Weekend winners
Jordan Spieth. His last two wins have come on Easter Sunday, and yesterday's victory in Hilton Head was his first as a daddy. Cool stuff. And the reason we'll all forever be Spieth supporters is because of moments like this one Sunday. Spieth finish his final round way before the leaders, but he was in the clubhouse as the leader at 13 under. So he stuck around naturally. Well, when it became clear that he was going to face Patrick Cantlay in a playoff, Spieth leaves a group of autograph seekers to go get ready and tells his fans he'll return. And he did. Man, a wish all superstars could see how much just being decent dude is worth in the eyes of fans across all sports.
North Carolina. OK, Hubert Davis needs to buy a lottery ticket, right? Think about this six-week run for a second. He entered the final weekend of the regular season without a signature win in his first season with his alma mater. Switch flipped and UNC and Davis win at Cameron in Coach K's last home game. Hit the NCAA tournament with a head of steam. End Coach K's career in the Final Four, get to the title game and now news comes that Armando Bacot and Leaky Black are eschewing the NBA draft to return to Chapel Hill, which means Davis' second team will be preseason top-three. Good times.
USFL. Did you watch? No, I didn't either. And if we're being forthright, Easter weekend is a curious league kickback, but what do I know, I can't find the comments switch any more. Still, NBC is reporting numbers - averaging 3 million - for the Saturday night game that a lot of other leagues would have coveted over the weekend. Yes, it was the debut, and yes the Sunday numbers on an array of other random networks will be much smaller, but still, a 3 million average is better than I expected.
Roki Sasaki. If you are saying, "Who is that?" well, that's fine. He's a 20-year-old hard-throwing right-hander in the Nippon Professional Baseball League. And dude is dealing. He threw a perfect game with 19 Ks - and Dansby Swanson was not on the other team at the time - in his previous start. He followed that up on Sunday with eight perfect innings with 14 more Ks before being pulled on a pitch count. So that's 17 consecutive innings and 51 straight outs with 33 Ks and a fastball reaching 102. Yep, that'll do. How long before he's a Yankee?
All of us who believe. This weekend was a reminder of what our Savior sacrificed for all of us and the path he carved for us to walk to Heaven. Thank you Jesus.
Weekend losers
Tony Vitello. Yes, we all laughed along with the Mike Honcho stuff during the bat controversy at Vandy. And yes, his brashness and boldness have created an aura of fun and fearlessness among his top-ranked UT baseball players. But never touch an ump. Period. End of conversation. It's in the rules, so it was an easy call to suspend Coach V for four games, but in truth, it should be more. Argue bad calls. Go full-monty Wellman, but you can't touch the ump. The four-game suspension should be twice that by rule if you ask me. More from Paschall.
Not-so-Lucky Charms cereal eaters. When milk and super-preserved cereal crisps and marshmallows are reportedly producing 'nausea, diarrhea and vomiting,' well that's never good. That's far from magically delicious, friends.
Braves bottom third. Egad. OK, big-league baseball teams get 27 outs. That's nine innings, to score as much as you can. Well, the top six in this current rendition of the Braves lineup is doing its best knowing that none of those outs are going to be consumed by three hitters of the most frequently used card Brian Snitker fills out. How about these numbers? Eddie Rosario (1-for-29, 5 Ks), Alex Dickerson (1-for-20, 5 Ks) and Dansby Swanson (6-for-38, 18 Ks) are a combined 8-for-87 with 28 Ks, which is a tidy .092 average. Yeah, good thing the pitchers are hitting any more huh?
NBA playoffs. Sure Hawks fans have a beef against the schedule makers considering that the Hawks were in two play-in games and then played Friday night in Cleveland and Sunday at 1 p.m. in Miami. Game 1 against the Heat was always going to be a blowout. (CHA-ching.) But more than that, and yes, Weeds was being his wonderfully tongue-in-cheek self this morning in his "No LeBron, No playoffs" column, I'm perfectly willing to ask: Is there an interesting NBA playoff storyline? No LeBron. No Luka - as of now. The first-round matchups look to be very one-sided. Plus, two of the most intriguing and star-studded teams in the 16-franchise field are Boston and Brooklyn, and those teams played a thrilling Game 1 - in round one, which means one of the two most compelling clubs left in the field will be done in 10 days.
Silver lining
So we have discussed the clear and various flaws in the Name, Image and Likeness set-up in previous conversations.
They are apparent to the football savants like Nick Saban to the everyday Joes like you and me and everyone in between, with the possible exceptions of anyone in a decision-making spot in the NCAA offices.
And while it's easy to throw stones at the various leadership branches of the various conferences, well, that's a non-starter since the SEC is not going to limit its member schools and their ability to use NIL to attract talent. (Well, the SEC is not going to do that unless Saban commands ten to of course.)
But this UNC deal over the weekend could be a beneficial side of the NIL lure.
Of course we are all horrified about the prospects of high school junior quarterbacks getting $8 million contracts from SEC schools. Yeah, it's a game changer.
But for college hoops - a sport that has trended down over the last decade-plus - the NIL opportunities can be a way to fight the one-and-doners and keep some of the familiar names in the game.
UNC will be close to must-see TV next year with those Bacot and Black back, and if we're being really honest, those guys would have been what, late first-round NBA picks if that since the NBA draft is about upside more than productivity?
So if they get NIL deals worth close to seven-figures, why not come back and play in the ACC for multiple hundreds of thousands - allegedly - rather than going to Sioux Falls in the G-League or playing in France or Spain?
This and that
- Braves-Dodgers play tonight. Yeah, I may need to get a nap before that one on the West Coast as Freddie Freeman faces his former club.
- Also of note, "Better Call Saul" hits the air tonight and if my TV listings are accurate, it runs from 9 p.m. to 11:30. Wowser. Double naps for everyone.
- Speaking of the playoffs and Boston-Brooklyn, I'm sorry - not sorry - but Kyrie Irving going full villain is awesome. Awesome. And when the entire Boston arena is chanting "Kyrie Sucks!" every time he touches the ball, he has every right to throw the double-bird salute to the crowd. And whether they want to admit it or not, the Boston fans love it too. And if the NBA starts hand-wringing about "Thinking about the young fans" uh, well, truth be told, I will watch way more of this series now because of Kyrie - and there have to be way more casual fans like me than the "Well, what about my 7-year-old?" boycotters.
- So Terrell Owens caught a TD in whatever the Fan Controlled Football League is this weekend in Atlanta. TO may have been gifted/crafted through extreme hard work one of the five best athletic physiques in modern sports. What a specimen.
- You know the rules. Here's Paschall on some Vols defenders as UT starts to put a wrap on spring football.
- Here's Saturday's A2 column from your friendly neighborhood round-faced fella with an extra visor tip to the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut.
Today's questions
Weekend winners and losers. go.
Yes, the draft is coming - less than two weeks off - and I love the draft. You know this.
As for today, April 18, let's review.
James Woods is 74. Nate Archibald - some folks call him Tiny - is 73.On this day 98 years ago, the first crossword puzzle book is published.
Rushmore of 'puzzles' and be creative.