General Sports Talk
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69 members have voted
Any football fan is aware of Deshaun Watson mess. If he was second string linebacker he’d be long out of the league by now. But as a star QB the mere 16 lawsuits against him ‘need to be investigated’. I think that this at least makes him untradeable. Houston will still want massive return, and that’s just too risky for the receiving team.
Quote: SOOPOONot sure where I read it.... but Buffalo may play WFT at a neutral site.
Interesting. I hadn't considered the home and away part of a 17 game schedule. I would doubt the NFL is going to have some teams play 9 home games and others only 8. I don't see the owners ALL agreeing to that either. So will the solution be every team plays a neutral site game? I guess that would include the 4 or 5 international games, and maybe some games in cities that don't have a team. Sort of a traveling NFL circus. LOL.
Quote: kewljInteresting. I hadn't considered the home and away part of a 17 game schedule. I would doubt the NFL is going to have some teams play 9 home games and others only 8. I don't see the owners ALL agreeing to that either. So will the solution be every team plays a neutral site game? I guess that would include the 4 or 5 international games, and maybe some games in cities that don't have a team. Sort of a traveling NFL circus. LOL.
I think I also read (subsequently)ALL the games first year will be AFC home games. Thus there will be no competitive advantage as for getting into the playoffs AFC teams are only compared to other AFC teams! So ALL AFC teams will have 9 home games, and ALL NFC teams will have 8 home games. Great idea!
Of course, when more revenue is available, the NFL has no problem altering the formula with London, Toronto, Mexico City games....
Wilt Chamberlins 100 point game against the Kniks was in a neutral site- the Hershey Arena.
I'd love to see key matchups held in neutral stadiums. It won't happen as the logistics would be hard.
what a night Russell Westbrook had on 3/29 to help the Wizards beat the Pacers
35 points, 21 assists and 14 rebounds
he's one of only 3 to go 30-20-10 or over in NBA history - the other 2 are Oscar and Magic
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wizards/russell-westbrook-historic-triple-double/2021/03/29/3c8ec5f0-90c4-11eb-a74e-1f4cf89fd948_story.html
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Yes, I watched Tyson-Jones. Now, Oscar de la Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Sergio Martinez, Floyd Mayweather, and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. (to name a few) are set to return or have already done so via real fight or exhibition bout.
But this is a brutal sport, exhibition or not. If the fans keep watching, they’ll keep unretiring.
Quote: FTBAll these retired boxers coming back... yeah, in my opinion, boxing isn’t what it used to be. So I understand why nostalgia is high and of course, the money is still there.
Yes, I watched Tyson-Jones. Now, Oscar de la Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Sergio Martinez, Floyd Mayweather, and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. (to name a few) are set to return or have already done so via real fight or exhibition bout.
But this is a brutal sport, exhibition or not. If the fans keep watching, they’ll keep unretiring.
I think it is sad but I don't blame any for doing it if someone is willing to pay them.
Quote: DRichI think it is sad but I don't blame any for doing it if someone is willing to pay them.
What is the purpose of having commissions that sanction these bouts? The trainers are in the corners of the fighters to protect the fighters from themselves. But the commissions are there to protect the fighters too (and of course, to help avoid a tragedy in the ring and the lawsuit it would bring in the process).
Agreed, it is sad to see sometimes, especially watching one of your favorite fighters chasing that money or adrenaline rush again but getting embarrassed in the ring along the way. I realize I am being hypocritical because I still watch these car crashes as they unfold.
Brutal sport. Even more brutal politics behind the scenes as well.
Quote: lilredrooster..............................
what a night Russell Westbrook had on 3/29 to help the Wizards beat the Pacers
35 points, 21 assists and 14 rebounds
he's one of only 3 to go 30-20-10 or over in NBA history - the other 2 are Oscar and Magic
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/wizards/russell-westbrook-historic-triple-double/2021/03/29/3c8ec5f0-90c4-11eb-a74e-1f4cf89fd948_story.html
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But Westbrook will never win a championship as the main superstar on a team, let alone the Wizards.
Quote: FTBBut Westbrook will never win a championship as the main superstar on a team, let alone the Wizards.
He is not the ‘main superstar’ on the Wizards. Bradley Beal is. That being said, I LOVE watching Westbrook play. If he had a slightly better shot he would have been an all time great. I love his speed and aggression.
the NFL added one game to the regular season - it's now 17 games instead of 16
and pushed the Super Bowl back one week because of it
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/30/sports/football/nfl-adds-17th-regular-season-game.html
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Quote: lilredrooster....................
the NFL added one game to the regular season - it's now 17 games instead of 16
and pushed the Super Bowl back one week because of it
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/30/sports/football/nfl-adds-17th-regular-season-game.html
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The article says: "To make room for the extra game, the NFL removed 1 pre-season game". That is not exactly true. If that were true the NFL season would start when week 4 of preseason used to be played, which is labor day weekend. That is NOT what they did. week 3 of preseason is now labor day weekend. So they extended everything a week further into February. Doesn't that make the superbowl on a holiday weekend, president's day?
Back when it was a 16 game schedule, played in 16 weeks, the superbowl used to be last weekend in January. When they went to 17 game schedule with each team playing 16 games and 1 bye, everything got pushed back a week to superbowl first sunday in february, and now 17 games in 18 weeks, pushed back again, to 2nd week in February. Soon football will run into March Madness and baseball season.
I think the thing to do would have been to start the regular season on Labor day weekend (when preseason game 4 used to be played) but it appears the NFL used to start on labor day back in the 80's and the stadiums were half empty with people doing labor day weekend stuff.
Quote: FTBWhat is the purpose of having commissions that sanction these bouts? The trainers are in the corners of the fighters to protect the fighters from themselves. But the commissions are there to protect the fighters too (and of course, to help avoid a tragedy in the ring and the lawsuit it would bring in the process).
Agreed, it is sad to see sometimes, especially watching one of your favorite fighters chasing that money or adrenaline rush again but getting embarrassed in the ring along the way. I realize I am being hypocritical because I still watch these car crashes as they unfold.
Brutal sport. Even more brutal politics behind the scenes as well.
I think most of these fights are not sanctioned so the commissions are not involved. I know the Tyson "fight" wasn't even a fight, it was an "exhibition".
Quote: kewljThe article says: "To make room for the extra game, the NFL removed 1 pre-season game". That is not exactly true. If that were true the NFL season would start when week 4 of preseason used to be played, which is labor day weekend. That is NOT what they did. week 3 of preseason is now labor day weekend. So they extended everything a week further into February. Doesn't that make the superbowl on a holiday weekend, president's day?
Hopefully they will not take the extra week off between the conference games and the Super Bowl.
When I started watching the NFL, rushing for 1,000 yards in a season was quite an achievement. Now it means you averaged 60 yards rushing per game.
Quote: billryanI have not seen anything about the players getting an extra paycheck. Playing an extra game each year decreases a player's longevity.
When I started watching the NFL, rushing for 1,000 yards in a season was quite an achievement. Now it means you averaged 60 yards rushing per game.
It doesn’t mean too much that you haven’t seen it. That information is out there with a simple use of Google, and much of it was widely reported a couple years ago when the new CBA was negotiated.
In a high level sense there is more for the players. There were incentives related to the revenue percentage that goes to salary cap that kick in upon a 17 game schedule and new TV deal.
Lots of players thought it wasn’t enough. The new CBA just barely passed the player vote.
Quote: kewljThe article says: "To make room for the extra game, the NFL removed 1 pre-season game". That is not exactly true. If that were true the NFL season would start when week 4 of preseason used to be played, which is labor day weekend. That is NOT what they did. week 3 of preseason is now labor day weekend. So they extended everything a week further into February. Doesn't that make the superbowl on a holiday weekend, president's day?
Only if Washington's Birthday (that's the "official" name of the federal holiday) is on 2/15, which happens, on average, once every 7 years. It happened in 2021, and will happen again in 2027, 2038, 2044, and 2049. The Super Bowl will be on the second Sunday in February, which is February 8-14; Washington's Birthday is the third Monday, which is February 15-21.
I have a feeling the reason they didn't move the start of the season back to Labor Day weekend is, pretty much every FBS college football team starts its season that weekend, and since it's a holiday weekend, some do play on that Sunday/Monday.
Quote: DRichHopefully they will not take the extra week off between the conference games and the Super Bowl.
The NFL has tried that in the past, and what usually happened was, whatever buildup there was for the game seemed to go away. The Pro Bowl is still scheduled for the week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl.
Quote: ThatDonGuy
The NFL has tried that in the past, and what usually happened was, whatever buildup there was for the game seemed to go away. The Pro Bowl is still scheduled for the week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl.
I know, and I personally hate it. I realize they will do whatever projects the most money. As a sports fan that two weeks off is very tedious and I get tired of hearing about the game when they could be playing it.
Quote: unJonIt doesn’t mean too much that you haven’t seen it. That information is out there with a simple use of Google, and much of it was widely reported a couple years ago when the new CBA was negotiated.
In a high level sense there is more for the players. There were incentives related to the revenue percentage that goes to salary cap that kick in upon a 17 game schedule and new TV deal.
Lots of players thought it wasn’t enough. The new CBA just barely passed the player vote.
All that I see is that the players' share of total revenue increased slightly, nowhere near an extra game check.
Quote: billryanAll that I see is that the players' share of total revenue increased slightly, nowhere near an extra game check.
Correct. Somewhere between 1/3 to 1/4 of a game check under the assumptions I’ve seen. Like I said, there is plenty of information out there on it. It was debated and reported pretty widely if you follow that stuff back when the CBA was negotiated.
Quote: ThatDonGuyI have a feeling the reason they didn't move the start of the season back to Labor Day weekend is, pretty much every FBS college football team starts its season that weekend, and since it's a holiday weekend, some do play on that Sunday/Monday.
Right now, only two games are scheduled on that Sunday/Monday - Notre Dame vs Florida State, and Mississippi vs Louisville - and I suppose that if the NFL begged and pleaded (and threw some money in their general direction), it could get the schools to move those games to Saturday night.
On the other hand, it could involve juggling any planned schedule, as some of the NFL stadiums may already be in use that weekend - for example, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta is hosting Alabama vs. Miami that Saturday, while AT&T Stadium in Arlington is hosting Stanford vs. Kansas State.
I wouldn't be surprised if, now that everybody knows that it's happening and has plenty of time to allow for it, they do start the regular season on Labor Day weekend in 2022.
And here's an unintended consequence: I have a lot of feeling that, in 2027, a lot of Valentine's Day dinners are either going to turn into lunches (especially out west) or a lot of restaurants are going to open for dinner at 4:30 that day.
I don’t know if hoodwinked is the right word. It was heavily debated. I think the closest vote ever to pass. Almost didn’t pass.Quote: billryanSounds like the players got hoodwinked once again. More risk, less reward.
Quote: unJonI don’t know if hoodwinked is the right word. It was heavily debated. I think the closest vote ever to pass. Almost didn’t pass.
Hornswaggled?
nah. Maybe railroaded.Quote: billryanHornswaggled?
Quote: unJonI don’t know if hoodwinked is the right word. It was heavily debated. I think the closest vote ever to pass. Almost didn’t pass.
You all have it wrong. The players really don’t get ‘game checks’ in the normal sense. Players (as a total, not any individual) get a defined percentage of the total gross revenue that the league makes. When revenue increases as it most certainly will converting a 4th preseason game to a regular season game, the amount of money paid to players will increase as well. Just wait until you see the contracts given out next year. When the salary cap goes up there will be an explosion in contract size. The players did not give any money back during the fan-less pandemic.
Quote: SOOPOOYou all have it wrong. The players really don’t get ‘game checks’ in the normal sense. Players (as a total, not any individual) get a defined percentage of the total gross revenue that the league makes. When revenue increases as it most certainly will converting a 4th preseason game to a regular season game, the amount of money paid to players will increase as well. Just wait until you see the contracts given out next year. When the salary cap goes up there will be an explosion in contract size. The players did not give any money back during the fan-less pandemic.
I understand and that’s what we’ve been posting about. Assuming next tv contract hits it out of the park, the salary cap goes from 48% to 48.8% of revenue. And assume revenue goes up 20% (seems generous adding 1/16 more games). That’s an increase of 0.96% of revenue for the salary cap. Call it 1% to be easy. Call revenue about $15b (approximately right). That’s $150m more of cap room or $4,687,500 per team.
Quote: unJonI understand and that’s what we’ve been posting about. Assuming next tv contract hits it out of the park, the salary cap goes from 48% to 48.8% of revenue. And assume revenue goes up 20% (seems generous adding 1/16 more games). That’s an increase of 0.96% of revenue for the salary cap. Call it 1% to be easy. Call revenue about $15b (approximately right). That’s $150m more of cap room or $4,687,500 per team.
If a team has sixty players under contract, that's about $80,000 per player.
we don't talk much here about women's college basketball but it keeps getting better and better and more entertaining
last night Arizona topped UConn to advance to the title game against Stanford - a tremendous upset for the Wildcats
if you happen not to know how dominant UConn has been in women's basketball take a look at this:
"The UConn Huskies are the most successful women's basketball program in the nation, having won a record 11 NCAA Division I National Championships and a women's record four in a row, from 2013 through 2016,[3] plus over 50 conference regular season and tournament championships. They have taken part in every NCAA Tournament since 1989; as of the end of the 2018–19 season, this is the third-longest active streak in Division I.[4]
UConn owns the two longest winning streaks (men's or women's) in college basketball history. The longest streak, 111 straight wins, started with a win against Creighton on November 23, 2014, and ended on March 31, 2017 when a buzzer-beater at the end of overtime caused a 66–64 loss in the 2017 NCAA Final Four to Mississippi State.[5] The second streak counts 90 consecutive wins, including two undefeated seasons (2008–09 and 2009–10), and was delimited by two losses against Stanford, the first on April 6, 2008 in the National Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, and the second – three seasons later – on December 19, 2010.[6] The Huskies also own the longest winning streak in regular-season games in college history; after an overtime loss to Stanford on November 17, 2014, they won their next 126 regular-season games until a 68–57 loss to Baylor on January 3, 2019.[7]
UConn's current head coach is Luigi "Geno" Auriemma, who joined the team in 1985. Coach Auriemma is one of the best coaches in college basketball: his 1091–142 (.885) record as of March 2020 represents the highest winning percentage among NCAA basketball coaches (minimum 10 seasons), any level, men's or women's,[8] while ranking him third in all-time women's wins behind former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt"
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/03/sports/ncaabasketball/arizona-uconn-ncaa.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
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https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/sports/35800-which-is-more-likely/3/#post801029
He described what a great player he was. He is a BBall HOF and is #5 on the consecutive free throw record list with 78 in a row. But the tidbit that caught my attention was he was also an amazing baton twirler. (poor audio/video in the YT link)
Quote: DeMangoI’m thinking tonight’s Zags win will go down as one of the greatest college basketball games of all times. Totally numbing ending.
they got the W - but UCLA tested them - they needed a 40 foot buzzer beater to get it done
Zags right now favored by 4½ over Baylor
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Should make for a solid Championship game tomorrow.
Pre-season #1 and #2 ranked teams (AP and Coaches):
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings/_/week/1/year/2021/seasontype/2
Gonzaga -4.5 O/U 159.5
I love it
Starting pitcher and DH
He likes it
Says it gives him more confidence as he can use his arm and bat to try to get the win
Quote: terapinedObtain going both ways today
I love it
Starting pitcher and DH
He likes it
Says it gives him more confidence as he can use his arm and bat to try to get the win
1st inning, he gets the side out with no runs
bottom of 1st, hes 2nd in the order. 1st pitch, Home Run.
wow
Quote: terapined1st inning, he gets the side out with no runs
bottom of 1st, hes 2nd in the order. 1st pitch, Home Run.
wow
First starting pitcher in A.L. to hit home run in about 50 years.
At least in the pre-game yakkity-yak, the Gonzaga-Baylor game is a classic; the teams that have been ranked #1 and #2 for the entire season. Both teams looked "all time great" in their semi-final games but in completely different ways: Baylor by utterly dominating a a very good Houston team and Gonzaga by over-coming a relentless and unstoppable UCLA team after 45 minutes of extremely high quality play. I hope this final game lives up to expectations, especially after we had so many dreadful games in the Elite Eight round.
Quote: DRichFirst starting pitcher in A.L. to hit home run in about 50 years.
Isn't he the first starting pitcher in the AL to actually bat?
The stat I find most interesting is he didn't finish the fifth inning., so they had to use two players to replace him.
Quote: billryanThe stat I find most interesting is he didn't finish the fifth inning., so they had to use two players to replace him.
? - in professional baseball, if a team starts without a DH, it can't use one for the rest of the game, even if the pitcher is replaced. The "replacing a batting pitcher with separate pitcher and DH players" rule is only in college and high school, I think. There is no mention of the Angels using a DH in the game in the box score.
Quote: ThatDonGuy? - in professional baseball, if a team starts without a DH, it can't use one for the rest of the game, even if the pitcher is replaced. The "replacing a batting pitcher with separate pitcher and DH players" rule is only in college and high school, I think. There is no mention of the Angels using a DH in the game in the box score.
Did the pitcher who replaced him bat, or was he pinch hit for? I see AP was used as a pinch hitter, so I assume it was for the pitcher.
If Ohtani is removed from the game as a pitcher, is he allowed to stay on as a hitter?
A nightmare scenario- Ohanti starts and doesn't get out of the first inning. Are the Angels now going to be forced to use pinch hitters every time the pitcher's spot comes up? He was batting second yesterday, so him leaving early puts a pitcher into the #2 spot in the lineup, as I understand it. Perhaps I'm misreading the situation, so if I am, please straighten me out. When the Yankees were thinking of signing him for the second time, someone in NY wrote an article explaining the dangers of letting the SP bat and how it could hurt the team if he left early.
For those who may not know this or have forgotten, the Yankees made a big play for Ohanti right out of high school, but at the last minute, he decided to play in Japan for a few years.
Quote: billryanDid the pitcher who replaced him bat, or was he pinch hit for? I see AP was used as a pinch hitter, so I assume it was for the pitcher.
If Ohtani is removed from the game as a pitcher, is he allowed to stay on as a hitter?
Only if he was moved to another position on defense. A pitcher that starts the game in the batting order is now treated the same way as, say, the catcher.
Also, Ohtani had been taken out of the game by the time his spot in the batting order came up; Pujols was pinch-hitting for Cishek, who had come in to replace Ohtani.
Quote: billryanA nightmare scenario- Ohanti starts and doesn't get out of the first inning. Are the Angels now going to be forced to use pinch hitters every time the pitcher's spot comes up?
Yes - well, that, or have the pitchers bat; remember that each time a PH is used, the removed player is now out of the game and cannot return.
https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-release-patriots-day-inspired-city-connect-uniforms
I prefer when teams stick with the traditional colors of the franchise.
Quote: KeeneoneI am generally fine with all the new sports uniforms being created, but there are some I do not care for. Like this one:
https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-release-patriots-day-inspired-city-connect-uniforms
I prefer when teams stick with the traditional colors of the franchise.
That looks like a bar league softball uniform.
Quote: ThatDonGuyOnly if he was moved to another position on defense. A pitcher that starts the game in the batting order is now treated the same way as, say, the catcher.
Also, Ohtani had been taken out of the game by the time his spot in the batting order came up; Pujols was pinch-hitting for Cishek, who had come in to replace Ohtani.
Yes - well, that, or have the pitchers bat; remember that each time a PH is used, the removed player is now out of the game and cannot return.
Years ago, Billy Martin brought in a position player to pitch, which wasn't all that unusual but then he had him switch positions with the right fielder so one guy faced lefties and the other faced righties. I'd never see that before and didn't know a pitcher could move to another position and then return to the mound.
On a similar note- My Uncle took me to a doubleheader at the old Yankee Stadium and the Yankees fell behind 8-0 in the first game. About the sixth inning, they put in Rocky Colavito to pitch so they could save their pitchers for the second game. Yankees scored a couple of runs to make it close and then won the game in the ninth, making Rocky the last position player to win a game for decades before someone did it in the early 2000s.
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Stanford's NCAA women's basketball championship means the school's streak of winning at least one NCAA championship per (school) year is at 45 and counting.
On the other hand, 2020-21 will be the first time Stanford did not qualify for the NCAA women's volleyball tournament, which began in 1981-82. The fact that it played only three home matches - one against Cal, which was close enough to Stanford to get around Santa Clara County's mandatory quarantine for anybody entering from more than 150 miles away, and two against Arizona State when the quarantine was lifted in March - and went 0-7 on the road may have had something to do with it.
