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GOAT goating
Sometimes, regardless of the sport, we watch greatness for the simple fact to say we did.
I went to see MJ late his Bulls run at the Omni. Sure had seen him plenty of times in college and the pros, but who knew when you’d get a moment.
A true moment, that GOATs deliver.
Maybe that’s the thing we hate the most about when the truly and eternally great ones hang on a season too long.
Those lasting images are hard to shuffle with the countless chapters of excellence.
Well, with that, I pulled up a chair for the Argentina World Cup match last night because I don’t watch much soccer.
So let’s check this Lionel Messi fella out.
Wow.
Etching his name among the best to ever do it, Messi dropped a hat trick — 20 years to the day of his first World Cup goal for Argentina — and now shares the all-time record in World Cup goals.
It was magical. And a week from his 39th birthday, it’s fair to wonder where Messi ranks in the all-time pantheon of his sport.
Yes, the immediate fallback is Pelé, but that answer is so very Ruthian in that the clips and footage and the lack of true sample for so many of us adds a romanticism to his legacy, even as great as those ledgers were.
And I know I am far from qualified from delivering any type of informed view in this debate, but that’s OK.
I also know the plethora of pundits calling Messi the GOAT is hard to ignore.
Couple of quick questions on a Which Way Wednesday, OK?
Which number — considering there was an announced crowd of 80-plus thousand at Argentina’s 3-0 win Tuesday — is more accurate of the people who are going to say they were there for Messi’s masterpiece?
Also, which sporting performance was the best you’ve ever seen in person? Discuss.
Open conversation
Wow, the U.S. Open snuck up on me. Truly.
It tees off early A.M. Thursday at Shinnecock Hills. And it will be a bloodbath.
How much so? Well, when the analysts are talking about a back-nine par-3 that plays from 130 to 160 yards as “the world’s shortest par-5” because of the treachery on and around the green, well, there you go.
How much so? A lot of sports books are setting the over/under on the winning score at roughly minus 1.5 for the 72 holes. Yikes.
Let’s look at a few of the dudes I may have a little action for this weekend, hoping for a nice Father’s Day gift from my online sports book.
> I’m on Tommy Fleetwood to be among the leaders, come Sunday (i.e. top-10 finish) because I want to win my bet with our Hamilton County mayor, and because dude is consistently a contender over the last several months.
> I’m Russell Henley to play exceedingly well, and may even put a taste on him at 45-to-1 to win since a) he has back-to-back top-10s at U.S. Opens against the USGA set-ups, and b) there are a lot of experts who think guys who play well at Colonial will play well at USGA set-ups. (Psst, Henley won at Colonial.)
> Patrick Reed is easy to forget about because he has been left in the golfing purgatory of the post-LIV, pre-PGA “Track” system. And that’s OK. But dude still golfs his ball, and with the exception of Scottie Scheffler — who would complete a career grand slam with a win Sunday — Reed may be the most motivated dude in the field.
> It’s also hard to ignore Matt Fitzpatrick, the aforementioned 2025 winner at Brookline who has been a week-in, week-out front-runner this season. Plus, that dude has got some steely nerves and actually looks motivated when the inevitable “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chants come Sunday on Long Island.
So, Which Way Wednesday — which golfer are you picking to have the best Father’s Day come Sunday outside of NYC?
Sorsby future
So, former Steelers great James Harrison said this week that Brendan Sorsby should get an eight-year suspension from the NFL for reportedly betting on 40 college football games (among the thousands of bets he made before entering rehab) while on an Indiana team he was playing for.
Interesting take.
Conversely, here are a few teams CBSsports.com thinks could be interested in Sorsby in the Supplemental Draft later this summer.
And to be fair, it only takes one NFL GM, owner, franchise to sign off on rolling the dice for Sorsby to go from disgraced college player to NFL QB.
Here are a few that make a ton of sense on the risk of cashing in on Sorsby the player if Sorsby the person has turned the page.
> Arizona Cardinals. After letting Kyler Murray walk, Sorsby could be the most talented QB on the roster from Day 1.
> Carolina Panthers. Yes, Carolina picked up the fifth-year option on controversial QB1 Bryce Young, but the depth chart behind him — and the future plans hinging on his 2026 production — make an affordable need apparent.
> Cleveland Browns. The Browns are always in the market for a QB that can play. Heck, Sorsby’s sins are egregious in the sporting realm for what he does for a living, but they are not more egregious than Deshaun Watson’s resumé, in the karmic sense.
> The New York Jets. Yes, there are others — like the Lions and maybe the Bucs — but the Jets have three 2027 first-rounders, and are QB-needy. Taking Sorsby and hoping that lottery ticket pays off allows them to keep a lot of their draft capital and hope for a QB1 down the road.
How long that road may be is anyone’s guess, however.
This and that
> Braves played. Braves are trailing. Braves got weather delayed and will pick up later this afternoon. So it goes. I do believe this: If Grant Holmes is part of the postseason rotation, then the Braves have no chance at hoisting a World Series trophy.
> Interesting take on some UT football recruiting that references the fact that former Georgia star, North Murray superstar, NFL standout and upcoming Best of Preps speaker Ladd McConkey grew up a Tennessee fan, but the previous regime did not pursue the current NFL WR until it was too late.
> There are sacrifices, and then there are sacrifices. Consider this the latter, although that is technically the same as the former. Wait, I confused. OK, Knicks owner James Dolan asked his team to remain celibate for the 10-week playoff run to channel their inner-Spartan. So there’s that. Which everyday pleasure would you sacrifice as a fan for your team to win a championship? Discuss.
> Speaking of the Knicks, these NBA Finals were the most watched (averaging 20.6 million viewers) since MJ’s 1998 run that became know as “The Last Dance.”
> Know Chas has bigger fish to fry this summer — fish fry sounds good; especially good catfish — but this story about the new Kentucky AD who has a history of firing high-profile and inherited coaches rather quickly should make Mark Pope invest in asbestos underbritches.
> So Rick Jackson won the GOP runoff to face a Democratic foe in the election. I don’t live in Georgia anymore, so whatever. I am pretty pleased that the litany of TV ads during Braves games slinging mud in this GOP governor’s race can now be kiboshed.
Today’s questions
Slew of WWWs above. Let’s review.
Which team will draft Brendan Sorsby?
Which everyday pleasure would you sacrifice as a fan for your team to win a championship?
Which golfer are you picking this weekend to win the U.S. Open?
Which number — considering there was an announced crowd of 80-plus thousand at Argentina’s 3-0 win Tuesday — is more accurate of the people who are going to say they were there for Messi’s masterpiece?
Also, which sporting performance was the best you’ve ever seen in person? Discuss.
Go.
As for today, June 17, let’s review.
On this day 32 years ago, O.J. got chased in the Bronco. Crazy day, for sure.
Venus Williams is 46 today.
Rushmore of celebrities — real or fictional — with the name of a planet? Go.
And cue Spy making an Uranus joke in 3, 2, 1 …