Yep, sports
Wednesday night, simply put, is why we watch.
It's why we care about teams more than we should, cheer for players we've never met and, unless they are lifting a trophy, ache when the season ends.
In a matter of a few hours, two of the brightest stars in their collective galaxies took center stage and were the stars we needed them to be.
And they shined like new pennies.
Ronald Acuña Jr., who was hitless in his previous 13 trips to the plate, walked to the box in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth against the Mets.
A few hours later, with less than a minute to play in a tie-game against the Warriors, LeBron James caught a kick out pass and launched from 27 feet.
Both were perfect.
Acuña's solo homer - and dude was giving more gestures to the Braves dugout than a hyperactive mime who is out of Ritalin - ended the Braves' three-game losing streak.
James' deep range 3 officially pushed the Lakers into the postseason bracket as the 7 seed.
God bless sports.
PGA Championship-worthy course
And they are off. Out swinging the sticks at Kiawah. Just another day at the office.
Well, not quite. It's going to be tough. (Side note: John Daly made an early birdie Thursday and has his name on the leaderboard. I am 100% in on John Daly being a meaningful part of my PGA Championship weekend friends.)
I asked earlier this week if folks thought they could break 120 from the tees they will use this week at Kiawah, which measure more than 7,800 yards, the longest track in major championship history. And the answer of course, is no, you can't.
Here was one answer in the email to the True or False on Tuesday: "F, played Kiawah Ocean Course once in 1995 from the middle tees and it was brutal, wind was in the 25 mph level and it was brutal, but what an experience. the back nine is amazing!"
That place is on my list. So is Pebble. And St. Andrew's - some day, if we hit the lottery I suppose.
Any well, that got me thinking about a question for the group: Best golf course you've ever played?
Feel free to offer a response in the comments or if you'd prefer you can email me at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com. I am curious about some of the responses.
I guess my top five would be, Augusta National, Sawgrass, East Lake, The Honors and Moc Bend.
Thoughts?
Deplorable, but is it illegal?
We have had multiple discussions around these parts about freedom of speech.
And I believe we all support that noble aim and the pursuit to protect it.
We also have talked multiple times that freedom of speech should never be confused with a free pass from the consequences of that speech.
Ask Morgan Wallen.
Because, while that freedom to say even the most deplorable and stomach-turning things is guaranteed, the speaker's employment or opportunities or enrollment or whatever are not.
That's what makes this story so troubling to me.
A Connecticut high school student has been arrested for posting a photo of a Black classmate on social media with racist comments.
It's terrible, and that kid, who is white according to the Black student's mother, obviously has issues and hate in his heart.
But sweet buckets of liberty and cool cases of constitutionality, we can't arrest him. We simply can't.
While we all must find ways to combat racism in our country, sacrificing arguably our most basic American freedom can't be part of that noble fight.
Ever.
This and that
- Another full slate of big league games, another no-hitter. Yawn. This time it was Yankees starter Corey Kluber, who silenced the Rangers. It was no-no No. 6 of the season. And, considering the frequency these days, it was the No. 6 headline on ESPN.com this morning behind Tebow's contract, two Lakers-Warriors stories, the Blues being angry about something and seven medical professionals being charged with homicide in the death of Diego Maradona. Look kids, Big Ben, parliament - and another no-hitter.
- Yeah, Tony LaRussa, shut up already. He continued to beat the unwritten rules drum on the 3-0 homer against a position player by 28-year-old rookie DH Yermin Mercedes, saying Wednesday, "I'm willing to bet there wasn't anyone in that clubhouse that's upset that I mentioned that's not the way we compete." Wrong. His best player - shortstop Tim Anderson - has already voiced his support for Mercedes - who has been the White Sox best hitter this season - on Instagram. And starting pitcher Lance Lynn has also voiced support for the slugger, to which LaRussa told reporters, "Lance has a locker, I have an office." The White Sox have the best record in baseball despite LaRussa' crotchety, old-guy shenanigans. We need to get a chair in the balcony of the Muppets Show with Statler and Waldorf.
- Gooden enough? Dwight Gooden's son Dylan has become a hot-rising college football prospect as a weak side defensive end in the class of 2023. Cool story. Dwight Gooden is on my short list of "What could have been" stories, right there with Lenny Bias, in sports history.
- Baylor's baseball bunch has moved into the top 10 in the MaxPreps national poll, checking it at No. 9 in America as they look to dominate the Division II playoffs once again.
- Speaking of Baylor in the national rankings, the softball team is listed as the first team in the MaxPreps' "Next five" in its rankings of the top 25 teams in the country.
- Rest easy J.B. Collins, who was a Chattanooga newspaper legend and was so old-school, he was already taking classes when the old school was being built.
Today's questions
Do you think LaRussa makes it through the season?
Remember the golf course question.
As for today, May 20 - wow, where has the spring gone? - let's review.
Cher is 75 today.
Levi Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis patent blue jeans with copper rivets on this day in 1873.
Jimmy Stewart would have been 113 today.
Toonces, the cat who could drive a car, made his SNL debut on this day in 1989.
Cheers' finale - which was excellent - aired on this day in 1993. Great show.
It's far left, but what joins it on the Rushmore of TV watering holes/bars? Go, and remember the mailbag.