US Open
And they are off. And so are we.
We got about 20 or so entries Wednesday and there are several more in the in-box this morning. We will post the complete roster of folks and their picks around lunch today. Deal? Deal.
Here is what we have so far:
5-at-10: Day, Kuchar, McIlroy, Grace, Matsuyama
Mrs. 5-at-10: Spieth, McIlroy, Jimmy Walker (Dy-NO-mite), Justin Rose, Danny Willett
AU Mike: Fowler, Spieth, Day, McIlroy, Johnson
Mrs Sportsfan: Spieth, McIlroy, Mickelson, Sergio, and Day
Sportsfan: Shane Lowry, Keegan Bradley, Hideki Matsuyama, Danny Lee, Matthew Fitzpatrick
Billy-in-Brainerd (after extensive research): Brandt Snedeker – USA, Thitiphun Chuayprakong – Thailand, Rafael Cabrera Bello – Spain, Jaco Van Zyl – S Africa, Matteo Manassero – Italy
Uch - Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott, "My Cousin" Matsuyama
Dawg747 - Rose, Day, Kuchar, Johnson, Spieth
Mark W. (our Masters' champ) - Day, D. Johnson, Spieth, Mickelson, Snedeker
Paul T. - Donald, Rose, McIlroy, Willett, Casey (tea time, indeed)
Mark S. - Phil, Day, Rory, Fowler, Spieth
Terry - Spieth, Kirk, Johnson, Fowler, JB Holmes
Chris J. - Day, McIlroy, Spieth, Kevin Chappell, Charley Hoffman
Richard J. - Day, D. Johnson, Rose, Willett, Oosthuizen
Jason T. - Goosen, Stenson, Scott, Day, Na
Jason G. - Day, Koepka, Johnson, Els, Furyk
Brent R. - Cabrera, Day, Matsuyama, Fowler, McIlroy
Eddie S. - Spieth, Day, DeChambeau, McIlroy, Fowler
More to come...
As for the golf, well, enjoy watching the best in the world be humbled.
In fact, here's betting that some of the back end scores could top 90 today (unless the rain softens the place up pretty good this afternoon).
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) shoots against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and center Andrew Bogut during the first half of Game 5 of basketball's NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Monday, June 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) NBA Finals
Thought our man Weeds made some interesting points here on the Finals without Andrew Bogut in the middle for the Warriors.
He has been the best rim protector for Golden State in the series, blocking 10 shots so far and altering at least that many more.
Yes, Bogut's absence will likely mean the Warriors start with a small lineup - dubbed the Lineup of Death because of the success it enjoyed in the Warriors' record-setting season - but that may not be as advantageous as a lot of folks believe.
The Lineup of Death features 6-foot-7 Draymond Green as the center, and with his defensive abilities to cover a wide variety of players - that is as long as he's not suspended for hitting people in the ding-ding - it's a matchup problem for the opposition.
Green's presence will likely mean a diminished role for Kevin Love, and that will behoove the Cavs considering Love did not play in Cleveland's Game 3 win and had two more points than the 5-at-10 in the Game 5 victory. But the Lineup of Death works best as a quick flash alternative. Think of it as Tom Glavine's change up. If you throw it on every pitch, then it's not as effective.
Plus, if LeBron James goes to the basket with the flair and determination he did in Game 5, the lack of Bogut and interior size could be a problem tonight.
In truth though whether every Warriors great Bill Walton to Patty Smyth is at peak form, a lot of tonight's Game 6 hinges on which player looks like the MVP.
Will it be Steph Curry, the league's two-time MVP who has been held completely in check other than a Game 4 eruption?
Will it be LeBron, who made a slew of perimeter shots in a staggering 41-16-7 effort in Game 5?
Will it be Kyrie Irving, who delivered more shots than a busy pediatrician in August, on his way to 41 points on 22 attempts in Game 5?
Will it be Draymond Green, who looked as valuable as ever in his Game 5 absence?
Will it be Klay Thompson, who has been the Warriors' best offensive player over the course of the series?
Lots of questions. Lots of possibilities. One team could go back-to-back; one team could force Game 7.
Giddy-up.
FILE - In this Oct. 3, 1995, file photo, O.J. Simpson, center, clenches his fists in victory after the jury said he was not guilty in the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in a Los Angeles courtroom as attorneys F. Lee Bailey, left, and Robert Shapiro, right, look on. During an appearance on Fox's "Megyn Kelly Presents" on May 17, 2016, Shapiro said there's a “strong possibility” that the person who killed Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson, and Ronald Goldman has never faced trial. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Daily News, Myung Chun, Pool, File) OJ
OK, the first episode of the OJ: Made in America documentary was a bit on the slow side, to say the least.
It was like laying the bricks of a foundation of a very impressive house. The second and third episodes of this six-part series have been way more intriguing.
Yes, to Stewwie's original point, there is plenty of discussion about race in this series, but at that time in L.A., and the way OJ viewed himself - pretty much as racially neutral, not black and not really white just O.J. - have huge parts in this narrative.
(Side note: Loved this follow-up story from the Sporting News on what really was a haunting O.J. interview with Roy Firestone. Here's what Firestone told Huffington Post: "To be in any way seen as lighthearted, chummy or even mildly enabling some monstrous issue like that still haunts me 22 years later," he said. "The Simpson interview is one of the most tragic examples of how the media (including me) and the public trusted and accommodated their heroes, believing their mythology and perpetuating their deification.")
Now the craziness has moved into the actual acts of Simpson killing his ex-wife and Ronald Goldman.
We have long thought O.J. got away with murder. This documentary has - so far - only strengthened that belief.
This and that
- We would be remiss if we did not mention Lee Anderson, the former News-Free Press publisher and newspaper icon who died early Thursday morning. He was 90. He was always kind and true and professional, and he spent 70 years doing this. a true legend. Here's more on him from the TFP.
- See all it takes for the Braves to win is their best player hitting for the cycle in extra innings. Freddie Freeman's single in 11th completed the cycle as he became the first Braves player to do it since Mark Kotsay in August 2008. The Braves beat the Reds 9-8 in 13 innings.
- Ichiro Suzuki now has more professional hits than any player ever, passing Pete Rose. Of course that does not count in the MLB record books, but it's quite the accomplishment nonetheless.
- Clayton Kershaw went and acted like Clayton Kershaw. He got his 10th win of the season Wednesday, pitching 7.1 innings and allowing two runs on five hits with 11 Ks and one walk. Pick any of the numbers you want - record, sub-2.00 ERA, his 133-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio - and all of the fall in comparison to this overwhelming stat: The Dodgers are 13-1 in games Kershaw starts; they are 21-31 when anyone else starts.
Today's questions
On this day 46 years ago two pretty significant sports moments happened. Golfer Phil Mickelson was born and football player Brian Piccolo died.
In honor of each, we'll go with Rushmores of the best "real-life" sports movies and the best left-handers of all time.
Go, and remember the mailbag.