Baseball: First week of play. Akil Baddoo kills his first at-bat. Astros make a statement. Red Sox want a mulligan. Rangers back at 100% capacity. Gehrig bat sells.
Basketball-NBA: Bucks extend Holiday. 76ers have Embiid back. Warriors lost 7 of 8.
Basketball-NCAA: NCAAM Gonzaga vs Baylor tonight! NCAAW Stanford Champs.
Football: Brady rookie card. Hurts #1 once again. Anti-Asian slur tweet by Davis. Clemson QB.
Golf: Masters week! Spieth back in winners circle at Valero. Women’s Amateur at Augusta.
Olympic Sports: USA Wrestling team is set. NCAA Gymnastics set. Ikee makes Tokyo Games after leukemia. Walker passes away. World University Games postponed.
Baseball:
- The first week of baseball went well!
- The Nationals will open their season on Tuesday vs the Braves after having that game postponed due to 4 National players testing positive for COVID.
- It’s particularly going well for Tigers’ CF Akil Baddoo, who his a HR on his first ever major league at-bat. It was in the game against Indians’ P Aaron Civale. The Tigers went on to win 7-4.
- The Houston Astros also came out swinging, sweeping the A’s despite plenty of boos and banging trash can lids. The team won all 4 of their games in high scoring fashion: 8-1, 9-5, 9-1, 9-2. The A’s went 7-3 against Houston last season so this is a nice change of pace from last year.
- The Phillies also swept the Braves in 3 games mostly due to P Zack Wheeler who only allowed 1 hit in 7 innings and 10 Ks.
- #NBD but Shohei Ohtani has thrown the fastest pitch of the season so far (100.6mph) and has the hardest hit HR (115.2mph)…
- The Red Sox would like to start their season over as they lost the first 3 games in Fenway Park, which has only happened 1 other time in franchise history. The team was swept by the Orioles, who ended Sunday’s game 11-3. The other time Fenway went 0-3 to start the season was back in 1948. Keep in mind that Boston was 24-36 last year, which was their worst win percentage since 1965. Doesn’t look like this will be their turnaround year.
- There is also a new ball being used… something to keep your eye on as we go through the season. The new ball is said to travel shorter.
- The Rangers are playing their first home game of the season and their first home game in their new stadium. But that’s not all, this is also the first sporting event back to 100% capacity since March of last year!
- Gov Greg Abbott was going to throw out the first pitch at the Rangers game today but has now backed out in protest to the MLB moving their All-Star Game from Atlanta following the new voting restrictions passed in GA.
- Lou Gehrig, best known for bringing attention to the disease which was named after him, had one of his final bats sold in an online auction this weekend. The bat went for $715,120. The OG Yankee Stadium home plate was also sold during the auction for $303,277.
Basketball-NBA:
- The Bucks have signed a 4-year extension to G Jrue Holiday for $135MM and keeps him in Milwaukee until 2025.
- The 76ers finally have C Joel Embiid back on the court and it showed! After missing 10 games with a leg injury, Embiid returned on Saturday for their game vs the Timberwolves and won 122-113. The 76ers went 7-3 without Embiid but after their win against MN, they are tied once again for the top spot in the East with the Nets.
- The Warriors have lost 7 of their last 8 games. G Steph Curry has voiced his frustration and still dropped 37 points in the game against the Hawks. The team is 1 win out of the Western conference top 8.
- Playoffs will start on 5/22. So here are the NBA Standings so far.
- East: 76ers, Nets, Bucks (34, 34, 32 Ws)
- Last in: Celtics (3 Ws over Pacers)
- West: Jazz, Suns, Clippers (38, 34, 33 Ws)
- Last in: Grizzlies (0 Ws over Spurs)
- East: 76ers, Nets, Bucks (34, 34, 32 Ws)
Basketball – NCAAM:
- March Madness: Championship game is tonight! Baylor vs Gonzaga. Both teams have never won the whole thing so we will have a first-time winner on our hands! If Gonzaga wins, it would be the 7th undefeated team to win it all (although UCLA is responsible for 4 of those).
- Baylor blew out #2 Houston on Saturday 78-59 and it started early going into halftime 45-20.
- The story could not be more different for #11 UCLA vs #1 Gonzaga. UCLA tied the game back up at 90 with 3.3 seconds to go in OT before Suggs dropped a literal buzzer beater from just in front of the half court line. The undefeated Gonzaga team avoided heartbreak and has made it to the final. If you haven’t seen the end of the game you need to watch this video.
- In the Women’s tournament: The Stanford Cardinals beat the Arizona Wildcats 54-53 for the championship last night. Haley Jones was named MVP of the game. It came down to the final seconds in what was an awesome game to round out a complicated year. Stanford last won the natty in 1992, which was before all the players on the field were born.
- The NCAA has not tested for drugs at the championships since the pandemic started. Drug tests are still being administered at schools but not on the scale of at championships yet.
Football:
- Tom Brady is once again breaking records but this time its for his rookie card. His 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Ticket card sold for a record breaking $2.25MM, after it sold originally in March for $1.32MM. That card was signed by the QB legend and was only 1 of 100 produced.
- Jalen Hurts will return to his Oklahoma roots but this time in Phili. Hurts will go back to wearing the #1 on his jersey after it became available when punter Cam Johnson left the team. He wore #2 last season along with his high school and Alabama years. He wore #1 at Oklahoma and will now wear it again.
- Bucs CB Carlton Davis used an anti-Asian slur in a tweet (good luck finding it now – it has since been deleted). He claims he thought the G word meant lame and apologized in another tweet.
- In the Clemson Spring game, we got a glimpse of the future for the QB position in the absence of most likely #1 draft pick, Trevor Lawrence. DJ Uiagalelei looks like the favorite to take the job.
Golf:
- It’s Masters Week!
- Jordan Spieth, a crowd favorites especially in his home state of Texas, has ended his 4 year winless drought at the Valero Texas Open. He won by 2 strokes for his 12th PGA Tour title but his first in 82 events and 1,351 days. This had to feel like an eternity for him after Spieth won 10 tournaments in 2.5 years including 3 majors. Jordan had been knocking on the door over the last couple of weeks with 5 top 10s in his last 7 tournaments. The only major Jordan is missing to complete the career slam is the PGA Championship, which will be competed in May.
- The Women’s Amateur played at August this past weekend and it ended in a playoff between Tsubasa (Sue-Bah-sa) Kajitani and Emilia Migliaccio who both finished with a +1 score. The playoff only lasted on hole, where Kajitani won at the age of 17.
Olympic Sports:
- The US Olympic Wrestling team is set after Olympic trials this weekend. J’den Cox, one of the favorites and 2x World Champion and Olympic Bronze medalist, failed at weigh-in which means he is out! Another surprise was Kyle Dake swept 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs. Burroughs has been on every US team for worlds or Olympics since 2011. Kyle Snyder will get a chance to defend his 2016 Olympic gold in the 97kilo freestyle. Helen Maroulis will also try to win her second gold in the Olympics at 57kilos. As you can see from the picyure, Gable Steveson also qualified for Tokyo, which will be his first Olympics, competing in the 125kilo class. Let’s meet the team.
- The NCAA teams are set for gymnastics, which will take place April 16-17 in DFW. The teams to qualify are: Oklahoma (most points), Michigan, Utah, Cal, LSU, Florida, Alabama and Minnesota.
- Rikako Ikee, a Japanese butterfly swimmer, has qualified for her home Olympics just 2 years after she was diagnosed with leukemia. Her 57.77 was good enough in the 100m fly to get her onto the medley relay. Ikee finished 6th in Rio and was focused on the 2024 Paris games for her return but now she doesn’t have to wait that long. Congrats to Ikee!
- 1948 Olympic swimmer for the US, Clara Lamore Walker passed away from natural causes at the age of 94 this week. She competed in the 200m breaststroke at the London 1948 games. She also competed in swimming competitively at the age of 50 when she broke the 50yrd breaststroke record for the age group.
- NCAA Women’s Volleyball tournament begins 4/14 and the Wisconsin Badgers are the #1 seed. The Badgers were runners up 3xs in the last 20 years, have never won and are currently undefeated. The tournament will be played in Omaha in a COVID bubble. The other top 4 seeds are: Kentucky, Minnesota and Texas. Stanford, who won the last 3 years, missed the tournament for the first time since the tournament began in 1981. That makes Penn St as the only team to make every single tournament since its inception. The Final Four will play 4/22-24 on ESPN2.
- The World University Games were set to take place in just under 6 months in China has now been postponed until 2022, obviously due to COVID restrictions and travel issues. China has a big 2022 planned with the Beijing Olympic Games and the Asian Games and now this event. The University Games will host 8,000 athletes in multiple sports.
What to watch this week
Baseball-MLB:
- Mon 4/5
- Twins at Tigers @ 12:10pm on ESPN
- Showmaker vs Urena
- Royals at Reds @ 3:10pm on ESPN
- Duffy vs Allen
- Rays at Red Sox @ 6:10pm on ESPN
- Wacha vs Pivetta
- White Sox at Mariners @ 9:10pm on ESPN
- Rodon vs Sheffield
- Twins at Tigers @ 12:10pm on ESPN
- Tues 4/6
- Mets at Phillies @ 6:05pm on ESPN
- Stroman vs Anderson
- Mets at Phillies @ 6:05pm on ESPN
- Sun 4/11
- Phillies at Braves @ 6:08pm on ESPN
- Moore vs Smyly
- Phillies at Braves @ 6:08pm on ESPN
Baseball/Softball–NCAA: (ranked vs ranked only)
- Mon 4/5
- NCAA Baseball: 13. Notre Dame vs 24. Pitt @ 12pm
- NCAA Softball: 7. Kentucky at 18. Tennessee @ 1pm on ESPNU
- NCAA Softball: 5. Florida at 23. Georgia @ 6pm on SEC
- Tues 4/6
- NCAA Softball: Florida at 23. Georgia @ 12pm on SEC
- Fri 4/9
- NCAA Baseball: 18. Miami vs 24. Pitt @ 2pm on ACCX
- NCAA Baseball: 15. Georgia Tech at 13. Notre Dame @ 4pm
- NCAA Baseball: 17. Florida St at 7. Louisville @ 5pm on ACCX
- NCAA Softball: 14. Duke at 10. Florida St @ 5pm on ESPNU
- NCAA Baseball: 12. Florida at 6. Tennessee @ 5:30pm on SEC+
- NCAA Softball: 25. Auburn at 24. Texas A&M @ 6pm on SEC+
- NCAA Baseball: 2. Arkansas at 3. Ole Miss @ 6pm on SEC
- NCAA Baseball: 10. TCU at 8. Texas Tech @ 6:30pm on ESPN+
- NCAA Softball: 15. LSU at 20. Mizzou @ 6:30pm on SEC+
- NCAA Baseball: 20. Oregon St at 19. Oregon @ 9pm
- Sat 4/10
- NCAA Softball: 4. Alabama at 11. Arkansas @ 11am on ESPN2
- NCAA Baseball: 17. Florida St at 7. Louisville @ 12pm on ACCX
- NCAA Baseball: 15. Georgia Tech at 13. Notre Dame @ 1pm
- NCAA Softball: 14. Duke at 10. Florida St @ 1pm on ESPN2
- NCAA Softball: 15. LSU at 20. Mizzou @ 2pm on SEC+
- NCAA Baseball: 18. Miami at 24. Pitt @ 2pm on ACCX
- NCAA Baseball: 10. TCU at 8. Texas Tech @ 2pm on ESPN+
- NCAA Softball: 23. Georgia at 7. Kentucky @ 3pm on SEC+
- NCAA Softball: 2. UCLA vs 3. Oregon @ 3pm on ESPN2
- NCAA Softball: 25. Auburn at 24. Texas A&M @ 4pm on SEC
- NCAA Baseball: 2. Arkansas at 3. Ole Miss @ 5pm on SEC+
- NCAA Baseball: 12. Florida at 6. Tennessee @ 6pm on SEC
- NCAA Baseball: 20. Oregon St at 19. Oregon @ 8:30pm
- Sun 4/11
- NCAA Baseball: 12. Florida at 6. Tennessee @ 12pm on SEC+
- NCAA Baseball: 18. Miami at 24. Pitt @ 12pm on ACCX
- NCAA Baseball: 10. TCU at 8. Texas Tech @ 12pm on ESPN+
- NCAA Baseball: 15. Georgia Tech at 13. Notre Dame @ 12pm
- NCAA Softball: 15. LSU at 20. Mizzou @ 1pm on ESPNU
- NCAA Baseball: 2. Arkansas at 3. Ole Miss @ 1:30pm on SEC+
- NCAA Softball: 14. Duke at 10. Florida St @ 2pm on ACC
- NCAA Baseball: 17. Florida St at 7. Louisville @ 3pm on ESPNU
- NCAA Softball: 23. Georgia at 7. Kentucky @ 5pm on SEC
- NCAA Baseball: 20. Oregon St at 19 Oregon @ 6pm
- NCAA Softball: 4. Alabama at 11. Arkansas @ 11pm on ESPNU
Basketball-NBA:
- Tues 4/6
- 76ers at Celtics @ 6:30pm on TNT
- Bucks at Warriors @ 9pm on TNT
- Wed 4/7
- Pelicans at Nets @ 6:30pm on ESPN
- Jazz at Suns @ 9pm on ESPN
- Thurs 4/8
- Lakers at Heat @ 6:30pm on TNT
- Suns at Clippers @ 9pm on TNT
- Sat 4/10
- Lakers at Nets @ 7:30pm on ABC
- All other games are on NBATV
Basketball – NCAA: (rankings correspond to their seed now)
- Mon 4/5 – NCAAM Championship Game
- Baylor vs 1. Gonzaga @ 8:20pm on CBS
Golf:
- Thurs 4/8
- Masters – Round 1 @ 2pm on ESPN
- Replay @ 7pm
- Masters – Round 1 @ 2pm on ESPN
- Fri 4/9
- Masters – Round 2 @ 2pm on ESPN
- Replay @ 7pm
- Masters – Round 2 @ 2pm on ESPN
- Sat 4/10
- Masters – Round 3
- @ 2pm on CBS
- Masters – Round 3
- Sun 4/11
- Masters – Round 4
- @ 1pm on CBS
- Masters – Round 4
Hockey:
- Tues 4/6
- Penguins at Rangers @ 6pm on NBCSN
- Wed 4/7
- Oilers at Senators @ 4pm on NBCSN
- Canadiens at Maple Leafs @ 6:30pm on NBCSN
- Thurs 4/8
- NCAA Frozen Four: St. Cloud St vs Minnesota St @ 4pm on ESPN2
- NCAA Frozen Four: UMass vs Minnesota Duluth @ 8pm on ESPN2
- Sat 4/10
- NCAA Championship @ 6pm on ESPN
Olympic Sports:
- Mon 4/5
- Curling: World Championships: USA vs CAN @ 10am on NBCSN
- Tues 4/6
- Swimming & Diving: NCAA Women’s Championships @ 6pm on ESPNU
- Sat 4/10
- Swimming: TYR Pro Swim Series – Day 2 @ 7pm on NBCSN
- Sun 4/11
- Curling: World Championship Finals – Teams TBA @ 5pm on NBCSN
- Swimming: TYR Pro Series – Day 3 @ 9pm on NBCSN
Soccer:
- Fri 4/9
- NCAAW: LSU vs Texas @ 7pm on SEC
- Sat 4/10
- Premier League: Teams TBA @ 9am on NBCSN
- NCAAW: South Carolina vs Clemson @ 5pm on SEC
- Sun 4/11
- Italian Serie A: Fiorentina vs Atalanta @ 1:45pm on ABC
