Weekend winners
Sergio Garcia. The wunderkind who left us wondering, Garcia has long been the biggest golfing name among his generation not to win a major. It's staggering to understand really. He's one of the first - along with David Duvall - that was pegged to be a major rival with Tiger Woods, especially after Garcia's inspired rally at the 1999 PGA Championship at Riveria that fell just short. Winning Sunday's AT&T Byron Nelson is far from a major, but it was Garcia's first PGA Tour win in four years. Good for him.
Toronto. With its season on the line, the Raptors delivered an inspired defensive performance before its home fans, especially on the defensive end in a 99-84 Game 3 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. They also opened a possible long-term avenue for derailing the Cavs' recent offensive overhaul. The Raptors never left Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, and those two were a woeful 4-of-28 from the floor. It will be interesting to see if they follow this through the rest of the series by allowing LeBron to get his and try to limit the second and third options for the Cavs. (It still won't work long-term in this series, but it will be an interesting blueprint for either of the Western Conference teams still playing.)
Jim Mora. Dude rightly raised the point that his quarterback Josh Rosen would have been among the top overall draft picks if the sophomore had been eligible for the NFL draft. Then, the story circles this weekend that Mora gave Rosen a firm talking to after Rosen was filmed on a golf course with a "F@#$ Trump" hat. Mora's message was pretty simple: "Do you want to be Tom Brady or Johnny Manziel?" It's a fair point. This side of the head coach, is there any other sports star that we crave boring and predictably benign actions and answers from than our quarterbacks? Think about the very good and better quarterbacks on the NFL level, and what do you really know about them. Not much, and that's not by accident.
Game of Thrones. Yep, this is a weekly appearance here, but any TV show that can make grown men tear up with a simple act of courtesy/valor like holding the door, well, well-played folks. Well-played indeed.
Your Atlanta Braves. Hey, did you see the Braves won two of three this weekend (insert Harry Doyle line of, "And judging by the attendance you probably haven't) at Philadelphia. From the glass half full department, the Braves won the weekend series against the Phillies despite being shut out on Sunday. From the class half empty department, that's the Braves series win of the season. (Yes, it's May 23 and the Braves just now won a series. Yep, we blame Fredi G.)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) is guarded by Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) and guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first quarter in Game 3 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals in Oklahoma City, Sunday, May 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Weekend losers
Dead ball fouls. Man, what's with the NBA guys getting frustrated and unloading 'accidental' low blows. This is happening with an alarming frequency. Cleveland's Dahntay Jones has been suspended for a low blow, and now the league's nuts patrol will turn its attention to Draymond Green, who now has delivered two shots to Steven Adams' tenders. Side note: Green's answers to the questions in the postgame news conference were highly entertaining. Phrases like "under the groin" (which is a way worse song title than Under the Sea but a way better fantasy team name) and "Men's section" (as if it's where you choose between a Polo or an Izod shirt at Macy's) and "I don't make a day out of hitting someone down there." That last one is especially clever since, a) Steven Adams is from Down Under; and b) wonder how Draymond does make a day. Speaking of that
Golden State Warriors. Green was particularly bad in the first half. (You could say that his foot to Adams' 'men's section' was his most accurate shot of the first half.) And the Thunder capitalized by building an impressive 72-47 lead at the break on their way to a 133-105 win. Yes, you could say the Thunder was a contender for winning the weekend, but man it felt more like the Warriors lost Game 3 than the Thunder won it. Plus, despite all the success and promise and history the Warriors enjoyed in their 73-9 regular season, Golden State is now staring at very real, must-win Game 4 at Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.
Jordan Spieth. Yes, the dude is young and handsome and is in line to be a nine-figure endorser of Under Armour for the next generation. He has the world by the tail for sure. But - there's always a but - Spieth is starting to leak oil on the weekends, and after losing his grip on the 36-hole lead at his home event at the Byron Nelson, Spieth could face the worst possible hurdle a golfer can ever find: Doubt. The sport is so lonely and so individualistic, that the greats have to have supreme confidence in every moment, and if the Sunday Struggles become a storyline, well, look out.
Johnny Football. We can change the heading to the Weekend Manziels now, right? Here's a report from the Dallas Morning News that Mr. Johnny Football punching someone at a Las Vegas night club. Are you listening Josh Rosen?
The Belmont. Yep, the final leg of the Triple Crown becomes as important as the final leg of a coffee table when there's not a Triple Crown on the line. And since Exaggerator topped Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, that's what the Belmont is facing. Heck, you could put all of horse racing here, since in one of the undercard races, race horse Homeboykris collapsed and died Saturday after winning the first race, and in another Pramedya broke his leg and was put down.
Heather Jackson, from Bend, Ore., celebrates her win in the women's race at Sunday's Ironman Chattanooga 70.3.Big time in Chattanooga
It was a glorious weekend, and the thousands here for the half Ironman event obviously enjoyed the atmosphere.
Here's pausing for a moment and tipping the visor to the coverage the TFP offered the event.
TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer's work was excellent on some emotional story lines in the race, including today's race column. Jim Tanner's event coverage was great, too. Here's the inspiring story of the female professional winner.
Despite the death Sunday morning of a competitor during the swimming event, the quotes and stories and images of the event are nothing short of inspiring.
Well done - competitors and Chattanooga.
As Weeds pointed out, after losing so much asa host during the last couple of decades - from the prep level with the Spring Fling and the state wrestling, to the college level with the SEC women's basketball tournament and the FCS title to professional golf tournaments of all types - this may be the sporting event that we forever embrace.
This and that
- This dude in Alabama actually has lost way more than the weekend. He is/was involved with arguably the most heartless woman alive. This story - about the woman killing the man's dog to use the blood to fake the miscarriage of the baby she obviously lied about and said was his - feels like it could be a Ramsey Bolton story line on GoT.
- The PGA Champions Tour could be counted among the weekend's winners, but we went with Sergio as our golf pick. Still, the Champions Tour (which used to be the Seniors Tour before changing its name for whatever reason) is in a really good spot right now. One, it has the most dominant male player on any Tour since Tiger was at the height of his powers. And two, John Daly is now a legitimate draw for this tour, and he's still doing John Daly stuff. Daly ordered a cocktail from the 18th green Sunday after making an eagle. You stay classy Big John.
- How about this dumb football fan, who questioned Aaron Rodgers' professionalism because he uses "hard counts" to convert third downs? Stupidity this deep is like a rare breed of bird. You know in your soul it exists, but when you actually see it, you are still surprised by it.
- More baseball news: ESPN's Jayson Stark reported over the weekend that the MLB rules committee is looking at raising the strike zone to the top of the knee and allowing intentional walks to happen without throwing the four pitches. Thoughts?
- As for the story that never dies, Tom Brady is going to appeal the decision that appealed the decision that his suspension was not right. Yep, that sentence sums up DeflateGate pretty unclearly.
Today's question
Weekend winners and Manziels - whatcha' got?
As for a side questions, try these: Will the Warriors get to the Finals? Why or why not?
How many baseball rules can you think of that need to be address before whether a pitcher should be required to throw the four pitches of an intentional walk?