Weekend winners
Klay Thompson. OK, you really could put everyone on the Warriors here and it would work. Boogie Cousins was great. Steph was Steph. But Klay carried the offensive load in the first half before hurting his knee and missing the final few minutes of Golden State's Game 2 win. And, he completely punked Toronto super-fan Drake in the bowels of the arena after the game.
James Holzhauer. Yes, you could argue that the "Jeopardy!" super dude has won the last month. He has won 32 straight "Jeopardy!" games and more than $2.5 million and heads into tonight needing just a smidge less than $59K to top Ken Jennings' career record for most won. Yes, for most that is a big payday on the show. For Holzhauer, it's below his daily average of $76,858. Also of note: Dude is hitting 97% on correct answers through those 32 games.
Dwyane Wade. All-around good dude Wade made a surprise stop at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School graduation. I'm not crying. You're crying.
Andy Ruiz and fat guys everywhere. Ruiz has a lot more shimmy and jiggle than most professional fighters. Think more of a mixture of Butter Bean and jelly beans than Holyfield and hard workouts. And Ruiz dropped Anthony Joshua with a TKO to become the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion of the world.
Nick Tiano. Yes, the former Baylor School-Mississippi State-UTC QB is turning some heads at the next level. OK, MMQB has become a landing spot for inside chatter among the NFL types. Here's the lead item in today's "Six from the Sidelines" segment: "Here's a college quarterback who came across my desk to watch this week - Tennessee-Chattanooga's Nick Tiano. A Mississippi State transfer, Tiano is listed at 6'5," 240 pounds, and has all the tools. Scouts will be keeping a close eye on the fifth year senior come September." Visor tip to long-time regular Andrew O. for the head's up on this. Here's the complete MMQB article.
Weekend losers
West Virginia baseball. There were a lot of roller coasters over the weekend as the NCAA college baseball regionals started. None may have been more stunning than West Virginia ending the best season in school history with an 11-10 loss to Texas A&M after blowing a 9-1 lead in the seventh. The final blow was a two-out walk-off grand slam by A&M slugger Bryce Blaum.
This home plate umpire who has the thinnest skin ever. The ump tossed Louisville closer Michael McAvene and fully embraced the flawed logic that the crowd pays to see the refs and the umps. McAvene's sin? He said "That's horrible" after a ball call on a close pitch. And the ump ran him.
Livers across the deep South. Yep, the SEC on Friday, announced that schools can sell beer and wine at sporting events. Hiccup! And because Ed Orgeron is the coaching equivalent of cowbell - "Need more Orgeron" like we "Need more cowbell" - here's Coach Cowbell's quote on the decision: "Louisiana is going to be Louisiana and I love it for it."
Folks tired of the Tiger hype. Sorry gang, after his weekend at Memorial, Woods will head to Pebble Beach later this month with speakers blaring and the bandwagon full. Yes, he finished 10 shots back of Patrick Cantlay, but two quick stats. Tiger said he had 7 lip-outs on Saturday and he was 7 under through 12 holes Sunday before closing with four pars and two bogeys.
Downtown Chattanooga in general. Societal changes in general. Gunshots outside of Riverbend? By 13-year-olds? What happened to fistfights? Seriously. Everything has to be handled with a gun these days. Fight. Win some. Lose some. Get up the next day without a hole in your chest or a warrant hanging over your head.
Politically incorrect; Prediction correct
Did Hank Haney win the weekend on lose it. He was suspended from his radio gig on Thursday for his comments about the LPGA heading into the Women's U.S. Open.
In case you missed it, and it is women's golf, so there is that possibility, when asked Haney for a prediction, Haney said he would pick a Korean. He then went on to say that he could not name 10 LPGA players unless he could use the last name Lee and not be forced to use first names. (Cue the glorious Raising Arizona scene: "Y'all hear that. We're using code names.")
The PGA had kittens and the Golf Station on XM Radio - which needs a good relationship with the PGA - suspended Haney.
Hey, as politically correct as we are these days, it's hardly a surprise. Heck, remember the tennis announcer who was fired after he said Venus Williams was dominating with "guerrilla tennis" in a reference to her style of attacking and moving and charging. In a time when a homonym costs a man his gig, well, Haney's suspension was hardly a shocker.
Well ... what happens when the results from the weekend prove Haney to be clairvoyant about the actual golf?
There were six Korean golfers in the top 16 on the leaderboard, including the winner Jeongeun Lee6. Yes, her last name is Lee6 because she was the sixth players named Jeongeun Lee when she joined the Korean ladies tour a few years ago.
Here was Haney's Twitter post Sunday: ""My prediction that a Korean woman would be atop the leaderboard at the Women's U.S. Open was based on statistics and facts. Korean women are absolutely dominating the LPGA Tour. If you asked me again my answer would be the same but worded more carefully."
In fact, here's one hunch that Haney offended the LPGA and the PGA Tour by stating the obvious fact that no one can name 10 LPGA players.
So there's that.
This and that
- Go time, Braves. Go time. As in go check the checkbook, take the time to call Craig KImbrel and let's get this done. Kimberly and Dallas Keuchel can sign today without teams giving up draft pick and signing-pool compensation.
- Speaking of the college baseball draw, here are the teams that have advanced: No. 2 Vandy, No. 5 Arkansas, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 6 Mississippi State, No 12. Mississippi, No. 13 LSU, No. 14 UNC, FSU, Duke, and Auburn. There are six spots to be decided today.
- This headline read "Vic Beasley will attend Falcons minicamp." I'm ready for the "Falcons part ways with Beasley before minicamp" headline. Atlanta picked up the fifth year on Beasley's contract at a tidy $12.81 million. That makes him the fifth-highest-paid Falcons player after four years that have included one Pro Bowl season and three very forgettable ones. If you take out 2016 when he had a league-leading 15.5 sacks, Beasley averages 4.7 sacks a season and 1.3 tackles a game.
- The Braves took two of three from the woeful Tigers. The stat that jumped off the page for me? Wunderkind Austin Riley's stat line through those three games: He homered (again) because he has monster power and eight homers in 17 career games; In the other seven at-bats against the Tigers, Riley fanned five times and went hitless. Riley is hitting .328 in 67 at-bats with 25 Ks. In at-bats he puts the ball in play, Riley is 22-for-42 (.524).
- Someone paid more than $50K a seat for Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Seriously.
- OK, we are all enjoying the beer chug craze at sporting events right? From Tom Brady doing it like Barney from The Simpsons to Aaron Rodgers looking like a teenager who prefers wine coolers, it has become a trend, especially at other sporting events. Well, here's betting the binge-drinking people are already hand-wringing and planning on protesting something very soon.
Today's question
Weekend winners and losers, please share.
Also of note, it is clear that the NBA/ABC "Promote the living daylights out of this during the Finals" is "Men in Black International." Very clear.
Predictions: "Men in Black International?" Friend or Flop?
Here's another question: Will you be more likely to attend an SEC game this year if your school sells beer and wine?
Today is June 3, which is National Leave the Office Early Day. We support and echo that sentiment.
It is also National Egg Day.
On this day in 1988, "Big" premiered. Buckle up, and let's do a Tom Hanks.
Ali died on this day three years ago.
"Casey at the Bat" was published on this day in 1888.
Let's go there and ponder whether Mudville makes the Rushmore of fictional towns.
Rushmore of fictional towns in pop culture. Go.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.