late as this spring - to local law enforcement officers for information on the case and previous allegations." Well, maybe the NFL needs to hire a journalist to figure out how to file a Freedom of Information Act, because ESPN and USA Today got a police report (which are pretty much available upon request) that Brown violated the protective order two months after his arrest. Bad news all the way around.
Little 5-at-10. Dude was playing the way little dude's do and fell off the monkey bars in the backyard. He broke his elbow in two places and may be facing surgery. Stinks.
Rickie Fowler. He made the turn Sunday tied for the lead in the Barclay's tournament, and possibly more important to him, securely locked into the Ryder Cup qualifying top eight. Everything looked awesome, then the wheels fell off. A four-over run dropped him from fourth in the points to 11th and if Rickie is going to make the Ryder Cup team, it will be as a captain's pick.
Tony Romo. The brittle and unlucky Cowboys quarterback will be out 6-to-10 weeks after suffering another back injury.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick answers questions after Friday's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.Kaepernick's moves
Unless you have been asleep under a rock and off the grid, you know about Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers quarterback who decided not to stand for the National Anthem before Friday's preseason game.
Kaepernick has said clearly that his intention was not to insult the military. OK, here's the transcript of his interview Sunday.
He can scream those intentions from the highest mountain top, but there is a little thing called unintended consequences.
And those consequences great ripples in every direction.
First, Kaepernick is perfectly free to sit or stand on his head or make snow angels when the National Anthem is played. The millions of the brave military people throughout history have paid all sorts of sacrifices for Kaepernick to have that right.
But we need to continually remind all generations that the freedom of speech does not equal a freedom from fallout.
The first amendment right to say and think and believe what you will is guaranteed from the government.
Whether that decision costs you friends, fans, jobs and everything in between is part of the exchange.
Kaepernick appears willing to accept that exchange.
And he can state his intentions every day from now to judgement, but he does not get to tell anyone else how to react.
And the reaction continues to spin and engage and expose the duality of freedoms and the duplicity generated in serious matters in our overly politically correct society.
Look at the NFL, which said, "Players are encouraged but not required to stand." OK, but the NFL is trying to strong states about their legislation in regards to bathroom usage - legislation that the majority of the voters in those states support.
Look at the freedom of choice and how Kaepernick gets to celebrate his decision to do what he wants at his job, but a cake maker in Seattle can't because of religious beliefs decide whom they will or won't serve.
This discussion is filled with nuances, but one that should not be had on a one-way street.
I have no intention to change your mind on this.
This is my opinion and I welcome the consequences.
One of the world's most popular competitive games, "League of Legends" is a multiplayer online battle arena that offers fast-paced gameplay combining elements of real-time strategy and roleplaying. Teams consist of five players, each of whom selects a champion to control from a roster of more than 125.This and that
- A week before the biggest opening weekend in college football history and two weeks before the start to the most popular TV sport in the country, according to Darren Rovell, the most searched ticket in the U.S. on StubHub this weekend was League of Legends World Championships. In fact it ranked ahead of, in order, Chance the rapper, Phish, Springsteen, Adele and then the Alabama-USC opener. The League of Legends World Championships is an eSports event in October.
- Former US Congressman Anthony Weiner has a real problem staying off sexting. Dude, get a holf yourself. Wait, strike that.
- Thought this was an interesting take on the summer movies. Enjoy.
- Eric Berry signed a one-year contract and reported to camp. Nothing else to say, other than the Chiefs just got better and - with all the injuries that pop up during preseason camp - this could be a better blueprint for the elite players in the league.
- The New York Post with not exactly breaking news but still a very telling look at the dominance Alabama has enjoyed under Nick Saban.
In this Nov. 19, 2015, file photo, Thursday Night Football sportscasters Bill Cowher, left, and Phil Simms broadcast from the set on the field before an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
Today's question
You know the deal on a Monday. Winners and losers from the weekend.
Go.
As for the date, well, let's go outside the box considering all the quarterback talk around all the camps around all levels of football.
Chris Simms turns 36 today, and if you are asking who, well you are not alone.
But Simms, who played quarterback at Texas and Tennessee before playing in the NFL, is the son of Phil Simms.
Who are the four names on the Rushmore of families of quarterbacks? (And yes, the Manning clan would be far left.)
Go, and enjoy the day.