Weekly Update – Week of July 1st, 2019

Baseball – MLB: All Star Athletes named. Yankees HR record setting June. Mets 2 alums still alive.

Baseball-NCAA: Vanderbilt wins NCAA title after losing the first game.

Basketball: All the trades! Durant, Irving, Curry (seth), Jordan, Bulter and more

Football: Maryland accreditation warning. Trump to allow military academies to go straight to pro. Michigan moved up 7 spots in recruiting class. Goodwin wins 40yrd of Gold. KC host losses job over coach comments.

Golf: Nate Lashley wins Rocket Mortgage. Stricker wins US Senior Open.

Olympic Sports: Breakdancing and women’s 50km race walk to be added as Olympic events. Russia wins medal count European games. USA Cycling national championship results. Kipchoge attempts sub-2 hour marathon.

Soccer: England vs USA tomorrow. Final on Sunday! Can the US repeat?

Tennis: Wimbledon starts today!

Baseball – MLB:

• 3 Dodger pitchers have been named to the All-Star team: Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler and Hyun-Jin Ryu (predicted to start). Along with their outfielder teammate Cody Bellinger, the Dodgers will send 4 to the game. The Astros have the most of any team with 6 players selected.
  • For the full roster
  • All-Star game is scheduled for 7/9 @ 6:30pm on Fox
• The Yankees reset their HR record after hitting 1,142 HRs in June, 7 more than their May record. 5 of the top 6 HR months have been scored in the last 3 years.
• Gone too soon? The Mets had 2 living alums in their ‘We remember’ video montage of dead players during their 50^th anniversary celebration. They apologized and just for the record Jim Gosger and Hesse Hudson are still alive and well!
• A fan tried to catch a foul ball and interfered costing the Cubs an out with 2 runners on base. The Cubs coach said that that play cost them the game that they lost 8-6. This final loss of the month along with 14 others contributed to June being the Cub’s first overall losing month since May 2017.
• Update: Big Papi shooting was a $30k hit gone wrong after a drug trafficker ordered the hit of someone else who the shooter mistook as David Ortiz. So far 14 people have been arrested.

Baseball/Softball – NCAA:

• Vanderbilt won the College World Series over Michigan in 3 games for its 2^nd title in 5 years. The key to their success was strong pitching with 14 strikeouts after the first game loss.

Basketball:

• Get ready for some major wardrobe changes because there have been some major trades and pickups in the last week:
  • Kevin Durant will no longer wear a Warriors jersey, he will be in Brooklyn. The Nets paid $164MM for a 4 year contract with Durant who cannot even play during the 2020 season. Contracts are still pending final approval but this looks to be just minor details to sort out.
  • That’s not all he Nets picked up, Brooklyn wants to be in the mix for the title adding Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan to their roster. Irving signed a 4 year deal for $141MM and Jordan will get $40MM for 4 years. Do I smell a new dream team?
  • The Warriors are closing in on a deal for G D’Angelo Russell for ~ 4 year deal for $117MM
  • Seth Curry (don’t read that wrong its Steph’s brother) signed a 4 year deal with the Mavericks for $32MM. Welcome back to Dallas Seth!
  • Bulls have picked up G Tomas Satoranksy with a 3 year $30MM deal
  • Heat signed a trade and deal with the 76ers to acquire Jimmy Butler I exchange for G Josh Richardson
  • Trail Blazers have traded for C Hassan Whiteside

Football:

• Maryland has officially been warned that they might lose their accreditation and has until 3/1/20 to prove otherwise. This investigation was brought on by the Board of Regents overstepping their authority to make personnel decisions regarding former coach Durkin and university president after the death of an OL back in May.
• President Trump signed a memo ordering the Pentagon to develop a new policy allowing athletes from military academies to be able to play pro sports immediately after graduating. This would let those student athletes defer their military service which previously stated that graduates had to serve 2 years of activity duty before going pro.
• Michigan has added 7^th commit in 4 days taking the Wolverines from #17 recruiting class to #10. Positions added: Safety, 2 WR, DE, 2 OL and athlete (multiple positions).
• 49ers WR Marquise Goodwin won $1MM after taking the 40 yrd of Gold title which goes to the fastest 40 yrd dash. He won by .05 seconds over Panthers QB Donte Jackson. Don’t be too surprised, Goodwin was a track athlete at UT as well as an Olympic long jumper in the London 2012 games.
• Kansas City radio host Kevin Kietzman lost his job after he made comments about KC Chiefs coach Andy Reid. His comments were about how he is not good at fixing people, family or players. Many people thought this was in reference to the fact that Reid’s son died from a heroin overdose at the age of 29 back in 2012.

Golf:

• Nate Lashley won the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday in Detroit with a score of 25 under par to win by 6 shots.
  • You might recognize his name from a while ago because in 2004 at the NCAA regional round, Lashley’s parents and girlfriend all perished in a plane crash after watching him play.
  • Cute fact about this first time winner, his wife’s name is Ashley and that makes her Ashley Lashley!
• Steve Stricker won the US Senior Open on Sunday finishing with a score of -19, breaking the US Senior Open record by 3 shots. This is Stricker’s 2^nd major title on the Champions tour this year.

Olympic Sports:

• Paris 2024 has moved to add break dancing, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to the Olympic agenda. The last 3 will make their debut in Tokyo. Break dancing has been temporarily accepted. The Buenos Aires Youth Summer Games featured break dancing for the first time. A final decision will be made in December of 2020.
• The European Games have concluded and Russia was the top medal contender with 44 golds (mostly in gymnastics and wrestling). Hots nation Belarus got 2^nd and Ukraine finished 3^rd.
• It was Pride weekend lets add a gender equality story – The Court of Arbitration for Sport will hear an appeal by Ines Henriques (POR race walker) to get the women’s 50km race walk added to the Tokyo 2020 games. The men already have this distance on their athletics’ program. The IAAF has previously said that the 50km race walk does not have the depth or quality to compete at the Olympic level. The court will rule in late July.
• USA Cycling had their national championships this weekend.
  • Alex Howes won his first USA cycling national championship title after taking the lead on the final climb. Ruth Winder won her race by attacking her way to the lead with 6 miles to go after a previous 73 mile race.
  • Travis McCabe and Emma White walked about with the sprint titles with a similar story to the road races. McCabe won his title in a close battle while White held onto a gap and won comfortably, especially after a late crash took out the defending champion, Ganzar.
• Update on an older story: Kipchoge will attempt the sub-2 hour marathon in Vienna on 10/12. If the weather does not cooperate, the organizers have booked the Vienna park for 8 additional days. Remember he has already run a 2:00:25 marathon although that does not count as the WR due to pacers entering mid race and water being given to Kipchoge by mopeds.

Soccer:

• Team USA plays England tomorrow in the Semifinals @ 2pm
  • 3 players in this game are in the hunt for the most goals in the tournament. All are currently tied at 5: USA’s Rapinoe and Morgan. ENG’s White.
  • The USA defeated France 2-1 in Friday’s quarterfinal match that felt more like a final than the quarterfinal. Rapinoe scored early (5’) and the USA never looked back scoring another goal at 65’. France did score with 9 minutes to go in regulation and proceeded to keep the ball on the US’s side of the field but to no avail.
• The second Semifinal will be played on Wednesday between the Netherlands vs Sweden @ 2pm
  • Winners play in the Final on Sunday
  • Losers play for 3^rd on Saturday

Tennis:

• The Wimbledon starts today. Who should you keep your eyes on?
  • Women’s side: Serena Williams (of course – although there is some speculation about her chances to claim another grand slam title. A win here would put her tied with Margaret Court for the most grand slam titles ever at 24), Barty (World #1 and on a hot streak), Kerber (although a former champion has yet to claim a title all year), Petra Kvitova (if playing without injury could be in the hunt of the title)
  • Men’s side: Djokovic (World #1), Federer (seeded #2), Nadal (seeded at #3 – although this is not their world rankings because the Wimbledon seeds their players by a formula which favors performances on grass), Tsitsipas (seemed to be the dark horse for the title)
  • Total there will be as many as 15 grand slam singles champions in the mix

What to Watch This Week:

Baseball – MLB:

• Mon 7/1 – Cubs at Pirates @ 6pm on ESPN
  • Alzolay vs Williams
• Wed 7/3 – Yankees at Mets @ 6pm on ESPN
  • German vs Vargas
• Thurs 7/4
  • Cubs at Pirates @ 3pm on ESPN
    • Quintana vs Lyles
  • Phillies at Braves @ 6pm on ESPN
    • Velasquez vs Soroka
• Sat 7/6
  • 3 games @ 6:15pm on FOX depending on location
    • Angels at Astros
    • Cubs at White Sox
    • Phillies at Mets
  • Rockies at Diamondbacks @ 9:10pm on FS1
• Sun 7/7 – Yankees at Rays @ 12pm on TBS

Golf:

• Thurs 7/4 – 3M Open – Round 1
  • 1pm – 5pm on Golf Channel
• Fri 7/5 – 3M Open – Round 2
  • 1pm – 5pm on Golf Channel
• Sat 7/6 – 3M Open – Round 3
  • 12pm – 1:45pm on Golf Channel
  • 2pm – 5pm on CBS
• Sun 7/7 – 3M Open – Round 4
  • 12pm – 1:45pm on Golf Channel
  • 2pm – 5pm on CBS

Olympic Sports:

• Mon 7/1 – Beach Volleyball @ 12pm on NBCSN
• Tues 7/2 – Beach Volleyball @ 12pm on NBCSN
• Fri 7/5
  • Beach Volleyball @ 12am on NBCSN
  • Tour de France: Stage 1 @ 6:30am on NBCSN
    • Replay @ 11:30am on NBCSN
  • Beach Volleyball @ 10pm on NBCSN
• Sat 7/6
  • Tour de France: Stage 2 @ 8:30am on NBCSN
    • Replay @ 8pm on NBCSN
  • Beach Volleyball @ 1pm on NBCSN
  • FIVB Volleyball Women’s National League@ 6pm on NBCSN
• Sun 7/7
  • Tour de France: Stage 3 @ 6:30am on NBCSN
    • Replay @ 8pm on NBCSN
  • Archery World Cup: Recurve Finals @ 2pm on NBCSN

Soccer:

• Tues 7/2
  • FIFA Women’s World Cup: ENG vs USA @ 2pm on Fox
  • CONCACAF: Haiti vs Mexico @ 9pm on Fox
• Wed 7/3
  • FIFA Women’s World Cup: NED vs SWE @ 2pm on Fox
  • CONCACAF: Jamaica vs USA @ 8:30pm on FS1
• Sat 7/6 – FIFA Women’s World Cup: Loser of Semi 1 and Loser of Semi 2 @ 10am on Fox
• Sun 7/7
  • FIFA Women’s World Cup: Semi Winner 1 vs Semi Winner 2 @ 10am
  • CONCACAF: Semi 1 Winner vs Semi 2 Winner @ 8pm on Fox

Tennis: (ESPN channels are hosting the Wimbledon –TBD when and what specific ESPN channel)

• Mon 7/1
  • Women 1^st round: USA V. Williams vs USA Gauff @ 11:30am
• Tues 7/2
  • Women 1^st round: USA Stephens vs SUI Bacsinszky @ 5am
  • Women 1^st round: AUS Barty vs CHN Zheng @ 7am
  • Women 1^st round: GER Maria vs GER Kerber @ 7am
  • Men 1^st round: SUI Federer vs RSA Harris @ 9am
  • Men 1^st round: JPN Sugita vs ESP Nadal @ 11am
  • Women 1^st round: USA S. Williams vs ITA Gatto-Monticone
• Wed 7/3
  • Women 2^nd round: USA Keys vs SLO Hercog
  • Men 2^nd round: SRB Djokovic vs USA Kudia @ 9am
• Thurs 7/4 – Women & Men 2^nd round
• Fri 7/5 – Women & Men 3^rd round
• Sat 7/6 – Women & Men 3^rd round
• Mon 7/8 – 4^th round