Weekend winners
Ole Miss. I was kind of surprised too when the statements really resonated that this is Ole Miss' first national title. In any sport. Heck, Vandy had a bowling title before the run of baseball excellence. And wow, what a postseason spring, huh? The Rebels by almost every report were the last team in the field of 64, and their the last team standing. Crazy. And congrats. And a year after Mississippi State won it all too.
Colorado Avalanche. The better team won, especially with the Lightning without one of their top scorers for most of the Stanley Cup Finals. Colorado's 3-2 win ended the Lightning's hopes for a three-peat. Man, looking through history, a three-peat is legit. The last team to do it was the Lakers, who only had two of the top-12 players ever to lace them up in their prime. Before that it was some dude named Jordan and the Yankees with the two highest Hall-of-Fame vote getters ever in Jeter and Rivera. The NFL has never had a three-peater. And it only seems harder because of the circumstances, free agency and the money. Kudos.
Michael Thorbjornsen. Yes, Xander Schauffle won the Travelers. Yay. Xander Schauffle is going to win a lot of nondescript PGA events through the coming years. But Thorbjorsen - pronounced just like it's spelled and like that's the first and last name of a key subordinate of Jon Snow with the Night's Watch at The Wall - finished fourth. As a 20-year-old amateur, Thorbjornsen finished solo fourth, which is exceedingly rare. Side question: Do you know the last amateur to win a PGA event? Phil Mickelson in 1991.
Jaden Rashada. Wowser. Dude is a highly regard high school QB and he picked Miami. That's happened before, especially back in Da Day of Da U. But On3 is reporting that Rashada got an NIL deal worth $9.5 million. Again, bowser. For some comps, Joe Burrow will make $9 million next year. Tua Tagovailoa will make $7.6 million. Mac Jones will make $3.9 million.
The USFL. You have to consider announcing a second season is as big a win as the league could have hoped for, right? That's what Sports Business Journal reported over the weekend, and it will give the upstart summer league a full week to discuss it before the championship game this weekend.
Weekend losers.
America. Man, when you thought the divide could not get more wide or vitriolic the last 72 hours happened. And know this, the BET Awards apparently pulled no punches last night. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/janelle-monae-taraji-p-henson-jazmine-sullivan-bet-awards-f-you-supreme-court-050200901.html When politics becomes more persuasive and important than empathy, we've all lost. I do wonder how many people celebrating the overturning of Roe vs. Wade were among the folks who were adamant about an in individual's right to deny the vaccine?
Twitter over the weekend. Egad. Yeah, walk away and do it quickly, because it was a cauldron of anger. One example: Here's pop star Pink's Twitter activity. Uh, NSFW friends. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/pink-slams-supreme-court-overturn-roe-v-wade-183146252.html
CBS golf coverage. It was shared last week that Nick Faldo was walking away. OK, he's fine. Not as Johnny Miller or even as good as some of his CBS predecessors. It was also shared around these parts that Trevor Immelmann will get that lead chair next to Jim Nantz moving forward. But here are a few questions for CBS: One, did Keith Mitchell wear a "I Love ABC" visor or something. Dude was inside the top 10 all afternoon Sunday and the fence marking out to bounds on 12 got more air time. Two, how much is Phil Mickelson kicking himself right now? That job 100% would have been his and for top dollar considering what Fox just paid Tom Brady. Three, Yes, Jim Nantz comes across as a world-class stick in the mud, but when he's not there, the CBS broadcast really feels like its coming to live from Valley Brook for the third round of the member-guest.
Jason Kokrak. What was that dude? Kokrak smoked a wedge 45 yards over the green on his final hole Friday, way out of bounds and into a crowd of spectators on the other side of the road. He was headed for a missed cut, but rather dropping another ball and finishing the hole, Kokrak grabbed his bag, headed the to car and walked it off without finishing or turning in a score card. At least one report has him being the next name headed to the LIV. I've been more open-minded than most about those taking the huge checks and headed to the Saudi-backed league, but dang Kokrak, be better than that. (Yes, when you read to the bottom of the article his playing partner said it was a time-saving measure not to go drop since he was going to miss the cut anyway.) But a PGA Tour hitting a ball 45 some yards over his target that 'happens' to land in the crowd? Hmmmmmmmm. We've got some attorneys who are regulars here. If that knocked some dude out, how difficult would it be to prove intent on Kokrak's antics?
NL outfield stars. Bryce Harper is on the shelf for the foreseeable future with a broken thumb after being hit by a pitch. Ronald Acuña looks like he's headed to the IL. Mookie Betts is already. Man, tough stretch for what seriously could be the three most talented players in the National League.
Braves-Dodgers
It was great baseball. It was great theater.It was a bit too Hallmark Channel for my tastes. (Seriously, Fred, how many tears you got in there pal?)
But there were a slew of takeaways in each direction. In fact, I think I can do a top-10 - visor tip to old-school Letterman fans out there - pretty easily.
First, the biggest impact from a player facing his old mates was the Saturday electricity of Kenley Jansen and the Sunday implosion from the former Dodgers closer. Wow, a perfect, whiff-the-side save in the Braves' Game 2 win was followed by three straight two-out hits, a blown 2-0 lead that became a 5-3 extra-inning loss and real questions about whether Jansen can pitch with runners on base.
Second, the Braves crowd was amazingly generous all three games to Freddie Freeman in his return to Atlanta. And maybe I'm emotional shut off, but Freeman cried more over the weekend than I have in the 2000s, I'm pretty sure. (And I lost both my parents in that time frame.)
Third, these are the two best teams in the NL, and I'm pretty sure it's not close.
Fourth, Spencer Strider has legit, top-of-the rotation stuff. If/when Mike Soroka gets to a point where he can take four steps and not injure his Achilles, a playoff four of Fried-Wright-Strider-Soroka, in whatever order is very salty.
Fifth, did you hear Sunday night's conversation that these teams could switch shortstops in the offseason via free agency? Look I know Dansby is KER-rushing it right now, but he's a far cry from Trae Tuner people. The Braves would have to love that move.
Sixth, Michael Harris II is going to win a half dozen Gold Gloves. At least.
Seven, how great are these teams when arguably three of the five top athletes on their rosters - Betts, Acuña and Albies - are sidelined with injuries.
Eighth, the Braves need to figure out what in the world is wrong with Adam Duvall, and they need to figure it out quickly. That third outfield spot needs to be a productive offensive option, so either Duvall - easily the best defensive option - Marcell Ozuna or Eddie Rosario, when he returns, needs to pick it up, ASAP.
Ninth, how badly do the Braves need Tyler Matzek, who rehabbed in low-A over the weekend, back in that bullpen? Because if Mazek does not return soon, I'm afraid Brian 'The Snit' Snitker is going to wear the treads off Will Smith (the other one who did not slap Chris Rock) and AJ Minter.
Tenth, did anyone else wonder how Freeman's new L.A. teammates felt about all of that sap? Here's what Clayton Kershaw told the AJC about all the hubbub - which was certainly understandable Friday night, but goodness - and Freeman's emotional responses.
"He's obviously been a big contributor for our team," Kershaw said. "And I hope we're not second fiddle. It's a pretty special team over here, too. I think whenever he gets comfortable over here, he'll really enjoy it."
Kershaw and the Dodgers were not second fiddle on the scoreboard this weekend, that's for sure.
This and that
- Speaking of the LIV, there were three open slots for this weekend's 54-hole event in Portland. According to this story, Carlos Ortiz and Matthew Wolff are headed there, so if Kokrak is too, there's your field.
- One more LIV note - man feels like we have had a lot of LIV chatter this summer, no? - gang, you are not going to money whip the backers of that Tour. Here, the Saudi money dudes promise to pay the 100,000 pound fine for each of the 17 players ruled to be in violation of DP World Tour rules.
- You know the rules. Here's Paschall on the 12th football commitment for UT. If a five-star QB with offers from everyone in the nation reportedly gets $8 million to pledge to come to Knoxville, what is a three-star LB worth? Thoughts?
- Deshaun Watson meets with the NFL on Tuesday. The outcome of this will be quite interesting, because the number of complaints are staggering. But there were never any criminal charges. Plus, Watson's defense - that the NFL never went after any owners who have had sexual misconduct allegations - will be an interesting one.
Today's questions
Weekend winners and losers. Go.
Multiple choice Monday goes this way: What word/phrase would you use to describe Freddie Freeman's weekend-long tribute at Truist Park?
- Perfect. He's Freddie Freeman, Jay;
- Over-the-top. Who's playing AA in the made-for-TV movie, John Stamos?
- Huh, is that baseball you're talking about again? Get to me in the 'er' months.
- Other.
As for today, June 27, let's review.
Helen Keller would have been 148 today.
Rushmore of blind people. Go.