by Eric Fulton, Julian Spivey & Preston Tolliver Auto Racing: 2003 Darlington & 2012 Watkins Glen When it comes to auto racing you can have a fairly good race overall screwed up by a poor finish and you can have a great finish really help out what was a mostly boring event. But, to have an all-time great auto race there almost certainly has to be a great finish. The two greatest finishes I’ve ever seen in a NASCAR Cup Series race were nail-biters down to the very end. The first was the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at the historic Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. in March of 2003 when Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch battled it out over the race’s last few laps culminating in the closest finish in NASCAR history. With 15 laps to go in the race Busch had a three-second lead, which is quite a lot, over Craven. Craven kept eating into the time and with two laps to go caught Busch. Craven contacted Busch sending Busch’s car up into the wall. Busch was able to repay the favor almost immediately and it looked like he would be able to get away enough from Craven and sail to victory. Craven kept digging. He stalked Busch for almost the entirety of the final lap before putting his No. 32 Pontiac side-by-side with Busch’s No. 97 Ford in the fourth turn. As they neared the finish line Busch and Craven’s cars made contact and simply could not unhook from each other and crossed the finish line with the nose of Craven’s car just slightly ahead of Busch’s for a win of 0.002 seconds ahead of second place. It was Craven’s second and final career win. That was the closest and most exciting finish I’ve ever seen from a NASCAR race, but the final lap at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y. in 2012 was absolutely nuts. Marcos Ambrose was one of the most talented road course racers NASCAR has ever seen and had won the previous year at The Glen. Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch were simply two of the best drivers in NASCAR period. When the three with Kyle Busch in the lead, Keselowski in second and Ambrose in third took the white flag signifying the final lap of the race they could’ve been covered by a blanket. Kyle Busch had a decent lead just the lap before but may have had his car hiccup on fuel because Keselowski and Ambrose gained on him fast right before the white flag. What happened next was the wildest final lap of a race I’ve ever seen. In the esses portion of the race track Keselowski got into the bumper of Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota with his No. 2 Dodge and sent Busch spinning around. Now the fight was between Keselowski, the new leader, and Ambrose for the win. Both cars would cut the course a bit going through the interloop in the grass throwing up dirt into the air – I’m sure I was screaming in glee the entire time. This was the kind of stuff you wouldn’t have believed if you’d seen it in “Days of Thunder.” Ambrose would put the bumper to Keselowski, push him up the track and tack the lead. Keselowski would try to repay the favor and ended up side-by-side with Ambrose’s No. 9 Ford in the final corner. Ambrose got to the gas first and ended up crossing the finish line for the win. Uniquely, just as Craven’s Darlington win had been the second and final of his career this race would mark the same for Ambrose. by Julian Spivey Baseball: 2016 World Series - Game 7: Chicago Cubs @ Cleveland Indians Going into this clash, both Chicago and Cleveland had the two longest championship droughts in baseball. Cleveland had a 3-1 series lead, but Chicago won the next two games, and had a 6-3 lead going to the 8th inning. But a dramatic three-run home run by Indians outfielder Rajai Davis tied the game 6-6. Neither team would score in the ninth inning. Just as extra innings were about to start, there was a 17-minute rain delay. The Cubs would take advantage of the extra time by scoring two runs in the 10th to take the lead. Cleveland would score one in the bottom of the tenth, but a groundball to first would end the game, the series, and the Cubs' long awaited championship drought. It would have been cool to witness the game at the stadium, but to watch it at home was just as great. by Eric Fulton Basketball: 2013 NBA Finals Game 6 - San Antonio Spurs @ Miami Heat A lot of people think that Marvel’s ‘Infinity War’ was based on a similarly-named comic series from the 1990s. It wasn’t. It was based on Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals. The San Antonio Spurs were the Avengers, seeking retribution for the fallen Thunder of the year before; the Miami Heat Thanos, with his six Infinity Stones of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Mike Miller (I guess?) and Erik Spoelstra. The Spurs, by all rights, were outmatched from the beginning of the series, but they had fought and clawed their way to a 3-2 lead and were poised to take the Larry O’Brien Trophy out of Miami’s American Airlines Arena and back home to San Antonio. They improbably had the upper hand in the middle of that game. And then they still had the upper hand at the end of the third quarter. And then with two minutes left in the game. The Spurs had plunged an axe into the chest of the Miami Heat, but they should have gone for the head, because Miami still had the gauntlet. The Spurs had a Hulk in Tim Duncan, sure, but Miami had a LeBron, and – more importantly, in the last minute of regulation and the five of overtime – they had a Bosh. The Spurs were up two with a minute left. Then LeBron tried powering his way to the rim but had the ball stripped by San Antonio, and the Heat would send Manu Ginobili to the foul line after wrapping him up on the fast break. With 37.2 seconds left, the Spurs led by four. LeBron took a wild shot, missing wildly (but also sort of predictably for a LeBron who was known then to choke in the Finals), and Manu was back at the line with 28.2 seconds left. He hit one of two to give the Spurs a five point cushion, constructing a mountain that was seemingly impossible for the Heat to climb in half a minute. But they inbound the ball and Bron catches it and throws up a shot immediately, missing again, but the Heat get the rebound and kick it back out. He hits it this time, and the Spurs lead is cut to two with 20.1 seconds left. Kawhi Leonard is fouled and hits one of two for the three point lead. James goes for another three and misses, but Chris Bosh – the perfect, delicate human being that he is – tips the rebound out to Ray Allen, who shuffles backwards past the three-point line and tosses it up. Allen’s 3 snapped the net with the quickness and sudden devastation as Thanos snapping his fingers, Spurs’ championship dreams turned to ash and blew away in the wind. With less than six seconds left in regulation, Tony Parker ran the ball to the basket and took a falling shot, missing and sending the game into overtime. The two teams continued trading blows and were in an almost complete opposite situation with seconds left in overtime: the Spurs were down two, and had a look at a 3 to win the game. But then, Bosh – Finals MVP-snub Chris Bosh – blocked Danny Green’s shot, and the game was over. And so was the series – the Heat won Game 7 95-88 – and the war was over, too. At least until ‘Endgame’ in 2014. by Preston Tolliver College Football: 2017 National Championship - Alabama Crimson Tide v. Clemson Tigers Clemson and Alabama have been the two best college football programs over the past five years. They have met every year in the College Football Playoff with three of those games deciding a national champion. It was perhaps the second time they met in Tampa, Fla. in which it could be the greatest college football game of all time. The game was back and forth throughout with the Crimson Tide leading 24-14 going to the fourth quarter. However, Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson led the Tigers comeback with the final play being decided on a goal line touchdown with one second left lifting Clemson to a 35-31 win. by Eric Fulton Pro Football: Super Bowl LI - Atlanta Falcons v. New England Patriots Now most people who read this will think this game shouldn't be on the list. I disagree because first, the Atlanta Falcons blew a big lead against a New England Patriots team that had Bill Bellichick as head coach and Tom Brady at quarterback. Personally, I thought Atlanta was going to end up winning this game. However, Brady would find a way to tie the score and later went on to lead the Patriots for the winning touchdown in the first overtime in Super Bowl history. I feel as though the Falcons did lose the game, but you can never count Tom Brady out. by Eric Fulton Golf: 2016 British Open @ Royal Troon - Final Round
I’ve seen some incredible rounds of golf in major tournaments over the last 20 years, included Tiger Woods’ first ever come-from-behind victory to win the Masters just a bit over a week ago for his first major win in more than a decade, but I don’t think anything can top the mano-a-mano match for the British Open title between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson in 2016 at Royal Troon. Before I get to that, though, it’s important to note that one of the single greatest rounds of major golf I’d ever seen was by Mickelson in the final round of the British Open in 2013 at Muirfield Golf Links where he shot a 5-under 66 and beat Stenson by three strokes. It would be Mickelson’s first British Open title. The two would go back to battle again three years later exchanging terrific shot after terrific shot. If Mickelson hit an amazing shot Stenson would out do it. It seemed to go on like this the entire final round. In one of the craziest low scoring final rounds in the history of any golf major Mickelson would shoot a 6-under 65 and still lose the tournament by three strokes to Stenson (the same amount he had defeated him by three years prior). Stenson simply had the greatest final round I’d ever seen in a major tournament with an 8-under 63, which matched Johnny Miller’s 1973 U.S. Open final round for the lowest in golf history by a major champion. The Open championship would be Stenson’s first of his career. by Julian Spivey
0 Comments
by Eric Fulton The 2018-2019 Tampa Bay Lightning will always be remembered for having perhaps the greatest regular season in National Hockey League (NHL) history. They tied the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for the most wins with 62. But this year’s Lightning and that Red Wings also have one thing in common: they did not win the Stanley Cup. While the Red Wings did make it to the Conference Finals in their season, the Lightning did not even get out of the first round. The Lightning were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Going in to the series, Columbus had never won a playoff series in their history. They did have some motivation as they were coached by John Tortorella, who coached the Lightning to their only Stanley Cup championship in 2004. But, the Blue Jackets went in to this year’s playoffs as the equivalent of a 16 seed in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Every hockey analyst and I thought Tampa Bay would move on without any real threat. Most of us said Columbus would probably win one at best. In game one, the Lightning struck big to gain a 3-0 lead after the first period and looked to run the Blue Jackets right out of the rink. But Columbus would score one goal in the second period, and then three more goals in the third period to stun Tampa Bay 4-3. Now losing a game when you’re up 3-0 is not as bad as losing a series when you’re up 3-0. The Lightning never recovered from the stunning game one loss as they lost game two by a score of 5-1. I thought when the series had moved to Columbus, the Lightning would get their game back, but leading scorer Nikita Kucherov was suspended for game three for his boarding hit on Columbus defenseman Markus Nutivaara, the question was who was going to help lead the turnaround. It should have been captain Steven Stamkos, but Columbus defense anchored by Seth Jones did an amazing job of not letting this high powered offense do anything in the series. Another key factor in the upset was the play of Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky could have been pulled after giving up three goals in the first game. In games two and three, he gave up just two goals total. In game four, he made huge saves just as Tampa Bay was trying to take the lead and find a way to force a game five. He was clearly a better goaltender than Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy. In addition to the great play of Bobrovsky, Columbus had great play by all stars Cam Atkinson, Artemi Panarin and trade deadline acquisition Matt Duchene. It seemed as though the Lightning did not have any answers to counterpunch the attack of the Blue Jackets. It also hurt the Lightning that all-star defenseman Victor Hedman missed the final two games with an injury. Presidents’ Trophy Winners (winners of the NHL’s regular season) have had a history of not winning the Stanley Cup. The last team to win the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same year was the Chicago Blackhawks. Four of the previous Presidents’ Trophy winners were eliminated in either the first or second round. Tampa Bay became the third team to win the Presidents’ Trophy only to be swept out of the playoffs joining the 1995 Detroit Red Wings and the 1988 Calgary Flames. However, they are the very first Presidents’ Trophy winner to be swept out of the first round. The last time a number eight seed beat a number one seed in the playoffs was in 2012 when the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Vancouver Canucks in five games. The Kings would end up becoming the first number eight seed to win the Stanley Cup. Could Columbus be a team of destiny just like the 2012 Kings? This was the biggest collapse by a favorite to win the Stanley Cup in NHL history. It will go down as one of the biggest playoff upsets in the history of sports, in general. When the 2016 Golden State Warriors, who won an NBA record 73 games in the regular season, lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, after leading the series three games to one, many sports fans believed it was the greatest collapse of all time. Tampa Bay took it steps further by not even managing to win a single game in the playoffs. In 2018, the Virginia Cavaliers became the first number one seed in the NCAA Basketball Tournament to lose their opening round matchup against a number 16 seed. We may have thought both of those moments were big, but this upset should definitely be in the conversation. by Preston Tolliver MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) The MVP race was always going to be between James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Sure, the field was wide open in October: Will LeBron James take a Lakers D-League team to the playoffs? Is this the year that Kevin Durant usurps Golden State’s golden child Steph Curry and makes the Warriors his team? And what the hell exactly was Kemba Walker eating at the beginning of the season to play that well? But those questions were eventually answered (except the last one, which became inconsequential - Walker’s MVP-caliber play amounted to little more than just a weird case of gas) and Harden and Giannis stood alone in front of the pack, a good mile between them and whoever will be voted third (an argument could be made for Curry, or Durant, or Russell Westbrook, or Paul George). Harden actually led in a lot of categories this season: 36.1 points to Giannis’ 27.7; 7.5 assists to 5.9; 2 steals to 1.3; and .7 blocks to Giannis’ 0.4. The only statistical categories Giannis beats Harden in are field goal percentage (a biggie: 57.8 to Harden’s 44.2), rebounds (12.5 to 6.6) and turnovers (3.7 per game to Harden’s 5). Combine his offensive efficiency with his work on the defensive end - already at age 24, Giannis is an excellent two-way player, whereas Harden is likely to step to the side of anyone crawling toward the basket - then Giannis has to get the nod. He’s the league’s most valuable player. Rookie of the Year: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) He has great hair, a great attitude, a weird but efficient shot and he’s given Dallas a reason to have faith in the post-Dirk Nowitzki era: this season’s Rookie of the Year is Luka Doncic. At just 19, the international sensation scored 21.2 points per game in his rookie season and was the Mavericks best player living happily in the shadow of the retiring Nowitzki. Now, and not just because there’s not a lot of competition on that team, he’s Dallas’ star, and deserves the recognition as such. Most Improved: D’Angelo Russell (Brooklyn Nets) After getting the “Snitches get stitches” treatment (which in the NBA, means getting sent to Brooklyn), no one expected D’Angelo Russell to emerge as one of the premier guards of the East. He raised his points per game almost six points (from 15.5 to 21.1) and his assists from 5.2 per game to 7. The East has lacked for years in regard to its number of quality point guards. Outside of Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry, Ben Simmons and Kemba Walker, pickings have been slim. But D’Angelo has earned his spot next to them. Sixth Man of the Year: Lou Williams (Los Angeles Clippers) Anytime a bench player is the best player on the team, they should automatically be handed the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Lou Williams is the reason the Clippers are in the playoffs (even if they don’t make it to a sixth game in the first round), giving some much-needed life to LA while simultaneously killing upper management’s plans of tanking this year. Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors) Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert won this award last year, but arguably only because of the absence of the NBA’s best defender. He sat out last season for the Spurs but is now Toronto’s best player, and the one true king of the north (that’s a “Game of Thrones” reference), Kawhi Leonard, is taking his iron throne back. All NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), James Harden (Houston Rockets), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) & Paul George (Oklahoma City Thunder)
First, the obvious: the MVP and the close second: Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden. Giannis is the best two-way player in the league today and Harden is the best offensive threat. Joining them are Paul George (another case for best two-way player) Steph Curry (the best shooter the NBA has ever seen) and Joel Embiid, who has made the center position matter again. by Nathan Kanuch & Julian Spivey 10. Josh Harrison (Detroit Tigers) We may be coming to the end of the former long-time Pittsburgh Pirate and current Detroit Tigers infielder Josh Harrison’s career. And if we’re being honest, Harrison’s career has been on a downward trajectory for a couple seasons now. But while he’s still in the league, I had to include him on the list. He became a permanent fixture on the Pirates’ roster just when they began to embark on their winning run from 2013-2015. Harrison’s ability to escape rundowns when all hope looked lost, make incredible plays in the field, and general electric attitude on the diamond makes him a sentimental yet worthy player on the list. 9. Yasiel Puig (Cincinnati Reds) Rarely in sports, especially in baseball, can you become one of the most exciting players in your game while also being quite the disappointment, but that’s where we find ourselves with new Cincinnati Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig, who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Puig is disappointing because it seemed like he was going to be one of the sport’s next big things like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper but has only managed to average 18 homers and 55 RBI a season. His .277 career batting average isn’t that bad, in fact it’s comparable to Harper’s, but he doesn’t reach base as much and has never sniffed an MVP, whereas Harper has won one. But, despite these disappointments Puig has consistently remained one of the most exciting players in the game to watch and sometimes it’s because he’s disappointing like when he’s getting thrown out at second base because he thought he hit a homer and didn’t bust it out of the box. He’s also exciting because he’s simply unpredictable like a little over a week ago when he attempted to fight the entire Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team seemingly on his own. That’s freakin’ crazy. It’s also exciting as hell. JS 8. Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies) Nolan Arenado is one of those guys that quietly snuck up on me. We knew he was good when he first came up to The Show. But by consistently performing at such a high level, Arenado has become one of the best players in baseball. And one of the most electric. The plays he makes at third base are Brooks Robinson-esque, and indeed the Orioles great counts himself as one of Arenado’s admirers. But Arenado can rake as well. He hits jacks and drives in buckets of runs. Arenado works his butt off and never takes a day off; that’s what he sees as fun. NK 7. Ronald Acuna Jr. & Ozzie Albies (Atlanta Braves) One surefire way to become one of the most exciting players in baseball is to be a five-tool player and proficient at all five tools. When a franchise can lock two of these five-tool players up at a young age for the bulk of the next decade than it’s total rejuvenation for that franchise. That’s exactly what the Atlanta Braves have done with 21-year old outfield phenom Ronald Acuna Jr., last year’s National League Rookie of the Year, and 22-year old second baseman Ozzie Albies. Not only are the two a pleasure to watch on the diamond but have become best friends on-and-off the field and truly have the feeling of a brotherhood Braves fans look forward to watching flourish for years to come. JS 6. Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels) Shohei Ohtani will basically only be half of himself this season when he returns from injury, hopefully in early May as designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels. He’ll be unable to pitch this season as he’s still recovering from a right elbow UCL injury, but the Angels hope he’ll be a productive hitter – meaning hitting tape shots in the same lineup with a few other guys who can hit ‘em a mile: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Justin Bour. But, as long as Ohtani is only half himself his excitement factor is tampered a bit. When he’s a dual player – the first in baseball since Babe Ruth in the 1910s before he transitioned to an everyday position player – he’s unlike anything else in professional sports. As American League Rookie of the Year last season he was dominant both on the mound and in the batter’s box winning four games with a 3.31 ERA and 63 strikeouts in only 10 starts and cranking 22 homers in just 367 plate appearances while hitting a very solid .285. I sincerely hope that Ohtani is able to regain his status as a dual player because it’s the most intriguing thing in baseball if he’s an all-star caliber at both. JS 5. Joey Votto (Cincinnati Reds) Sometimes “fun” in baseball can be the simplest of things. Joey Votto is a modern example of it. The way he hits, man, it’s like an artist at work. As a fan of the Reds’ divisional rival Pittsburgh Pirates, I’ve been fortunate to watch Votto several times a year. The man just hits for fun and gets on base like his life depends on it. Players like Votto will have their stats examined decades from now. NK 4. Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels) Mike Trout is the best player currently in baseball and I’m not sure there’s anybody crazy enough to argue against that. Just look at the guy’s slash line and you can tell he’s almost always getting on base. He’s been a 20/20 guy in the past and is honestly capable of being a 40/40 player if he wanted to, but his stolen base numbers have fallen since he led the American League with 49 in his first full season, probably at the behest of his team not wanting him to risk his health. Trout is also a gold glove center fielder who can rob homers with the best of them and hit moonshots with the best in baseball too. Many, especially those in love with sabermetrics, believe he could end up as the greatest baseball player that ever lived. JS 3. Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies) Bryce Harper is an obvious choice for this list. Some people love him. Some people hate him. And some people love to hate him. Count me as the latter. Harper has rubbed me the wrong way a couple of times, but I’ll never doubt his commitment to the game or his ability to electrify an entire stadium with one swing of the bat. What also needs mentioning is Harper’s place in the game as a figure who can broaden baseball’s audience to a younger crowd. You tune into a Bryce Harper at-bat, and you could see anything. NK 2. Jose Altuve (Houston Astros) Jose Altuve has been doubted his entire career, with his height being the number one talking point. All he’s done in the meantime is win three batting titles, five Silver Sluggers, a World Series and an MVP. Altuve is the definition of fun. He can hit with power and steal bases. He can make the spectacular play in the field along with the routine grounders. And most importantly to me, Altuve is the perfect blend of the old school and new school mentalities in baseball. The ideal balance of youthful enthusiasm and a stoic, veteran demeanor determined to succeed at all costs. NK 1. Javier Baez (Chicago Cubs) Javier Baez is proof that you don’t have to be the best player within a sport to be the most exciting. On MLB Network’s list of the top 100 players right now Baez topped out at no. 29, which is honestly too high, but there’s little doubt in my mind he’s the most exciting in Major League Baseball to watch on any given night. What makes Baez this most exciting player in MLB for me is his sheer hustle and this comes out in the remarkable defensive plays he makes at multiple different position. Baez is proficient at second base, shortstop and third base and can wow at any of them. He’s also a stud at the plate and on the base paths where he’s already proven he can be a 20/20 guy and I think 30/30 is a possibility. JS You can read more from Nathan Kanuch at Shore2Shore Country.
by Julian Spivey I don’t remember the exact moment I finally caved in and joined the “I don’t think Tiger Woods is going to win again” crowd, but it was after almost a decade since his last major win and probably a good two-to-three years after his first comeback season of 2013 earned him five tournament wins and a PGA Tour Player of the Year honor. But the back injuries just seemed too much to overcome, especially a fourth back surgery, which turned out to be spinal fusion surgery in April of 2017. Tiger Woods has been my favorite golfer, as he was for millions, since I began watching golf in the late ‘90s and it had become downright painful to watch him limp around the golf course in obvious pain. It was just as painful seeing the greatest of all-time at his sport seemingly finished before he even reached his 40s. At one point in 2017 he had fallen out of the top 1,000 in the World Golf Rankings. But, in 2018 I was encouraged by what I saw from the newly healthy Tiger Woods. In the early part of the season he finished second at the Valspar Championship and I knew he once again had would it would take to win a tournament. In July in the British Open he took the lead briefly during the final round before ultimately falling back to sixth place and I was once again encouraged that he was returning to – not his prime, which at his age seems improbable – but at least to his winning ways. He would finish second in the year’s final major the PGA Championship in August. Then came The Tour Championship, the last event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs, in September when Woods was lights out all weekend and won the season-finale event for his first win in more than five years, the longest winless drought of his career, and the 80th PGA Tour win of his career. The Tiger Woods I knew and loved and admired watching for almost two decades was back. He was a winner again. But he still had some doubters believing he’d never win another major tournament. The first major of every golf year is the iconic Masters Tournament, a tournament that Woods had won four times in his career, but not since 2005. But, because of Woods’ stellar career at Augusta National I figured if Woods was ever going to win another major it would be the Masters. Predicting a major golf tournament winner is a fool’s errand. There are so many talented golfers in every tournament and a majority capable of winning any given one. I wasn’t prepared to say, “Tiger Woods is going to break through this weekend.” My official prediction was for Rory McIlroy to win another green jacket as he’s been the hottest golfer in the world this year. But I was encouraged by Woods’ play this week and as he entered the final round on Sunday two strokes behind leader Francesco Molinari, I knew he’d give the championship at least a good run. It turned out to be the stuff of fairytales. Throughout the front nine Woods was pretty solid but didn’t necessarily look any better than the others out there on the golf course and Molinari is not a guy who makes many mistakes. But, on the par-3 twelfth hole Molinari made a huge mistake and put his tee shot in the drink. Woods capitalized upon this and briefly took his first lead. Woods had told the media on Saturday after the third round of the Masters that his plan for Sunday would simply be to remain patient. He did this brilliantly all day on Sunday, never seeming to panic even when he would hit the occasional bad shot – and he didn’t hit many on the day. The lead would fluctuate a bit after Woods took the lead the first time and at one point there was a five-way tie for first and it seemed the tournament could likely go to a playoff. But, guys around Woods started to falter ever so slightly and he remained patient and calm. He birdied the 15th hold to take the outright lead once again and I could tell just by watching on television that he was feeling good. I knew it for sure on the very next hole when he almost aced the par-3 16th. That would’ve been the shot of his career had he done it. It was a gimme birdie to give him a two shot lead with two holes to play and all he’d have to do was be calm, patient and play conservatively to win the tournament from there. He did just that. With a little tap in bogey on the final hole he captured his fifth career Masters victory and more importantly his first major win in almost 11 years. Woods had done what most of us thought he’d never do again, and it solidified the fact that there’s simply never been anybody better at the game of golf than him. For him to be done, and he told the media on Sunday that he even doubted he’d ever win again, and to come back and win the most iconic tournament in the United States less than two years after having spinal fusion surgery is the greatest comeback in the history of sports. I’m so thankful that we were all wrong about Tiger Woods and I know the game of golf is too. It also doesn’t seem like this is Woods’ swan song either. Now that he’s broken through the gates you should expect him to do it again. by Eric Fulton The NBA regular season has come to an end. Now there are 16 teams vying for basketball's ultimate prize, the Larry O'Brien Trophy. We have some new teams, familiar teams, and a team that is looking to take their right in NBA history. Here's my ranking of NBA playoff teams least likely-to-most likely to win the NBA championship. 16. Detroit Pistons Detroit clinched the 8th seed in the East in the regular season finale. They are making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2016. Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond lead a young squad that probably won't make much noise in the first round against the top seed Milwaukee Bucks. 15. Orlando Magic The Magic return to the playoffs for the first time since 2012 by winning a very weak Southeast Division (They were the only team in that division to be at least .500 or better). They have great players such as Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic with a mix of veterans led by D.J. Augustin and Terrence Ross. It’s good to see Orlando back in the playoffs, but they will have another tough East opponent in the second seed Toronto Raptors. 14. Brooklyn Nets Another team returning to the playoffs after a few years absence is the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets averaged a total of 23 wins the past three years before jumping to 42 this season. D'Angelo Russell, who the Lakers completely gave up on, has found new life on the East Coast. While I don't expect them to be out of the first round, they could give the Philadelphia 76ers all they could handle. 13. Los Angeles Clippers The Clippers have always been in the shadow of the Lakers when it comes to basketball in the City of Angels. However, the Lakers have had a ton of issues and will now once again watch their "little brother" compete for an NBA title. The Clippers do have one of the most respected coaches in Doc Rivers, and he will have his team ready to go against a very good Golden State Warriors team. But the Warriors will be too much for them in the first round. 12. Utah Jazz Utah will be the five seed in the West. I like the Jazz overall as a team. Donovan Mitchell is one of the most exciting players in all of the NBA. Also, Rudy Gobert is a very underrated center. They surprised a lot of people by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round last year, but this year's first round opponent will not be a cakewalk as they try to end the Houston Rockets' season early. 11. Indiana Pacers No team lost a significant piece of their roster more than the Indiana Pacers after losing Victor Oladipo to a serious knee injury. While they did end up a five seed in the East, with Oladipo, they probably would’ve fought for a top three seed easily. They still have a very good roster with the likes of Myles Turner, Darren Collison and Bojan Bogdanovic. The Pacers still could give the Boston Celtics a battle in the first round, but we all have to wonder what could have been if Oladipo was still playing. 10. Portland Trail Blazers Just like Indiana in the East, Portland is dealing with a serious injury to one of the its key contributors. On March 25th, Jusuf Nurkic suffered a severe leg injury and will miss the rest of the season. While his presence will be missed, the Trail Blazers still have one of the best in the game in Damian Lillard. Portland is looking to rebound after being swept by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round last year. However, the loss of Nurkic could once again have Portland be one round and done. 9. San Antonio Spurs If Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and even a happy Kawhi Leonard were still on the Spurs roster, then San Antonio would be higher on my list. They are not. I do look for LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan to play hard and lead the team against a very good and surprising Denver Nuggets team. Coach Gregg Popovich will have the Spurs compete, and it wouldn't shock a lot of people if they go a full seven games in round one and perhaps make a decent run at upsetting Denver. 8. Boston Celtics Boston is the four-seed in the East, but if they were in the West, they probably would’ve struggled to make the playoffs. It is kinda hard to figure out Boston as it has been a roller coaster season for them. They would need a star-studded performance from Kyrie Irving if they want to make a deep run. There is a lot of questions as in what will happen to this team in the offseason, but I do expect them to compete and win a series or even two. 7. Oklahoma City Thunder Someone reading this would probably say the Thunder aren’t deserving of where they are on my list. Truth be told, both Paul George and Russell Westbrook could beat themselves on any given night, which could give Thunder fans fits (again!). This team is capable to go on a deep run, but it all depends on the games of George and Westbrook. 6. Denver Nuggets There was no bigger surprise in the NBA this year than Denver finishing second in the Western Conference. Nikola Jokic is a dark horse candidate for MVP after putting up double-doubles nearly every night. Jamal Murray has become a real good player in his own right. Mike Malone should receive votes for Coach of the Year. As great as the regular season was for Denver, now we will see how they perform in the pressure filled spotlight of the playoffs. 5. Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia has a great chance to represent the East in the NBA Finals. However, they have major question marks going into the postseason. Will Joel Embiid stay healthy? Will Jimmy Butler's ego be their downfall? Can Ben Simmons step up in big games? Do they have good enough depth to go on a deep run? Is Brett Brown the right coach for this team? Plenty of questions for a team that needs to have all the answers. 4. Houston Rockets Last year's Western Conference game seven is probably still on the minds of all the Rockets and their fans. They had an opportunity to surprise the entire basketball world by beating Golden State on their home court. But Chris Paul didn't play, and they kept missing three-pointers. MVP candidate James Harden was a no show when they needed him the most. If Paul and Harden can both stay on the court and have outstanding performances, the Rockets will make a run at the Finals. 3. Toronto Raptors The Raptors boosted their chances at getting to the championship level last summer by acquiring 2014 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to go along with point guard Kyle Lowry. They added all-star Marc Gasol in the trade deadline to help solidify their front court and give them a veteran presence. The good news is they don't have to face LeBron James this year. However, with Leonard's health being a liability sometimes, Toronto will have some tough matchups in the later rounds should they advance. 2. Milwaukee Bucks Congrats to the Bucks for clinching the NBA's best overall record this year with a 60-22 record and Giannis Antetokounmpo is the favorite to win MVP. Also, Mike Budenholzer is the favorite to win Coach of the Year. I love their depth led by Eric Bledsoe, Nikola Mirotic, Pau Gasol and Brook Lopez. They have the potential to get to the Finals, but they are probably going to face Toronto or Philadelphia in order to represent the East. 1. Golden State Warriors Golden State has a chance to become the first team to three-peat since the ‘90s Bulls teams did it twice. With all stars Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant leading the way with an incredible supporting cast, they have the biggest targets on their back. This could be the last time this group plays together as Durant likely has plans to leave Golden State for a new destination this summer. Also, the Warriors will be in a new arena next Fall (Chase Center in San Francisco) and they would love to end their run in Oakland with a three-peat. They did not have the best regular season overall, but the Bulls didn't either when they won their third straight championship in 1993 and 1998. To them, it is all about the playoffs and all about making history. We should have a drama filled NBA playoffs this year, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds. by Eric Fulton The Stanley Cup Playoffs is one of the greatest tournaments in all of sports. 16 teams. 4 rounds. Every series has a potential of seven games. Hockey in springtime going to summertime seems crazy, but when it is for one sports’ ultimate prizes, anything can happen and expect the unexpected. I will rank the 16 teams vying for the Stanley Cup beginning on Wednesday from who has the least chance to the best chance to win this year’s Stanley Cup. 16. Columbus Blue Jackets The Blue Jackets were the last team to clinch a Stanley Cup berth. This is the third straight year they have made the playoffs. I do love the acquisition of Matt Duchene at the trade deadline, and while they do have talent like Duchene and Seth Jones, I don’t see them as a threat in the first round against the best team in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning. 15. Carolina Hurricanes The Hurricanes ended the longest playoff drought coming into the season making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 10 years. They have been known as a “Bunch of Jerks” by one hockey analyst, but this team has rallied around that to produce the best turnaround in the league this season. Coach Rod Brind’Armour, who was a captain on Carolina’s only Stanley Cup champion (2006), should be a major candidate for the Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year). The Hurricanes will have a tough go around against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals. While I do think Carolina will give Washington a fight, the Capitals have too much fire power for the Canes to overcome. 14. Colorado Avalanche The Avalanche return back to the playoffs for the second year in a row grabbing the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. Colorado is led by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog who are the top scorers on the team. Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson are both defensemen who can score. But I don’t see them past the first round taking on a very good Calgary Flames who won the regular season in the Western Conference. 13. Dallas Stars Dallas returns to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2016. They have great offensive talent led by Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. Ben Bishop had an excellent season in goalie, but if he gets hurt at some point, it will be hard to be moving on to the next rounds without him. Plus with a first year head coach, while they have the talent to play deep, it won’t be easy, especially when its first round opponent is the Nashville Predators. 12. St. Louis Blues The Blues had an amazing turnaround to make the playoffs after a slow start early in the regular season. It is another great offensive team led by Ryan O’Reilly and Vladamir Tarasenko. They will start a rookie goaltender in Jordan Binnington, who will receive votes for the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year). With a young goalie, the pressure will be really high. I don’t see them winning a Cup this year, but they will be a tough out. 11. Toronto Maple Leafs The Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967. Going into the season, many experts had picked them to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Auston Matthews and John Tavares are the franchise players. However, the biggest question is their defense and goaltending. Toronto may have to win 8-5, 7-6 games to win series, otherwise the championship drought will continue. 10. San Jose Sharks San Jose has been one of the most consistent teams making the Stanley Cup playoffs in the post-strike era. Although they have made one Stanley Cup Final appearance during that run, this team is capable of winning the Stanley Cup, although their stars of Joe Pavelski, Logan Coture, Brent Burns and Joe Thornton are getting older. How long will this group last? The West is the stronger of the two conferences so it won’t be easy for them. Goaltending has let them down in recent weeks and it needs to pick up in order to have a successful run. 9. New York Islanders The departure of a franchise player like John Tavares could cripple any team, but gaining a Stanley Cup champion head coach can really make things better. Barry Trotz has brought a championship pedigree to Long Island. Goalies Robin Lehner and Thomas Griess have been the main reason New York has home ice advantage in the first round. It could be a very interesting second round matchup between Trotz’s current team and the team he won the Stanley Cup with last year in the Washington Capitals. 8. Calgary Flames This is potentially way too low for a team that won the regular season championship in the Western Conference, but giving that some of the teams are back and look as strong as they have been all year going into the playoffs, the Flames are probably right where they should be. Captain Mark Giordano is a Norris Trophy Favorite (Best Defensive Player) and Johnny Gadreau is one of the best American-born players in the NHL. Goaltending will be key for them in the playoffs and that could lead to their early exit if things don’t go their way. 7. Winnipeg Jets Winnipeg had an excellent run that ended in the Western Conference finals last year. For them to possibly reach the Final, Connor Hellebuyck would have to be stellar in goal. Winnipeg does have a ton of fire power led by Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien. 6. Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins have been the consistent model franchise in the NHL for 15 years. They have been in the playoffs for the 13th straight year with great talent led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. Matt Murray has been excellent in goal. If Pittsburgh doesn’t make it to at least the conference final, is the run of success they’ve had with this group over? 5. Vegas Golden Knights Vegas had a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final last year in their inaugural season. Now they are going to repeat the same road. They proved they were not afraid last year thanks to goalie Marc-Andre Fluery. Mark Stone came in via trade and could help the Golden Knights reach hockey’s ultimate prize in just their second year. 4. Washington Capitals The defending Stanley Cup champions look to repeat, but will have to do it with a new coach. Alex Ovechkin is coming off another 50-goal regular season, and with guys like T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson, the Capitals have the ability to repeat. Look for Brayden Holtby to give them excellent goaltending in the net. 3. Boston Bruins The Bruins went 19 games at one point this season gaining at least one point in the standings. I do look for them to score a ton of goals with a great offense featuring Brad Marchand (tied for 5th in scoring with 100 points), Patrice Bergeron, David Pastanak and David Krejci. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak will probably share goaltending duties, but they can still make a deep run in the playoffs. 2. Nashville Predators Nashville won the Central Division in dramatic fashion. They added more serious depth at the trade deadline by adding Brian Boyle, Wayne Simmonds and Mikael Granlund. Pekka Rinne is definitely one of the top three goaltenders in the playoffs. The Predators are on a mission to win the whole thing after making the final two years ago and losing in the second round last year. 1. Tampa Bay Lightning The Lightning tied an NHL mark for most wins in a season (62). They have one of the best offenses in all time led by Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov to go along with Steven Stamkos. Victor Hedman is a solid defender and scorer who should be a Norris Trophy candidate. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. Tampa Bay is looking to become the first team since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks to win the President’s Trophy and then the Stanley Cup. Four out of the last five years, a President’s Trophy champion has gone out in the second round. If the Lightning do win it all, they will become of the greatest teams of all time. by Julian Spivey Ronda Rousey is no stranger to historical feats and tonight she’ll add another to her belt (and maybe an actual championship belt) when she takes part in the first ever all-female main event at WrestleMania 35. But, as Rousey prepares to take the main stage at WrestleMania, I can’t help but feel that she is the most disappointing athlete currently active in the sports world – or maybe I should say the entertainment world? Because while there’s no doubt Rousey is a world-class athlete, she gave up on her mixed martial arts career at the age of 29 after two consecutive losses (to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes both via knockout) to go to the choreographed playland of World Wrestling Entertainment where she will no doubt become the biggest star in that form of entertainment, but lose a lot of credibility as an athlete. Make no mistake, I realize this is Rousey’s decision and hers alone, but it’s disappointing to see an all-time great, last year she became the first woman ever inducted into the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) Hall of Fame, walk away from an actual sport to go into the worst type of bad soap opera acting you could potentially find. It would be like if Serena Williams walked away from tennis in her prime to join the cast of “Days of Our Lives.” Just four years ago Rousey was named the “greatest female athlete of all-time” in an ESPN.com fan poll, and while those results were certainly misguided, it shows the importance she held in the world of sports. Sports, in general, and especially mixed martial arts were better off with Rousey. Now she’s on to play fighting fellow bad actresses with stage names and trashy looks instead of the Olympic-level quality fighters that she was (Rousey was a bronze medalist in judo in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics). There’s no doubt Rousey is going to make a ton of money in WWE and the move to professional wrestling will likely be better for her longtime health than fighting in the octagon, I just hate to see someone who was one of the greats turned into what she has become. by Preston Tolliver LeBron James is taking his talents to Wrestlemania. Rumors have swirled that James would make the trek to New York to battle future WWE Hall-of-Famer The Undertaker since he infamously snubbed “the Demon of Death Valley” more than two years ago, when the Undertaker – known in real life as Mark Calloway – visited the Cleveland Cavaliers lockerroom in response to James being seen previously wearing a T-shirt of Calloway’s wrestling persona. The rumors of James’ Wrestlemania plans were all-but-confirmed when the Los Angeles Lakers – a team with whom James is finishing his first season – failed to earn a postseason run. The Lakers have already begun resting James with the end of the season near, and sources say they plan to give him the final week of the season off as he prepares for his match. The Undertaker, while mostly inactive from the squared circle, makes an annual appearance at WWE’s flagship event, where he has lived up to his reputation with the company as its “Phenom,” earning 21 straight victories at Wrestlemania before falling to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 30 five years ago. Since, he has lost once more (against future champion Roman Reigns) and won three other matches at the annual event. While the Undertaker will be looking for revenge against James for leaving him alone with Kevin Love at Quicken Loans Arena, the match for James is about legacy. “Everyone points to [Chicago Bulls’ Michael] Jordan’s six rings, and that he’s never lost in the Finals,” said James, whose Finals record currently stands at 3-5. “But he never beat the Undertaker.” WWE sources speaking under condition of anonymity confirmed on Sunday that the winner of the match between James and the Undertaker will be awarded Earl “J.R.” Smith’s soul. by Julian Spivey The world’s greatest golfer will not be teeing off at Augusta National in a few weeks for the Masters Tournament. He’s not currently ranked in the top 100 in the World Golf Rankings or listed in the FedEx Cup points. But there is a golfer in this very country of ours who is so goddamn good that he can win a tournament without even showing up and taking a swing. That golfer is President Donald J. Trump, the winner of the 2018 Men’s Club Championship at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. Trump adds this honor to the previous championships he won in 1999, 2001 and 2009 and the two senior championships he won at his home (and own) golf course in 2012 and 2013. We all know that President Trump is an avid golfer. He seemingly has spent more time on the putting greens of this country and other countries than he has in the Oval Office. He was golfing while Florida high school students shot to death in their classrooms were being laid into the ground in 2018. He’s spent time golfing with the two greatest professional golfers of all-time Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, who he probably beat by multiple strokes. But, despite his avid golfing we know President Trump is a huge opponent of Presidential golfing. He was no fan of President Barack Obama golfing while on the Presidential beat tweeting on 27 different occasions about it, including: “while our wonderful president was out playing golf all day, the TSA is falling apart, just like our government! Airports a total disaster!” and “We pay for Obama’s travel so he can fundraise millions so Democrats can run on lies. Then we pay for his golf.” President Obama averaged 38 rounds of golf per year during his presidency. President Trump has thus far averaged 81 rounds per year at a reported $91 million cost to taxpayers according to trumpgolfcount.com. But, while Trump plays a lot of golf, he didn’t actually play in the tournament that he won last year. But, in his club there is a plaque under his name that says, “2018 Men’s Club Champion.” Golf.com recounts how Trump *earned* this honor. But, it’s not the first time a World Leader has done something seemingly impossible in the game of golf. Former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il once carded a round of 38-under par at the Pyongyang Golf Couse, according to himself. Jong Il’s round of 38-under par included an unbelievable – no, it’s quite literally unbelievable – five Aces (holes-in one). What is it about loopy World Leaders that makes them so great at golf? |
Archives
October 2024
|