Today is the last piece of the first half of 2016. And in this view, here's hoping to a strong finish.
So far this year, we have been measured by losses more than victory.
The deaths of all-time legends like Summitt and Ali. The biggest events of the year were as much about who didn't win as it was about who did. The Super Bowl was a great moment for Peyton Manning and Denver, but it was almost as much about Cam Newton's loss - and his awful handling of the postgame news conference. The Masters was all about Jordan Spieth's meltdown.
Even LeBron's epic performance in the Finals came with the caveat that the best regular-season team in history stumbled and gave away a 3-1 lead.
Yes, the UConn women's basketball team dominated, but that seems like the outlier.
Maybe that's some on us, because man it certainly feels like we look to blame way more quickly and with way more intensity than looking to praise.
So it goes, but here's hoping for a better second half.
How's that for a halftime speech?
NBA free agents
Kevin Durant is the biggest name of the free agent crop. The former MVP and four-time NBA scoring champion will instantly make any team a title contender.
He's really one of maybe three or four guys in the league of whom that description applies.
His list of suitors/meetings, according to David Aldridge of TNT, is Oklahoma City (meeting today), Golden State and Los Angeles Clippers (meeting Friday), San Antonio and Boston (meeting Saturday), and Miami (meeting Sunday).
Breaking down those choices, here's a thought.
If he wants to win a title, the order has to be Golden State then San Antonio. Durant on the Warriors offers a line-up that simply would be unguardable. Think back to the NBA Finals and all those wide-open shots that Harrison Barnes missed would be taken by Kevin Durant. (In truth, no defense would leave Durant that open that often, but that would mean that switches on all the ball screens would not have been as easy and the two- or three-pass rotation the Cavs used to get the ball in Barnes' hands would be rendered useless.)
He would make the most money in Oklahoma City, but what's an extra couple million for a 27-year-old who is already worth nine figures and has another nine figures coming in shoe money?
The others teams would figure to have slim hopes of landing him, with Miami offering quite possibly the most intriguing pitch.
There's Pat Riley. There's the city of Miami. There's the blueprint LeBron laid out of going there winning and going somewhere else - and as the cap continues to escalate, and these franchise-changing players continue to sign contracts with player options after one season, we'll be back here next summer too.
Plus there's the ease of the East, and Miami would become no worse than the co-favorite in the conference if Durant signs on.
Free agency starts Friday.
Real changes
Who says wrestling is fake?
Here's another professional wrestler taking the UFC plunge.
CM Punk, a former WWE star, is entering the Octagon against some pretty long odds.
He will make his debut in September against Mickey Gall. Punk, who is 37 and has all of 18 months of MMA training under his belt, is more than a 2-to-1 underdog in the eyes of Vegas. He's not exactly a Brock Lesnar-type, considering Lesnar was an amateur wrestling champion and is freakishly huge.
So what does Punk bring with him as he prepares for his fight? In truth, notoriety and name recognition, and that's more than enough for the UFC.
Although he may want to think about bringing a steel chair into the cage with him, too.
This and that
- The Nashville Predators traded their captain Shae Weber for P.K. Subban, who ranks as one of the game's biggest stars. We'll connect to this story, because well, it's hockey, and this guy loves the deal from the Predators point of view. http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/p-k-subban-is-the-kind-of-star-that-can-change-the-predators-forever/
- Andrew Luck signed a blockbuster deal that has a lot of folks wondering if it's worth it in a hard cap league. That's a fair question. Here's a different way of looking at it: Did you know that Luck's contract barely cracks the top-30 of MLB contracts, and those are completely guaranteed. Nuts, right?
- Braves played. Braves lost. Also, considering the opponent, it's fair to say: Indians played; Indians won, since the Tribe has now won 12 straight.
- Thought this was interesting http://www.maxpreps.com/news/v2fvhtKQjE-8qh3MSCTaxw/maxpreps-2016-tennessee-preseason-high-school-softball-fab-5,-presented-by-the-army-national-guard.htm. MaxPreps has Baylor School as its preseason No. 1 softball team in the state.
- The decisive Game 3 of the College World Series was moved to tonight because of rain.
- Here's an update on a couple of UTC football stars from UTC football beat ace Mean Gene Henley. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/sports/college/story/2016/jun/30/mocs-levin-davprospects-2017-nfl-draft/
Today's question
Michael Phelps qualified for a record fifth consecutive Olympics. That's cool.
It's also his 31st birthday today.
Rushmore of best American Olympians?
Go, and remember the mailbag.