US Open
We are close to the start of the U.S. Open, and we have to say we're pretty stoked. No, it's not the Masters - nothing is - but with the build up about Oakmonster, we are more excited about this U.S. Open than any we can remember.
The test will be extreme, more than arguably any major in recent memory. We've heard from a slew of you folks, so we'll throw together a late U.S. Open contest.
You know the drill: Submit your five picks of who you think will win. We'll take the best four finishers from each entry, and give a total point total. (A player finishing first gets 1 point; a player finishing tied for 8th gets 8 points, for example.)
We'll add the best four finishers together and the low score wins lunch on us. Deal? Deal.
Here's our entry and why:
Jason Day. Oakmonster is long, as is Day. But the putting surfaces are going to be simply diabolical. Day, statistically, has been the best putter on Tour this year. That's good enough for us.
Matt Kuchar. Surprised you didn't we? Well, Kuchar has been among the best in the world at avoiding three-putts this year, and that will be a huge key this weekend.
Rory McIlroy. Not exactly a hunch pick, considering that he's still a top-three player on the planet. Still, we like his approach so far this week. He has given Oakmonster its proper respect but doesn't sound scared (kind of like Mickelson has sounded this week).
Branden Grace. A guy that has played exceedingly well this year, Grace's all around game seems well-suited to the challenge.
Hideki Matsuyama. This one is out there, and we almost took Justin Rose here, but opted for the young and talented Matsuyama, who will win a major at some point.
Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Arodys Vizcaino sits on the bench after walking in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday, June 13, 2016, in Atlanta. Cincinnati won 9-8. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)Braves
OK, maybe it's time for even the most diehard Braves fan to forget about printing playoff tickets this year.
Tuesday's 3-1 loss to Cincinnati was Atlanta's fourth straight and eighth in their last 10 games. The Braves are a league worst 18-46 - and an inexplicable 7-27 at home - with a run differential of minus-113.
Those numbers stink, and obviously, the Braves are in last place.
So for the good news, the Yankees also are in last place in their division, but the big-timers from the Bronx are paying their team almost $230 million this year to do it. At least the Braves are spending somewhat wisely considering they are paying their 25-man roster about $56 million. (Total spending this year with contracts of jettisoned players is around $89 million, which ranks 25th of the 30 MLB teams.)
See, we're staying positive through this quagmire of bad baseball.
Since it's Wednesday, we'll also update the Braves youngsters and what is happening in the minor leagues.
Left fielder Dustin Peterson has been crushing in June at Mississippi. Through the first half of this month, he's hitting .373 with an OPS of .960. A corner outfielder with pop will be a major need moving forward for the Braves' rebuilding project.
Is Peterson that guy? Maybe. The former second-round pick who was acquired in the major deals with San Diego before last season is only 21 and is cutting down his strike outs and showing increased power.
Also of note from the minors, Dansby Swanson, the Braves shortstop of the soon-to-be-here future, broke out of a massive slump with a double and a triple and three RBIs in four at-bats for Mississippi on Tuesday. He had one hit in his previous 25 at-bats before last night.
FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2015, file photo, Len Don Diego, marketing manager for content at the DraftKings daily fantasy sports company, works at his station at the company's offices in Boston. DraftKings and FanDuel are downplaying media reports this week that the two biggest daily fantasy sports companies could team up. But given their swift change of fortune this past year, industry watchers say the timing’s right for a deal. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File) Fantasy sports
Earlier this week there was discussion that the two power players in the daily fantasy sports world were in talks about a merger.
Draft Kings and Fan Duel are looking to combine forces, according to Bloomberg New Services.
The power players in the online fantasy gaming industry have lost roughly half their value after peaking with worths around $1 billion (yes, billion with a 'B') before last football season. That plummeting net worth is in large part because of the state laws being passed to limit their reach.
Merging would give the new company - we'd lean toward Draft Duel over Fan Kings as a name - close to a monopoly of the daily fantasy sports network.
They'll need that sort of power, considering they are fighting state governments, who are looking to tax - which is fine since these are money making business - the operation. The real problem for the online companies, though, is a lot of states are looking to protect their own private gambling monopolies. Especially states like Tennessee, which has a state-run lottery but is trying to make for-profit fantasy games illegal gambling.
So it likely will take a monopoly to fight a monopoly. And do not think for a second that this will quietly go away. The future of a lot of professional sports - and the networks that cover them - has a deeply vested interest in this debate.
According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, participation in fantasy sports in North America has now reached 57.4 million. Those numbers are from an Ipsos poll and marks the highest number of players in history.
Some other conclusions form the survey (which yes, was done by a pro-fantasy sports group, but certainly trumpets the importance of fantasy sports to professional leagues and broadcast companies):
- 61 percent of those surveyed support laws making fantasy sports for cash prizes legal;
- 54 percent of those surveyed say they would have no use for and would cancel league-supported media services (NBA TV, MLB.com, NFL Network, etc.) if not for fantasy sports;
- 64 percent of those surveyed say they watch more live sports because of fantasy sports and 61 percent say they read more about sports because of fantasy sports.
Those numbers are large and important, especially in a time when networks are paying nine- and 10-figure deals to air these sports and in a time when the competition for eye balls in the media world is at an all-time high.
This and that
- How is this for a clear stat about the importance of LeBron James having perimeter success? James made eight shots outside the paint Monday. That's twice as many as any other playoff game so far this spring.
- More NBA Finals info, this from Cynopsis Media: ABC saw Game 5 of the NBA Finals average 20,528,000 viewers for the network, to win the night and keep pace for the series to rank as the second most-watched ever on the network. Overall, the series is averaging 18,029,000 viewers with ratings led by Cleveland at a 38.5 and San Francisco/Oakland's 36.9, followed by Sacramento, Miami and Columbus.
- Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger now wants the Steelers to go for two after TD. We are 100 percent on board with this decision. The analytics folks would support this decision, especially with the move of the extra point kick back to a 35-yard kick. (PAT kicks were converted at 92 percent last year compared to almost 99 percent when snapped from inside the 3-yard-line in 2014.) In fact, here's betting in a decade, the sheet coaches use to determine extra-point plans will be consulted on when to go for one. We genuinely love this plan.
- Speaking of fantasy sports, Cowboys running back Darren McFadden broke his elbow and will be out a few months. Is there any way that Ezekiel Elliot does not become the biggest wildcard in every fantasy draft everywhere this year?
- Rest easy Margaret Heldt, who invented the bee-hive hairdo.
- This may be the biggest dream-to-nightmare scenario imaginable. A 2-year-old child was dragged into the water by an alligator near the Disney Grand Floridian Resort last night. The child has not been recovered. Wow, that's a tough run of tragedies in Orlando right now.
Today's questions
If you are so inclined you can buy the house from the movie Amityville Horror. It's pricy, but there's a lot of perks to the place - minus the haunting and all. Quick list of movie/TV houses that are the most noteworthy and infamous.
Also, Ichiro Suzuki is about to pass Pete Rose's record for most career professional hits. No, we don't in a million years think MLB should recognize Ichiro as thew all-time hit king, but we're not downplaying this either. In fact, Ichiro getting to the 3,000-hit plateau after making his MLB debut at 27 is pretty awesome.
Does Ichiro crack the Rushmore of international baseball stars?
Go, and remember the US Open contest and the mailbag.