Baseball: Rays start to the season. New rules effect.
Basketball-NBA: Playoff begin this week! Final standings. Mavs under investigation to sitting players. Gobert to miss play-in game. NBA attendance had a good year.
Basketball-NCAA: UConn takes it all!
Football – NCAA: Simon Fraser to lose NCAAF.
Football- NFL: OBJ to Baltimore.
Golf: Masters drama. Brooksy and Rahm.
Hockey: Bruins record breaking year. Standings as season ends this week. World Hockey Championships.
Olympic Sports: RUS and BLR drama. No betting on the Boston Marathon. WC Fencing events cancelled.
Baseball:
- The Rays are off to the best start in the MLB for the last 20 years starting off 8-0 and routed the A’s on Saturday 11-0. That wasn’t the only game that was a big win margin. They have outscored their opponents 64-18 since the start of season. The best start ever was the 2003 KC Royals with 9. The only team to win their first 8 games by 4 runs or more since 1884 St. Louis Maroons did it for their first 13 games (Union Association).
- We all know the new MLB rules were supposed to shorten game time and apparently it is working! Games are now 31 minutes shorter so far this season. That would be the shortest since 1984. Batting average is up and stolen bases have increased by 30%. There have been 125 pitch clock violations; the Mets have the most with 10. The Blue Jays Matt Chapman has the highest batting average with .475 but St. Louis is the top team with .294. Stolen bases average 1.3 per game so far.
Basketball – NBA:
- Ok so we have reached the final day of NBA season. Play-in games start this week.
- The East: Bucks are conference champs but the Celtics, 76ers, Cavaliers, Knicks, Nets and Heat are all secure in the bracket. The play-ins: Hawks, Raptors, Bulls. All the teams In the East are set.
- The West: Nuggets secured the West. The Grizzlies and Kings secured their division and the Suns, Clippers and Warriors each have a playoff berth. The play-ins: Timberwolves, Lakers, Pelicans and Thunder.
- Eliminated: (E) Pacers, Wizards, Magic, Hornets, Pistons (W) Mavericks, Jazz, Trail Blazers, Rockets and Spurs
- The NBA is investigating the Mavericks after they made the decision to sit several key players in their Friday night game against the Bulls. That eliminated the team from West Conference play-in standings. 5 key players were out due to injury and Luka Doncic only played the first 12 minutes before sitting the entire rest of the game. The HC said it was a call by Mark Cuban and the GM.
- Timberwolves C Rudy Gobert is suspended after punching his own teammate Kyle Anderson on Sunday. That means he will miss the play-in game against the Lakers. Oh and F Jaden McDaniels will also be out of that game after he punched a wall and fractured his 3rd and 4th metacarpal after a WIN in NOLA.
- It was a good season for the NBA this year as they set new records for total attendance (by 109.9k in 2017/2018 season), average attendance and percentage of capacity and sellouts (31 more than the prev record set in 2018/19) this season.
Basketball-NCAA:
- March Madness is finally over and the final was not that crazy. It was a highly defensive game and San Diego St had an 11 minute stretch without a point. UConn was up by 12 points at half and although SDSt brought it back to within 5, UConn still won by 17. They won every game in the tournament by double digits. This is the Huskies 5th NCAAM title. They are only the 2nd team to go from preseason unranked to win the whole thing. The last time? UConn in 2011 and where was the Final Four and the Championship? Houston. *cue Twilight Zone music*. It was a good week the state of Connecticut as Quinnipiac (a small private school in CT) won the national championship in NCAA hockey, their first in school history. They tied up the game late in the 3rd period and then scored in OT.
Football – College:
- Simon Fraser is the only CAN NCAA football program and the school is now set to drop football. Their record was 18-99 and they failed to win a game in the last 6 seasons.
Football – NFL:
- The Ravens have reached a one-year $15MM deal with Odell Beckham Jr. This is just a month after Lamar Jackson requested a trade from the Baltimore team. Getting spicy!
Golf:
- Despite multiple weather delays we still had the final round of the Masters on Easter Sunday. Brooks Koepka aka Mr. Major came out hot with an opening round of 65 (T1 after day 1) and 67 to put himself in solo 1st by 2. That being said, weather delayed rounds and everyone was finishing at different times. Brooks only got to play 6 holes before the 3rd round was called for the day on Saturday but his lead had increased to 4. That was a different story when he came back to play the final 25 holes of the tournament all on Sunday. He gave 2 shots back by the end of the round to Jon Rahm who had been hanging around before that. Brooks was +3 for the 3rd but still leading by 2. The other 3xs Brooks has been in the lead after 54 holes, he has gone on to win the major. But Brooks’ putter went ice cold and he missed too many fairways; he went +5 overall after the restart of the 3rd In contrast, Jon Rahm went -3 and had himself a day with a round of 69 to win his first green jacket by 4 shots.
- Phil Michelson and brooks Koepka tied for 2nd. Phil at 52 is the oldest golfer to finish T5 in the Masters ever. Of the top 7 players (1, T2 and T4), 3 are LIV golfers.
- Tiger withdrew after the 3rd round due to a foot injury. He was in last place with +9 through 43 holes. He would’ve had to play 28 more holes on Sunday.
- During the par 3 contest on Wednesday Seamus Power hit back-to-back hole in ones!
Hockey:
- NHL Standings: The Bruins won 63 games which is the most in NHL history. No other team is over 50. The Bruins last Stanley Cup was in 2011Other teams that have clinched playoff berths: Hurricanes, Devils, Rangers, Maple Leafs and Lightning in the East. The Golden Knights, Oilers, Avalanche, Stars, Wild, Kings and Kraken in the West.
- Eliminated: (E) Senators, Red Wings, Capitals, Flyers, Canadiens, Blue Jackets, (W) Blues, Canucks, Coyotes, Sharks, Ducks and Blackhawks.
- The World’s Hockey Championships is currently under way. Canada is 3-0 and the US had the fastest goal ever in just 7 seconds against SUI. CAN and USA will play each other on Monday night to end group play.
Olympic Sports:
- RUS and BLR athletes will not be in attendance at swimming worlds. There will be a task force to decide which athletes can return as neutrals.
- You will not be able to bet on the Boston Marathon after gambling regulators denied bets to be placed at the request of the race organizers concerns.
- A World Cup fencing event in POL has been canceled. The International Fencing Federation initially allowed RUS and BLR athletes to compete but then over 300 fencers signed a protest for another World Cup event previously scheduled in GER. Another had already been canceled in FRA as well. POL is a strong ally of UKR and has already said that the European Games (multi sport competition) will not have RUS or BLR athletes.
What to watch this week
Baseball – MLB:
- Tues 4/11
- Padres at Mets @ 6:10pm on TBS
- Weathers vs Peterson
- Padres at Mets @ 6:10pm on TBS
- Sat 4/15
- Brewers at Padres @ 3:05pm on FS1
- Miley vs Lugo
- Brewers at Padres @ 3:05pm on FS1
- Sun 4/16
- Rangers at Astros @ 6pm on ESPN
- Heaney vs Valdez
- Rangers at Astros @ 6pm on ESPN
Baseball/Softball – NCAA:
- Mon 4/10
- Softball: 15. Kentucky vs Ole Miss @ 6pm on ESPNU
- Softball: Mississippi St vs 19. Texas A&M @ 6pm on SEC
- Baseball: Kansas vs West Virginia @ 8pm on ESPNU
- Tues 4/11
- Softball: 5. Tennessee vs 17. VTech @ 5pm on ESPNU
- Softball: 1. Oklahoma vs 11. LSU @ 6pm on ESPN2
- Baseball: 10. Kentucky vs 18. Louisville @ 6pm on ACC – POSTPONED!
- Wed 4/12
- Softball: 1. Oklahoma vs 11. LSU @ 4:30pm on ESPNU
- Softball: East Carolina vs 13. Duke @ 6pm on ACC
- Softball: 5. Tennessee vs 17. VTech @ 6:30pm on ESPNU
- Thurs 4/13
- Softball: East Carolina vs 13. Duke @ 2pm on ESPNU
- Baseball: 20. Miami vs 13. UNC @ 6pm on ACC
- Baseball: 10. Kentucky vs 1. LSU @ 6pm on SEC
- Fri 4/14
- Softball: 11. LSU vs 23. Auburn @ 5pm on SEC
- Baseball: 20. Miami vs 13. UNC @ 5pm on ESPNU
- Baseball: 11. Tennessee vs 5. Arkansas @ 7pm on SEC
- Sat 4/15
- Softball: 20. Northwestern vs Wisconsin @ 11am on ESPN2
- Softball: 13. Duke vs Boston College @ 11am on ACC
- Softball: 14. Alabama vs Mississippi St @ 1pm on SEC
- Softball: 5. Tennessee vs 15. Kentucky @ 1pm on ESPN2
- Softball: 11. LSU vs 23. Auburn @ 3pm on ESPN2
- Softball: 4. Clemson vs NC St @ 3pm on ACC
- Baseball: Georgia vs 3. Florida @ 6pm on SEC
- Sun 4/16
- Baseball: Georgia vs 3. Florida @ 10pm on ESPNU
Basketball – NBA:
- Tues 4/11
- Play-in: Hawks at Heat @ 6:30pm on TNT
- Play-in: Timberwolves at Lakers @ 9pm on TNT
- Wed 4/12
- Play-in: Bulls vs Raptors @ 6pm on ESPN
- Play-in: Thunder at Pelicans @ 8:30pm on ESPN
- Thurs 4/13 – OFF
- Fri 4/14
- Play-in: TBD vs TBD @ TBD on TNT
- Play-in: TBD vs TBD @ TBD on ESPN
- Sat 4/15 – 1st round begins
- E – Game 1: Nets at 76ers @ 12pm on ESPN
- E – Game 1: TBD at Celtics @ 2:30pm on ESPN
- E – Game 1: Knicks at Cavaliers @ 5pm on ESPN
- W – Game 1: Warriors at Kings @ 7:30pm on ABC
- Sun 4/16
- E – Game 1: TBD at Bucks @ TBD on TBD
- W – Game 1: TBD at Nuggets @ TBD on TBD
- W – Game 1: TBD at Grizzlies @ TBD on TBD
- W – Game 1: Clippers at Suns @ TBD on TBD
Football:
- Sat 4/15
- XFL: Vegas Vipers at Houston Roughnecks @ 11:30am on ABC
- USFL: Phili Stars vs Memphis Showboats @ 3:30pm on FOX
- XFL: Orlando Guardians vs San Antonio Bahamas @ 6pm on ESPN2
- USFL: NJ Generals vs Birmingham Stallions @ 6:30pm on FOX
- Sun 4/16
- XFL: Arlington Renegades at DC Defenders @ 11am on ESPN
- USFL: Michigan Panthers vs Houston Gamblers @ 11am on NBC
- XFL: Seattle Sea Dragons at St. Louis Battlehawks @ 2pm on ESPN
- USFL: Pittsburgh Maulers vs NOLA Breakers @ 5:30pm on FS1
Golf:
- Thurs 4/13
- RBC Heritage – Round 1 @ 2pm on Golf Channel
- Fri 4/14
- RBC Heritage – Round 2 @ 2pm on Golf Channel
- Sat 4/15
- RBC Heritage – Round 3
- @ 11am on Golf Channel
- @ 2pm on CBS
- RBC Heritage – Round 3
- Sun 4/16
- RBC Heritage – Final Round
- @ 11am on Golf Channel
- @ 2pm on CBS
- RBC Heritage – Final Round
Hockey:
- Mon 4/10
- Maple Leafs at Panthers @ 6pm on hulu
- Wild at Blackhawks @ 8:30pm on ESPN
- Tues 4/11
- Maple Leafs at Lightning @ 6pm on ESPN
- Oilers at Avalanche @ 8:30pm on ESPN
- Wed 4/12
- Stars at Blues @ 6:30pm on TNT
- Sharks at Flames @ 9pm on TNT
- Thurs 4/13
- Blues at Stars @ 7pm on ESPN
- Golden Knights at Kraken @ 9:30pm on ESPN
Olympic Sports:
- Thurs 4/13
- Gymnastics: NCAA Women’s Championships – Afternoon Session @ 2pm on ESPN2
- Florida, Cal, LSU and Denver
- Gymnastics: NCAA Women’s Championships – Evening Session @ 8pm on ESPN2
- UCLA, Oklahoma, Utah and Kentucky
- Gymnastics: NCAA Women’s Championships – Afternoon Session @ 2pm on ESPN2
- Sat 4/15
- Gymnastics: NCAA Women’s Championships @ 3pm on ABC
- Replay: Sunday 4/16 @ 8pm on ESPNU
- Gymnastics: NCAA Women’s Championships @ 3pm on ABC
Soccer:
- Tues 4/11
- Women’s International Friendly: USA vs IRE @ 6:30pm on HBO Max
- CONCACAF: Violette vs Leon @ 7pm on FS1
- CONCACAF: LA FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps @ 9pm on FS1
- Wed 4/12
- CONCACAF: Atlas vs Phili Union @ 9pm on FS1
- Thurs 4/13
- CONCACAF: Tigres UANL vs Motagua @ 9pm on FS1
- Sat 4/15
- Premier League: Aston Villa vs NewcastleU @ 6:30am on USA
- Premier League: Tottenham vs Bournemouth @ 9am on USA
- Premier League: Teams TBA @ 11:30am on NBC
- Sun 4/16
- Premier League: West Ham vs Arsenal @ 8am on USA
- Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs ManU @ 10:30am on USA
