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Weekend winners
The Knicks. There have been a slew of eventual champions who have embraced the “comeback kids” mantra. But goodness, the Knicks wrapped their first. New York rallied from double-digit, second-half holes in all four of its Finals wins, including Saturday’s Game 5 that clinched the Knicks’ first title since 1973. And yeah, Jalen Brunson dropped 45 in the title clincher.
Bud Cauley. The definition of “comeback kid,” Cauley went from can’t-miss to can’t-win to can’t-move. Literally. The star junior golfer who was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. was projected to be a PGA Tour mainstay. The struggles hit him hard. Then a terrible car wreck left him unable to play. Cauley grabbed his first PGA win Sunday in his 239th career start. Only four players in Tour history had more starts before getting their first career victory.
Jacob Misiorowski. Dudę is bona fide and dropped a short-list all-time great performance Friday night. A complete game one-hitter with 15 Ks. He did not walk anyone and had 74 strikes in his 95 pitches, making him the first pitcher since 2000 to throw a 15-K complete game with fewer than 100 pitches, according to ESPN. The Mix has an 0.17 ERA in his last eight starts. Read that again.
World Cup. That opening weekend was fun. The energy of the Curacao fans despite a 7-1 waxing by Germany was infectious. The U.S. planned great. The Japan-Netherlands match was tremendous. Great start, and the crowds are awesome in their awesomeness.
Iran-U.S. peace deal. Here’s hoping that this one takes, right?
Weekend losers
The Spurs, especially the coaching staff. How do you blow all those second-half leads? How do you have a 7-foot-5 dude with elite skills and be content with him hoisting 30-footers rather than catching lobs that only he can catch. Man, I know it was a best-of-7, but it really feels like the Spurs lost this series every bit as much as the Knicks won it.
The Big 12. The conference is on the brink in the aftermath of the Brendan Sorsby decision. Here’s a detailed and insightful look at the brewing mess from The Athletic. How fractured is this whole thing? Welp, the king of swag, Deion Sanders, even thinks it’s messed up.
The White House. Seeing the Octagon outside the most iconic house in America made my head hurt, to be honest. And the fighter who called Michelle Obama a man — what an embarrassment. Now, to be fair, according to folks who follow that sport, the title fight was epic. Still, it’s perfect for Vegas. Not 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. What a debacle.
James Harden. Been a rough stretch for Harden, who not that along ago was NBA MVP. He got arrested over the weekend on weapons charges.
Battered Braves
The Braves are good. Like biggest lead in MLB good.
But they are far from healthy and have lost four of their last five and back-to-back series for the first time this season.
Spencer Strider is awaiting word about another arm issue, and he has been little more than BP for the last couple of weeks. If it’s as bad as feared, he could be on the shelf for another year or more.
Ronald Acuña is on the IL. Again. And for all his amazing gifts, Acuña fails miserably at the Herm Edwards maxim of “Your availability is one of your greatest capabilities.”
He’s missed a ton of action.
Drake Baldwin, who was likely the NL MVP for the first six weeks, still is not back from his ailments. And the Braves’ rotation of catchers has been an offensive black hole.
Austin Riley has been dreadful.
In truth, without Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II, these Braves would be closer to last than clearly in first.
This is not hand-wringing or even cause for concern. Yet.
But the rotation is less than stellar. The bullpen has been aces, but that’s a strength that leads to regular-season success more than postseason dominance.
And there is no way not to expect regression from the Dubons and Dom Smiths and the Mateos that have truly bolstered a team that has not gotten a ton from some of its key pieces.
This and that
> The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup over the weekend. The College World Series has begun. Man, lots going on this weekend, right?
> Gene Henley shares here that the SEC ending cupcake weekend does not necessarily mean the end of big-dollar games for UTC.
> Rules, friends. Here’s Hargis with some high school football goodness on the around-the-clock pursuit of Baylor School superduperstar David Gabriel Georges.
> More rules, people. Here’s Paschall with some college football goodness on the UT recruiting trail.
Today’s questions
Weekend winners and losers. Go.
As for Multiple Choice Monday, what’s your choice for one word to describe the MMA event on the White House lawn?
As for today, June 15, let’s review.
Ice Cube is 58 today. Doogie Howser is 54.
Waylon Jennings would have been 89.
What makes up the Waylon Jennings Rushmore of tunes?
Go.