YOU MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH ME BUT…
The New York Mets are getting a big push to win the NL East division title this season. I don’t get it. They have a young but injury-prone starting rotation and the lineup still doesn’t scare anyone. They’re going to miss ancient innings-eater starter Bartolo Colon and are counting too much on a big season from injury-plagued third baseman David Wright.
NEW YORK, NY - MAY 22: David Wright #5 of the New York Mets in action against the Milwaukee Brewers during their game at Citi Field on May 22, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
A Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight -- or whatever they want to call it -- reportedly is “getting close.” So what. What would this contrived “spectacle” prove? I’m sure it would do huge pay-per-view numbers. But unless I was very bored, I wouldn’t watch even it if it were free.
I’m not going to hail the NBA’s Adam Silver as a great commissioner until he finds a way to bring some parity to his league. Two or three teams have a realistic chance to win the championship at the start of every season and the 27-or-so other teams are hoping to simply make the playoffs.
I’m not buying into the Geno Auriemma (his UConn women have won 100 games in a row) is the all-time greatest college basketball coach, but I think he is the all-time greatest college basketball recruiter.
Jim Boeheim would’ve had his first losing season in his 41 years as Syracuse’s head basketball coach this season without graduate students Andrew White III and John Gillon. They’ve been very good and there is no quality depth on the bench.
SU has four games left in the regular season – two vs. Georgia Tech and one each vs. Duke and Louisville. If the Orange can’t sweep Georgia Tech, they don’t deserve a bid to the NCAA tournament.
ESPN’s Chad Ford’s NBA Mock Draft 3.1 has Syracuse sophomore forward/center Tyler Lydon going No. 25 to the Orlando Magic (via Toronto Raptors). That surprises me. I believe Lydon should work on improving his strength over this summer and return to SU for at least his junior year. I think he’d have huge problems on defense in the NBA at this stage of his development.
Detroit Red Wings all-time great Gordie Howe died last summer and owner Mike Ilitch died last weekend. Somehow I believe it is fitting that the team is likely to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1990.
The NBA San Antonio Spurs have clinched their 20th consecutive winning season. That’s impressive but I think the Buffalo Bills not making the NFL playoffs for the last 17 season is at least as improbable.
Pro Football Focus this week ranked the “101 Best Players from the 2016 Season.” The only Buffalo Bills player mentioned was left guard Richie Incognito. I wish I could get as upset as LeSean McCoy (who just missed due to lousy pass blocking), but it sounded OK to me.
SURPRISE: CUBS ARE THE “WORLD” TEAM OF THE YEAR
The prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards were Tuesday night in Monaco and the big surprise was the Chicago Cubs winning Team of the Year.
The Laureus Awards began in 2000. The winners are determined by a panel of international judges. The United States often seems – to Americans – to be discriminated against. Sort of like our annual Associated Press sports awards in reverse.
Until last night, no American team had won Team of the Year. The list of international winning teams consisted of nine football (soccer) teams, three rugby teams, two Formula One auto racing teams, one cricket team, the 2013 European Ryder Cup team and the 2009 China Olympic team.
American women have been relatively well represented, with eight Sportswoman of the Year awards, including Serena Williams three times and gymnast Simone Biles Tuesday night.
The only Americans to win Sportsman of the Year were Tiger Woods in 2000 and 2001, and Lance Armstrong in 2003 (rescinded). Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won World Sportsman of the Year for the fourth time Thursday night.
Tom Brady is running out of time.
PEP SAUL TURNS 93 ON THURSDAY
Frank “Pep” Saul will celebrate his 93rd birthday Thursday at his home in Westwood, New Jersey.
If you know who Pep Saul is, you’re either (1) pretty old and/or (2) a student of Rochester sports history.
Saul was a reserve guard for the 1951 NBA champion Rochester Royals. He averaged 4.3 points in 65 games in the regular season and played sparingly behind veteran guards Bobby Davis, Bobby Wanzer and Red Holzman in the playoffs.
Saul, the first Seton Gall player to score 1,000 career points, was the No. 12 overall pick by Rochester in the 1949 NBA draft. He joined his college coach – Davies – and his college teammate – Wanzer – on the Royals.
After Rochester’s 1951 championship season, Saul wanted to get more playing time or start and asked owner/coach Les Harrison to trade him. He was swapped to the Baltimore Bullets before the 1951-52 season began. After 39 games, Baltimore sold him to Minneapolis. The Lakers won three straight championships and Saul was a significant contributor.
Saul and current Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr are the only players in NBA history to win four NBA championships with two different teams (Saul 1 Rochester + 3 Minneapolis; Kerr 3 Chicago + 1 San Antonio).
Saul is one the two surviving members of the 1951 Royals. The other is Bill Calhoun, who averaged 7.7 points for that championship team. He turned 89 last November.
SHORT SHOTS
A note courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau that Atlanta Falcons won’t appreciate (the Falcons lost Super Bowl 51 after leading New England 28-3): Entering Super Bowl 51, NFL playoff teams with a lead of 25 or more points were 102-2 and NFL teams in the regular season with a lead of 25 or more points were 2,545-4-2.
Derek Jeter and wife Hannah are expecting a baby girl. Hannah says Derek has picked a name but she hasn’t bought in yet. I’m pretty sure it isn’t Mariah or Minka.
Former WNY Flash standout and FIFA Women’s Player of the Year Carli Lloyd is the fourth U.S. women’s national team star to commit to starting the 2017 National Women’s Soccer League season playing in Europe. She joins Alex Morgan, Crystal Dunn and Heather O‘Reilly. This of course is not good PR for the NWSL. But soccer fans in WNY probably don’t care so much now.
I took in a movie doubleheader Monday afternoon. I expected to like action thriller John Wick Chapter 2 and I expected to hate La La Land. On a scale of 1 (bad)-to-5 (great), I gave Wick a 3 and LLL a 4.8. I guess I was in an-anti gore and pro-sentimental mood the day before Valentine’s Day.
The NHL trade deadline is March 1 and Buffalo Sabres 38-year-old captain Brian Gionta reportedly has asked team management not to deal him. He plans to return to the Sabres next season. He has played well in his third season with Buffalo.
I’m pretty sure Derek and Hannah Jeter’s baby girl will not be named Mariah or Minka.
Former Rochester Americans favorite Valmore James turned 60 on Tuesday. Some long-time fans of the Amerks say Val was the toughest player in team history. He didn’t have huge PIM numbers because opponents didn’t want to fight him.
One reason the Detroit Red Wings figure to miss the NHL playoffs: They have the league’s worst power play (12.0 percent; 22-for-183)…Buffalo has dropped to 2nd in the league on the power play (23.1 percent; 39-of-169), behind Toronto (23.5 percent; 39-for-166). The Sabres haven’t finished in the top five in the NHL on the power play since the 2005-06 season.
Brock Lesnar says he is retiring from UFC. Let’s hope he doesn’t change his mind. He took a lot more from the mixed-martial arts scene than he gave.
After Tuesday night’s 3-2 win at Ottawa, the Buffalo Sabres are L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W in the month of February. Not bad, but they need a winning streak to make the playoffs.
German shepherd owners are happy today after a dog named Rumor on Tuesday night earned top dog honors at the Westminster Kennel Club finals at Madison Square Garden. He is the second German shepherd to win the top dog prize. I’m partial to Rin Tin Tin. If you remember him, you’re probably fairly old.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO…
Wednesday, February 15 – Johnny Cueto (31)…Russell Martin (34)…Amy Van Dyken (44)…Jaromir Jagr (45)…Mark Price (53)…Kern Anderson (68)…Ron Cey (69)…John Hadl (77). Susan B. Anthony was born on this date 197 years ago (1820). She died in 1906 at age 86.
Thursday, February 16 – Tommy Milone (30)…Ahman Green (40)…Eric Byrnes (41)…Jerome Bettis (45)…Keith Gretzky (50)…John McEnroe (58)…Herb Williams (59)…Kelly Tripuka (58)…Lanny McDonald (64)…Terry Crowley (70)…LPGA pioneer Marlene Hagge (93)…Pep Saul (93). Ice T (59) is invited to the birthday party.