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Now what?
So, those of us in Chattanooga knew about Steph Curry long before the rest of the basketball-loving world.
Remember the shows he put on at McKenzie Arena when Davidson came to play UTC? Of course you do.
Well, memories may be all we have left of Curry and the dynasty that was the Golden State Warriors.
Curry's crew was trounced and bounced from the postseason play-in game by Sacramento, and the linger definitions were pretty clear.
First, Klay Thompson scored as many points last night as Spy and Vader combined.
Yes, bagel on 0-for-10 from the floor.
Draymond Green has fewer offensive moves than Emily Post or any of her debutantes.
Curry is still Steph, but he's in his mid-30s and you can't help but wonder if he can be the A-player anymore.
The Warriors at their apex — and remember that zenith included Kevin Durant, who simply is one of the five most unguardable basketball players to draw a breath — were the living definition of the 3-point revolution.
It was so much fun, too. Curry was Caitlin Clark before CC started playing middle school ball. Because while it's unfathomable to imagine being Durant — a 7-foot-2 guard — or LeBron — 6' 9", 270 and running a 4.5 40 — Steph looked like a normal dude who had perfected a stroke that allowed him to splash 35-footers on everyone.
It was fun.
It is now done.
Let it be
No this is not a Beatles reference. But hey, Jude, and whoever else may be out there.
It was clear Yesterday and many other days before that I am a Caitlin Clark fan.
Love her game. Love her charisma. Love her connection to teammates and fans.
The numbers have supported that I am far from the only one in the yellow submarine of support for CC.
The women's NCAA tournament did monster ratings — the title game with Clark and Iowa against South Carolina got more viewers than the men's title game for the first time ever — and that continued earlier this week with the very predictable WNBA draft and CC going first overall.
More than 2.4 million watched the WNBA draft, which was close to five times more than watched last year and more than four times more than the previous high-water mark for the event.
But, while CC is assuredly the walrus around which this entire surge in popularity revolves, let's be real about the finances of the situation can we?
This story bemoans Clark's starting salary and says it displays the pay gap between women and men. But this is not corporate America friends, and the money generated by sports has a long and distinguished history of being parceled between owners and players in all sports and for each gender.
Clark may change the baseline of what WNBA players make. Heck, she very well could lift all the boats in that league to change what WNBA teams and owners make too.
But comparing the WNBA salaries to NBA salaries — which are egregiously high I admit — is not about sexism or bias.
It's about finances.
Here comes the sun.
BD was right
So I saw this on the social media thingy and it made me think of a frequent topic around these parts.
Here, from a reporter at Sportico, is the idea — with breakdowns mind you — of a 70-team college football Super League that would breakaway from the NCAA.
Michigan fans are good with that I bet.
Man, I gotta admit that set-up looks a heckuva lot better than all these bogus Power Two-plus super conferences that have broken my geography skills.
The other thing that is part of that plan is the relegation idea that European soccer uses, which means Vandy better buckle up or they are going to be bounced to the kiddie table at Thanksgiving every other year.
Thoughts?
This and that
— More splitsville from Jay's Plays Tuesday as the ever-reliable Braves bats delivered late (thank Heaven for that four-run ninth) but Curry failed in a flier NBA prop last night.
— Egad, imagine being stuck in a drainpipe for eight-plus hours? Here's the story of how some Catoosa County firefighters and others saved a fellow who was in that exact predicament. Man, wonder if legal proceedings could be in the works. You know, he could be a sewer. (Sorry. Mostly.)
— The VW union voting is underway. Not a personal fan of unions. Before newspapering I spent multiple summers and a year-plus after college working construction with a whole lot of pipe fitters, and it was really clear really quick in terms of the "union" way back then. I understand the support, but I also saw a bunch of reasons to go the other direction.
— Lots of transfer portal news, whether it's Duke's Jeremy Roach or Auburn's former five-star PG Aden Holloway or even former five-star CB leaving Deion's Colorado ponderosa, there are lots of high-profile kids on the go.
Today's questions
Which way Wednesday starts here:
Which rule in college sports would you change if you could?
Which Braves player since Dale Murphy is your fav?
Which Beatles song is your fav?
Which word would you use to describe a grown man who types "fav" rather than favorite?
Answer some Which Ways, ask some Which Ways.
As for today, April 17, let's review.
Wow, "Game of Thrones" premiered on this day in 2011. Yes, that makes me feel old.
Does it make the Rushmore of all TV shows? Not sure it does with the less-than-stellar ending.
Ben Franklin died on this day in 1790.
Who else is on the Rushmore of "Ben"?