Don't forget Kobe though. I would say Kobe was the best player after Jordan during the 2000s. Then LeBron from 2010-2020. Now, I guess you would say Jokic, though I think Giannis is right there too.

Curry is out of this world when it comes to assists and scoring, but I agree that LJ has been the best overall player since Jordan.

The Cavaliers deserve much credit for such a great start.

Boston had their number. 3. The Celtics won 120 -117.
Still ... what a fantastic start!

You must have missed the part of his career when he went to 8 straight Finals with two different teams. During THAT era he was the best player on the planet. KG and Duncan were like 7-8 years older than him. Different eras. And Curry was never a better player than LeBron. Better shooter of course. Better scorer some years. Not a better overall player. Not a better defender. Not even a better passer.

james was not the top player of his era. duncan ,,curry or garnett were way better,

Yes LJ was a one man team. He always had to goad them to depend less on him.
The FO did their homework.
I don't know how I missed it but they played Charlotte on Sunday.
They are now tied with the 1948-1949 Washington Capitols and the 1993-1994 Houston Rockets.

Hope they break the record. The accomplishment is remarkable without LeBron on their team.

Tied with the 1957 - 1958 Boston Celtics and the 2002 - 2003 Dallas Mavericks, only three other NBA teams have ever begun their season better than this.
Our next game is with the Celtics.

Possibly. But I think Buffalo fans are praying it's some other team they face in the conf championship.

AFC Finals preview?

What a game. What a TD run by Allen.

Probably nobody thought the Cavs would ever be this good again without LeBron. Kudos to their front office.

After a 105 - 100 victory over the Brooklyn Nets the Cleveland Cavaliers are 11 - 0.
Down by 15 points at one time (maybe more .. I took a bath) the Cavs rallied with a 35 -18 point 4th quarter.

All I have to say about the game is

Embarrassing beyond belief

Told ya'!

Boooo....

I predict a Dodger victory in game 5.

Winning after a 3-0 deficit has happened in other sports but never in a WS (as far as I remember).

I think Anthony Volpe had a better game tonight

Freddy Freeman homers again to start game 4. Has anyone ever had a better first 4 games than he has?

What happened to Robyn? It seems like he's not active on the site anymore. He even quit the chess ladder which was his empire. But a Yankees-Dodgers WS was his dream. Not with this outcome, but just to see them both in a WS again.

KC is indeed hot!

This board has been as quiet as the Yankee bats! A comeback now would be historic.

Nice post! Ravens have been weirdly inconsistent. They either run teams over or they can't get out of their own way. I have no reason so far to believe that anyone in the AFC will stop the Chiefs from going to the SB for a threepeat.

But the next best Cleveland team after the Guardians are the Cavs. They're going to be good all year. Should be Top 4 seed. Playing the Knicks tomorrow.

I was tuned into a local AM station who was broadcasting the Bengals - Eagles game. I decided I wanted to hear a game of an Ohio team with a possibility for a win.
With this game tied at half time I tuned into the Browns' game.
Browns vs Ravens. We'll be getting our butts kicked.
Hmm... We're not doing bad. I think I'll stay here.
We lost the voice of the Browns Jim Donovan yesterday to leukemia.
Trailing 6 - 10. The Browns seem to be playing like a football team today. How nice.
We're ahead???!!! No way!!!
We lose JOK and Denzel Ward in the third. This isn't good...
The game goes back and forth. Browns are still playing like a football team.
23 - 24 Ravens. 1:04 left. Browns a few yards past mid field. A bomb to Tillman
Touchdown! Browns 29-24! Two point attempt fails.
I knew the announcer was emotional when he announced that the Ravens were taking a 30 yard time out.
The Ravens with the ball and 29 seconds left. They drive down the field.
Emotions high! Announcer is choking. I'm bawling... Last play with 3 seconds left.
Ravens 4th & 10 at the 29. Jackson avoids a sack, pumps and passes to the corner to ... nobody ...

BROWNS BEAT RAVENS!!! 29 - 24

Wow, they lost to the Pats? He's done. He's hit the wall. It happened to Favre in that season after he took the Vikings to the NFC championship game. But at least he did that much for them. Rodgers has done nothing for the Jets though I guess we'll never know about last year if he doesn't tear his Achilles.

At least New Yorkers love Mr.Rodgers

I don't think there's anyone in NY that likes Aaron Boone very much right now. But how someone like Judge can put up a season for the ages and then looks like he couldn't hit a watermelon with a snow shovel is beyond me.

Are you a former Buckeye?

that's what i've been talking about!

In the 135th edition of one of the oldest high school football rivalry the Massillon Washington Tigers beat the Canton McKinley Bulldogs by a score of 16 - 7. This win ties the 9 game win streak from the 1957 - 1965 seasons.

Walk off Grand Slam in the tenth! Yankee fans crushed.

Yankees in 7 would force them to have to win the deciding game at Dodgers stadium. I don't see that happening. Either Yankees win in 6 or Dodgers win in 7. My heart says Yankees but my gut says Dodgers. This Yankees - Dodgers matchup is closer to the battles they had in the 1950s when both teams were loaded with power hitters. I give the Dodgers the edge here though in overall pitching and lineup depth. And Dave Roberts I think is the better and wiser manager. But the Yankees have the more potent and dangerous sluggers so there's almost no margin for error as Cleveland found out.

ohtani 4 judge 2

After many years, this is the match up the TV networks (and Robyn) have wanted. Who prevails? I pick NY in 7. Other predictions?

And we sure aren't lacking in that bullpen.

The NYer in me would love that but the baseball fan in me wants the most storied, famous rivalry in baseball history with the Dodgers. This would be a throwback to the 1950s when both teams were loaded with power hitters. Which was an all NY series in those days. The original Subway Series. But also it's not often you get the chance for the two biggest names in the game to meet for a championship and you'd get that with Judge and Ohtani.

Btw, I think Cleveland would have won yesterday if Vogt would have gone to the bullpen instead of leaving the starter in against Stanton. That's just basic Managing 101. Elimination game, you're up two runs, and your starter is facing the hottest hitter in the series for the third time in the game. You go to the bullpen. That's why they're there. Can't have that misplaced loyalty of oh well he got us here so I'm just going to ride him. Gotta manage with your brain, not your heart. There's moments for the heart, but that wasn't it.

Yep the Guardians couldn't answer those 3 runs in the 10th.
Are you hoping for an all NY series?

AL champions for first time in 15 years. And they did it with the long ball, the Yankees way. Juan Soto was the difference maker all season like Reggie Jackson in 1977. The straw that stirs the drink. A soon to be straw worth many hundreds of millions of dollars.

76 years ago. The Bob Feller Era. They should have won again in '54 when they won like a 111 games but got swept in a massive upset by the Willie Mays Giants.

How many years since they won it all?

Beating the Detroit Tigers 7-3 with their outstanding bullpen the Guardians win the 3rd out of 5 and advance to the ALCS.

Ashton Jeanty

You want Deion Sanders' son? lol

After 3 weeks Andy is benched for Bryce Young who showed some inspiration but was still inconsistent. The Panthers defense is like a single sand bag against a cat 5 hurricane. I doubt we will win anymore games, thus getting the first draft pick which I hope they won't fumble again.

Ha! Belichick is coach-in-waiting for the Cowboys.
Sarcasm aside, it is surprising. The relationship between the two must have been quite bad. Someone will talk about it.

It's not like the season has been a train wreck. This was kinda surprising to me. Very rare for a team to fire a coach this early on unless they were 0-5.
And Saleh seemed like a pretty stable coach. Are they hoping to lure Belichik back to the organization? Now that would be funny.

Of course he did. One does not yell at late-careeer Rodgers, only politely suggestd he better read the field after an interception.

After only 5 games this season, he's gone. I wonder if a certain player had anything to do about that?

We're now farther south on the 14th floor. Should be fine here. Thanks.

Hey Golf, are you safe where you are? I know you're close to Orlando, but this thing coming in is a monster. Hope you are able to ride it out.

Is anybody else sick of the sight of flags this season?

Darnold also benefits from JJ, perhaps the best WR in the league right now.

I'm trying to figure out how we're living in a world where the Bengals with Joe Burrow are 1-4 and the Vikings with Sam Darnold are 5-0.
I think Minnesota just has a much, much better defense. The problem with Cincy isn't their offense, they can score. They just can't stop the other team from scoring. They have lost some heartbreakers and their schedule has been brutal.

I guess he read my complaint! Much better second half and a close win. Phew!

What kind of a stupid desperation pass by Love was that! I'm beginning to think they really made a mistake in his big contract.

HUSH YE!

How did they do against Alabama?

Wisconsin scored 52!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can I get any information about Saturdays baseball games, as I'm going to be getting the opportunity to see the first 2 games on Monday.

I'm going to be getting to see the Detroit Tigers @ Cleveland Guardians & the New York Mets @ Philadelphia Phillie, so any information will be most appreciated.

This Knicks team on paper is I think the most talented starting five since the '73 team, the last Knicks team to win a championship.
They are finally legit contenders again.

Darnold needed a better receiving group. Similar to Willis, traded from the lowly Titans for a 7th round pick, who led the Pack to 2 big wins. LaFleur was able to use his talents in a winning way including a rout of his former team. Vikes at GB should be a great game this week with Love probably returning.

Dalton is not even the biggest backup QB surprise of the season. That's how wacky this year is already. Who had Sam Darnold leading the Vikings to a 3-0 record?
But I think Dalton just officially made Bryce the biggest draft bust of all time. Everyone said oh they don't have the right team around Bryce. No, he's just too darn small to be an NFL QB. Maybe he should think about becoming a WR/CB instead.

What a day for the former Bengals QB! He single handedly turned the Panthers offense, which managed only 13 pts in 2 nightmarish games to start the season, into a scoring machine. I'm certainly not talking Super Bowl after just one game, but his performance was an amazing inspiration against the Raiders on the road. The next few weeks could tell the story. They play Andy's former team next Sunday in Charlotte. The Bengals are a very solid team despite a slow start and will be hungry. It was nice to see life, though, and it was a pleasant surprise from my perspective. Andy would not be first to be brought out of mothballs to turn a team around. Joe Flacco has done it. He is one who comes to mind. Bryce is injured, but I don't see him winning his job back if this trend continues. He just has not turned out to be an NFL caliber QB, and I don't see that happening.

What do I need to know before I watch the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers on Sunday?

Bryce Young is a massive bust and yet you can't blame Carolina because he was an absolute beast at 'Bama and everyone said he had everything to overcome his small stature. As it turns out, he doesn't.

I don't think Carolina has a professional football team this year. They might want to consider the USFL this summer. Bryce Young was a poor 1st round pick, but he doesn't have any supporting cast either. The so-called Owner is off the wall. I won't abandon them, but the future doesn't look bright right now.

Do you think that anyone can get past the Astros?

Great, if they can get past Houston (Astros).

I thought it was normally between the Astros, Braves and the Phillies?

Milwaukee Brewers are a sure thing

What are the chances of them being in the world series?

Yankees and Dodgers would be the dream matchup. Judge vs Ohtani.

Who are the main contenders for the world series then?

The Yankees are, not Boston.

I take it that neither of them are heading to the playoffs then?

lol that's the comment of the year

I know that.

How has this season been for these teams?

Am I right in thinking that we're coming up for the postseason, and will either of these teams be involved in the playoffs?

Both teams and cities love each other deeply

Can anyone tell me anything about the Red Sox and Yankees as I'm getting to see their game on Sunday.

Dallas a bit tougher opponent than Carolina too.

The Browns offensive line did not look good against Dallas, and it shows in the QB stats.

{ Image: i.postimg.cc/76TVkhmG/qbcompare.jpg }

No, it's between his tendons and ligaments that haven't torn yet and the 49ers lol

Yes. Flacco is almost 40 but is less of a has been than Watson.

Apparently the game tonight is between Aaron Rodgers and the 49ers.

Didn't the Browns have more success with Joe Flacco last year after Watson went out? I see the Colts have him now.

The Browns will have another losing season if they try to pretend that their quarter million dollar quarterback is not a has been.

And the Packers are in deep trouble!

Giants looked like the Montreal Canadiens in their uniforms.

My two impressions from Week 1 were 1) Tom Brady should never be allowed near a broadcast booth and 2) I have little to no confidence in the non-Kansas City AFC teams.

A third impression would probably be that the Giants will be drafting a QB high in the first round next spring.

As I watch the Steelers at Falcons (yes, really, that's what we're getting in LA), two questions come to mind: 1. Will color man, Greg Olsen EVER stop talking, and 2. Will the Steelers ever have a good starting QB?

Colorado is still a dumpster fire. Deion and his son are starting to look like Lavar and Lonzo Ball.

I don't even know. Deon's son?

Now that Caleb is in the NFL, who's the hot college QB du jour this year?

Irish lose home opener in shocker. Or was it?

Saquon showing why he wanted Giants to show him the money. But he fits so much better with Hurts and Philly's offense. And Philly has other weapons so the burden is not all on him like it was with the Giants.

Tonight's game between the Packers and Eagles will be seen on Peacock, only. Seriously. If the NFL is offered enough money, they'll show a game only on home movies.

Lamar had a monster game. But not the outcome I wanted.

By a toe.

Great Game!

My only hope, and the NFL season matters not in this regard, is that Taylor Swift is happy. Because frankly, NOTHING ELSE matters!

What do you have against Travis Kielce and Taylor Swift?

Most real fans likely agree

The only thing I want more than anything is for the Chiefs, Travis Kielce, and Taylor Swift to no how, no way be part of the next Super Bowl. I want it to be anyone else and any other team. I am literally rooting for every team in the AFC that is not Kansas City.

Returns tomorrow. FOOTBALL!!!!

Thump!!

Routine win for da Trojans.



Whew.

"You got Mossed!"

USC needs to drum up $20M in NIL money like "The OSU" and join the big time spenders.

Given the trajectory of Lincoln Riley's team, it may be another blowout loss for the Trojans. USC gave him everything and now...

Not much different than USC who play only 2 top tens and a bunch of others. Some of ND games are against teams that were good a few years ago and are now down. Let's revisit this after Nov 30th!

Well, the hype on Texas A&M looks to be just that. Hype. Irish win 23-13. But the real story for me is ND's schedule. Is that even legal? It may be the weakest schedule a ranked team has ever played.

If he hits over 60 again, he'll be in a class by himself. Babe Ruth never did it twice, though he was only off by one HR. I refuse to count McGwire or Sosa.

Judge twice and back to back (50,51), Soto (38) and Stanton (23) are shelling the hapless Rockies at the Stadium.

Yeah, and in so many games, outcome isn't determined until the very end so it's not as if everyone's stats are meaningless.

The only thing in baseball I could get behind is changing how pitchers' wins and losses are counted. Some wins they have nothing to do with (huge run support) and some losses are not their fault. I also don't think relief pitchers should ever be credited with a win simply because they were the pitcher of record when a winning run came in. Only pitchers who have thrown at least five innings and left the game with a quality start (3 runs or less) should ever get a win. And that's even if the score is tied or their team falls behind but then comes back. They don't deserve a no-decision. If they pitched good enough to win and the team does win, they should get the win. But on the other hand, if they're given a big lead of 5 runs or more while they're on the mound, then I wouldn't give them the win, that's a team win.

The Massillon Washington High School Tigers win this Nike Kickoff Classic in Beaverton, OR 35 - 20 over the NFL Acadamy (who has no mascot).

That would be a nightmare to maintain. It could also make bad players look better if they performed well in a few wins but otherwise were terrible.

I had no idea that it existed.
They are now trailing the Massillon Washington High School Tigers 35-20 in the 4th.

What would the point of that be? Win or lose, production still has to be acknowledged and counted.

individual stats should only count if your team wins ... AGREE? DISAGREE?

Apparently Track & Field will start and swimming will finish

Just had no interest in these games. I'll wait till the regular season starts. And then have no interest in the meaningless in-season tournament. lol I will say Jayson Tatum got a lot of disrespect shown to him. He won the only basketball games this year that really mattered. But that conflicted with the Steph Curry/LeBron James/Kevin Durant show. Man, I hope none of those old guys are playing in four years.

The others turned to him in crunch time. No one does it as well.

It was close till Steph put France to sleep.

Why don't you stream. Cable will become obsolete, and it is more expensive.

I think if they added 10 or 20 meters to the race you'd get more separation. The 200 and 400 meter races I think tell you more about who is truly the fastest human.

That was a great 100 meter final with Lyles leaning at the perfect time to win.

I just think it shouldn't be the same players until they're 40. Even Simone Biles is considered ancient at 27 for gymnastics. But she's the GOAT. Imagine they trotted out a 40 year to do those flips in the air? You'd hear every ligament tearing. lol This is definitely her last Olympics.

The older players are part of the power structure in both leagues. Why not glide to another gold medal for little or no effort while you can. The young players will eventually take over and they will continue as long as possible. It's not like the other sports where they have to win their way on the team.

Taurasi is a legend but it's Clark's time now. She should have been on the team. Almost everyone knew this except those who jealously guard their right to pick.

And then we Men's soccer. Stop me if you've read this before, USA shellacked and out.

This is a total snoozefest. It's almost as bad as the ASG. I am completely over the whole "Dream Team" concept. It's become obnoxious and more of a platform for older superstars to show how relevant they still are. Did we really need another round of LeBron and Kevin Durant? I want to see young players. I want to see the future. And if that makes the medal hunt all that more competitive and thrilling, great! And I'm not talking about college players. It could be mostly NBA players under the age of 28. With some college players that were recently drafted.

Even on the women's side, was it really necessary for 42 year old Diana Taurisi to play at the expense of Caitlin Clark the most electrifying young player in the world? Come on.

No, the size is perfect for the person it's about.

I'll watch whatever's available on cable until cable goes out of business I guess. I reject streaming and that's okay, I'll probably be gone from this world by the time there's no cable anymore.

Hall of Fame game between Texans and Bears is tonight. There may be someone starting at QB for da Bears who has drawn a few headlines.

Sorry about the size.

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I wouldn't mind that since I am a big Lawrence fan. But larger salaries do not always bring championships. Both of those guys will still have to stay healthy and not have injuries.

The 2026 Super Bowl has been awarded to the Home Shopping Network. HSN is considering bringing in Martha Stewart as commentator and since he calls virtually EVERYTHING on the planet, Mike Tirico as play by play.

Some context for the NBA's business decision:

Amazon Prime Video subscribers: Over 200 million and growing.
Max, TNT's online partner: almost 100 million and growing.
TNT prime time U.S. cable viewers: 965,000 and has been declining.
U.S. cable subscribers: 76 million and declining.

Cable TV ad revenue in 2022, U.S. only: $72.1 billion annually and growing.
Streaming video, U.S. only: estimated at $105 billion annually and growing. Add in music streaming, total reaches $169.9 billion annually.

So, yes, cable TV will linger even as it has historically lost 3 million to 4 million customers a year. The growth globally is in streaming video online, which should make the NBA's decision clearer.

And if you want sources on the data, I can readily provide them so you can read the details yourself. Posting links seems to blow minds here from the minders.

Okay, well I don't know how old you are, but I grew up watching all those guys when they were players and I have enjoyed them as a commentary team. They are actually immensely popular among various age groups. I have watched sports all over TV and they are by far the most entertaining group. But TNT as a whole just has a better look to it when they do the games. I don't give a **** about Amazon. From what I hear, they are lousy at live sports. Cable's not going anywhere. Subscriber services can't touch the amount of ad-generated revenue that cable networks can make. Why do you think it is that ESPN/ABC and NBC came in with the biggest offers? Ad-generated revenue is why. That's why the Super Bowl will always be on network TV.

Dak still unsigned. He'll want a little more.

He's now on par with Burrow and Lawrence.

Apparently next year the Packers will play either the Jags or Bengals in the Super Bowl...

Shaq doesn't forget to remind us he won championships. He especially likes to remind Charles.

I have Prime so like last year (when Amazon had the worst game of the week) I'll see NBA games now.

Think bigger. Amazon is global. TNT is an America-only cable network, and few under 40 in the U.S. have cable. The choice to pick Amazon makes more sense financially.

I was never a fan of the TNT show. Too much chatter, too few higblight. A mumbling Shaq. A dude who, for some reason, sprints to the big screen to look like Tiny Tim and then shout about something incoherently. And Barkley always seemed grumpy. And odd Twitter or X posts. I didn't get it.

I understand the nostalgia for the show, though.

I agree with you but they are looking to the future and that's not OTA or cable TV.

But how many people actually watch any TV through Amazon? I have a Prime membership but I use that just for buying stuff off Amazon. They may have more subscribers but I question what the true audience is. There's also the NBA TV channel that sometimes broadcasts games and they use the same facility in Atlanta as TNT. And I have seen crossover between the two channels. I don't think the NBA was as enmeshed with anyone more than TNT. I'm really perplexed why they wouldn't want to keep a presence on TNT. This might go to court and maybe they'll eventually come up with a settlement that satisfies everyone.

I just read a statistic that is part of the NBA thinking. Amazon Prime has over 200M subscribers while TNT has 89M and falling numbers due to cable cutting. It's a sign of the changing TV environment.

Now I'm reading the NBA may decline the matching offer and stick with Amazon. Why is the NBA being so dumb about this? Everyone including and most importantly the players themselves love the TNT show. These media rights deals have gone insane. And then the cable providers like Spectrum keep raising their cable fees. Ultimately the fans always wind up the biggest losers in these deals.

They are the best. Amazon would probably have done what they did with football. Put 6 guys out there in pregame, half time, and post game, all saying the same thing.

Their parent company is matching Amazon's offer. Thank goodness! I don't know what we'd do without Charles, Kenny, Shaq...and Ernie! Best broadcasting team in the business. And funniest.

Sifan Hassan will try to finish the 1.5K...5K...10K...and 26.2K

The last man on the bench in the NBA could be Daffy Duck and it wouldn't affect the team. He's only there to make daddy happy!

What an embarrassment. He's clearly not an NBA player.

Bronny James scored 4 pts in his summer league debut keeping at his average in college. He may be the most consistent player on the Lakers.

REST IN PEACE

A come from behind win (penalty kicks). They will play the Netherlands with the winner playing either Spain or France.

All this to keep LeBron and LeBron's not even capable of winning a championship anymore. He's too old. Forget the regular season averages. He doesn't have the motor and stamina anymore to carry a team on his back. He's only got so much in his tank and he does most of his damage in the first half of games when he's fresh. The problem is AD has not shown the willingness to dominate as the #1 option. He still puts up nice numbers but he just doesn't impose his will consistently when they need him to.

Wonder if they park him in the G League after the first few months of the season. OwnerJeannie Buss needs to plan ahead a few years.

Last man on the bench rarely contributes. All for show but no longer "Showtime"!

Well they did it, the Lakers drafted Bronny. Hopefully it's to keep LeBron happy and sign him for another couple years. Can't see Bronny helping them at all. Got to feel for Redick.

Frizz taking Edey at 9 I think was the biggest surprise of the night. Nobody had him in the lottery in their mock drafts. But Memphis did have a lot of success with Marc Gasol once and let's face it every team in the West is going to need a giant in the post at this point. He's also a great character guy and they need that after all that craziness with Morant. Maybe they're hoping he can help keep Morant focused on the right things.

But I would say the Spurs easily won the draft just by virtue of getting Wemby his wingman. And couldn't have picked a better player with the physical tools and championship resume than the kid from UCONN. If he ends up being the Penny Hardaway to Wemby's Shaq, they're going to be terrorizing the conference in the next few years.

I wonder who would really want to coach the Lakers? The days of Riley and Jackson are long gone.

First pick to Atlanta and they draft a 19 year old Frenchman.

Welcome to the ENBA. Euro NBA.

How are they explaining the selection of Reddick as coach in LA? Never coached, a good but not great player, and younger than their star! Was this only because they couldn't find or pay for a truly qualified candidate?

Should be a test for Redick. I can't believe he would want Bronny and how long is LeBron going to stay anyway?

This could rival the 2013 draft for the weakest ever. There's not one player who's called a "generational talent" or "future all-star."
Zach Edey could certainly be a monster if his body holds up and he can shoot the ball away from the basket. He was the most dominant college center since Bill Walton. But he's going to have to show durability and a consistent jump shot.

The only real question is if the Lakers are actually going to draft Bronny James with their second round pick in the most blatant act of nepotism ever seen in the NBA.

I saw the end of that game with Ukraine and Belgium. I don't know if you can ever call a tie a heartbreaker, but I know my heart sunk for the Ukrainians. They were eliminated from the tournament by goal differential. Can you imagine any team right now carrying the hopes and fears of their nation any heavier than Ukraine? To even be able to field a team in the middle of a war is an accomplishment. You could see the pain in their faces afterwards. How badly they must have wanted to give their country something to hold onto. Something to take their minds off what's happening and happened. They deserve our total and absolute respect. They are winners in my book!

Magic is my all time favorite player. Although Kobe was great, of course, Magic made the whole team better. Showtime was because of Magic. Kobe was selfish in many ways. I've seen him lose games because he tried to take every shot and ignored open players. Undeniably one of the best offensive players in history, yes, but I'll take Magic over Kobe any day.

If I were to rate all-time Lakers (I'm excluding Mikan, only in Los Angeles here) and I'm including only their time with the Lakers, not their career.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Magic Johnson
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Jerry West
5. Elgin Baylor
6. Shaquille O'Neal
7. LeBron James
7. Wilt Chamberlain
8. James Worthy
9. Anthony Davis
10. Michael Cooper

Good choices but I thought you might have Kobe over Magic.

Ukraine 0
Belgium 0

Begins tomorrow.

So, if I could draft ANY five players in NBA history I would draft:

C: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
F: LeBron James
F: Larry Bird
G: Michael Jordan
G: Magic Johnson

With Tampa Bay winning the Cup a couple times a few years ago, Florida has become a hockey mecca.

The cup took a dip into the Atlantic off of Ft Lauderdale Beach today!

England 0 Slovenia 0

Denmark 0 Serbia 0

Exciting!

They can make artificial ice here as well as anywhere else!

Well, the Panthers from that great hockey state of Flowda won.

The Spain v Italy match was hilarious from that point of view. Two nations that for me are masters of the simulated dive, both sides getting increasingly angry with the other for doing what they themselves were doing.

Aside from the diving there has been some good football. Highlights for me are tiny Albania setting a record for the fastest ever goal in the competition, scoring after 23 seconds against Italy; Müldür's goal for Turkey against Georgia; Romania's 3-0 defeat of Ukraine which took everyone by surprise; Slovakia beating Belgium which was the biggest giant-killing in the history of the competition.

We move in to the final set of games from the opening round today, with Scotland needing a win against Hungary to have any chance of proceeding to the next round.

Game 7 is on Monday.

This sport was started to play a form of soccer when it was too cold out? It's summertime, come out and play in the sun! Snow and ice have long since melted. Plus, the preseason starts in three weeks?

(Who won?)

Like to watch Portugal, no one dives more.

Down 3 games to none, the Edmonton Oilers have come back to tie the series 3-3. Canada has not won since 1993 when Montreal defeated the Kings and Gretzky.

That era was also the first to be fully integrated so you finally had white and black ballplayers competing against one another and being teammates. If you were great in that era, you really were the best of the best.

When I was a little boy my uncle would always ask, "Who's your favorite player, Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle?" I think if the Mick hadn't been so injury prone and hadn't led such a life, he may have been the greatest player who ever lived. Mays could not only do everything, he could do it better than anyone else. He was a phenomenal talent.

Rory didn't turn out to be the next Tiger Woods, but Tiger Woods' son Charlie might be the next Tiger Woods. Just read he had the top qualifying score for the US Junior Amateur. He's 15. It said Tiger won that event three years in a row when he was a teen.

The number of sports legends that have passed away recently is remarkable. Like one after the other.

Willie Mays is just one of the most famous baseball players ever. He embodied the game. But I always think of him with Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron. That was for a lot of people, the golden age of baseball, in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Another trivia point I read ...only player to hit a home run in all innings 1 through 16!

Only player with 4 HR in a game and 3 triples in another

At age 93, Willie Mays died at home. Arguably, the greatest all around player in history when considering batting average, power hitting, stolen bases and fielding. No one was better.

Most boring playoff finals I can remember. It could have ended in game 4 but they wanted to finish at home.

Doris Burke has just told us the Celtics have “elevated the dynamic.”

What a difference. I remember Bahston Garden going crazy when the Celtics won the championship. Tonight people are strolling around the court like a midseason game.

I've had many 4' putts for a $2 Nassau bet and choked! I can't imagine what it's like for $4M and another major title.

I watched it with my nephew as it happened and we were just like ohhhhhhh that's brutal. Such a short putt. But it's like you expect Rory to choke at this point. He just can't win majors. He reminds me of Andy Murray in tennis. Like Andy was right there talent-wise with Fed, Nafal, and Djokovic, but he just crumbled in slams under pressure.

And on 16 as well. Too much pressure and another choke!

Missing a 4 foot putt on the 72nd hole at the US Open!!

The Celtics came out like it was a scrimmage against the coaching staff. You know when a team doesn't give a you know what because they're up 3-0 in the series. I'm thinking their energy level will be a LOT higher Monday night.

Absolutely, they want to finish it in the Gahden. Now we get to listen to Mike The Hype Breen do something with this turkey.

Celtics look like they don't care about tonight's game. They want to close out Game 5 at home.

I think they should get rid of back-to-backs. I think most teams usually lose the second game of those back-to-backs, and especially if they're on the road. It doesn't seem to do anybody any good to have them. Basketball players use more of their bodies than most athletes. It's time to respect that and allow more natural recovery time.

Players should rest more like Kwahi Leonard. But then they might miss the playoffs.

The Bucks were also victims of injuries to Giannis and Lillard making them punchless in the playoffs. When healthy, they could have been a factor as well.

Both the NBA and Stanley Cup Finals are one-sided matches.

The game has changed so much in basketball. Imagine the Riley Knicks with Oakley and Mason trying to play today's game.

But also Boston had it way too easy. Every team they faced in the first three rounds were missing one of their best players. In some cases, THE best player. I'm not saying they wouldn't have won all of them anyway, but each series would have been a lot tougher. They have breezed through this whole postseason. I hope next year the Knicks can stay healthy because I think they could beat these Celtics.

That's what happens when the 5th best team in the West makes the finals against the best team in the NBA this year. Denver or OKC might have fared better if they didn't blow up in their games.

Am I wrong in thinking these are weakest NBA playoffs I've seen in years? Like I think probably the weakest since 2007 when LeBron took the worst team ever to the Finals and then promptly got dismantled by the Spurs in four games. And then the next year ushered in a new era with the Big 3 in Boston and the reloaded Kobe Lakers.

Luka getting two fouls, both on Euro flops that were clear fouls on his part, in a 93-90 game, down 2 games to none, and fouling out with 4 minutes to go in the game, has to be the stupidest thing ever done in the NBA Finals.

Wow! Walton and West gone within a few weeks of each other!

Growing up in Los Angeles, Jerry West was the star. The great player who every year, lost to the Celtics. He was our favorite player. Mr Clutch. Zeke from Cabin Creek. Chick Hearn nicknames. Until Magic, West was THE Los Angeles favorite.

Was anybody surprised that the Mets and Phillies split the series?

Even so, what a great finish to game 2 of the weekend.

When you combine his achievements as a player, coach, GM and special team advisors, he may have been the greatest in NBA history. He was also a member of the greatest amateur basketball Olympic team in 1960.

I just heard that Jerry West, famous West Virginian and NBA logo, died this morning.

The only comparison would be Diana Taurasi (White Mamba), the 2004 NCAA champ who was drafted on a losing Phoenix team, averaged 17 points a game her first year AND played in the Olympics that year. I still think jealousy over her media and public attention led to her not making the team. Now they are making excuses about why. I still wouldn't be surprised if someone is "injured" in the next month and she gets on the team.

I think it's fine. They don't have any other rookies on there and she's already had the biggest year of her life. She's better off with the time off. In four years, she'll be the captain of the team and the undisputed best women's basketball player in the world. She played an entire season of Div 1 college basketball and then went into the pros a month later. That's crazy. Male athletes don't go from college to pros that fast in any sport. And there's all these unfair expectations on her to be the female Michael Jordan every single game and she's just a rookie on a really bad team. Nobody put Wembenyama under the same pressure when the Spurs stunk all season. It wasn't like be Wilt Chamberlain every single game or you're a failure. Everybody knows he's going to be really special when he develops more and has much better players around him. That's going to be true for her too. And just like he showed all these glimpses of the future, so has she. It's coming. It doesn't all have to be now.

LOL, that's good.

Blame Newsome. Everyone else does.

Little strange today listening to Yankees announcer Michael Kay call the Mets thrilling win over the Phils in London.

I'm looking for someone to blame.

Dodgers rock them again in game 2. LA fans should be happy, right Robyn!

Exactly! Now they tried to use the excuse that people would be mad because she wouldn't get much playing time. What a crock! They win by 30 and subs always get in. I'm surprised NBC is screaming at the lunacy (and jealousy) of the committee. No one will watch the games now and there would have been many more viewers if she was there.
Any bets that someone on the team will get "injured" and not be able to play making room for her?

Wonder if public pressure changes USA Basketball's mind. Sounds like a lot of jealousy of Clark.

Clark should be on the team. She's the reason arenas as selling out. She's the highest scorer in college basketball history.

Remember, Christian Laettner was on the Dream Team.

It would have been blacked out for me on MLB.TV, so I was lucky to see it. Even Stanton's fly out to short left with the bases loaded.

I don't have AppleTV.

8th inning, 0-0, 2 on, 2 out. Judge up. Fouls off 4 pitches. Walks. Bases loaded. Up comes Stanton...

Yamamoto is nearly unhittable. Mixing 97 mph fastballs with a deadly sinker.

0-0 in the 8th and Soto is swinging a bat. He will probably pinch hit. MUST SEE.

Game on AppleTV+

And Soto is day to day, not starting.

Let's not even call it a WS preview because Dodgers are well known chokers in the postseason and will inevitably lose to the hot wild card team.

Today at 4:05 PM at the Stadium in the Bronx. Ghosts of Duke, Jackie and Sandy vs Mickey, Whitey and Billy.

Both teams full of rust, but Celtics are the deeper, more well-rounded and experienced team. Porzingis is huge, literally and figuratively. Boston doesn't have to rely on their two stars as much as Dallas does and that showed.

If it's on ABC, it's a blowout. Again.

Brown going around Luka like he's nailed to the floor.

You can see the difference in the game today and 30 years ago. Horford drives to the basket for an uncontested dunk. There's one other player in the key. Back in the day he would have been hit 3 times and his dunk contested at the rim.

Havlicek stole ball!

I wish we could hear Johnny Most call the game!

Game 1 tonight: Dallas at Boston. Mavs vs Da Celtics (as Tom Heinsohn used to say).

So basically the pennant is like the conference championship in the NFL?

It should be baseball where it says based

They lost.

The pennant is winning the league championship. Based has two leagues. Then the two pennant winners face off in the World Series for the championship of all baseball.

And with the Phillies 2-1 10th inning win over the Brewers today, they too are 43-19 (.694).

After steamrolling the Twins today (who had but 2 hits), the Bombers are now 43-19.

What's the pennant?

Also what happened the last time that they met the Yankees in the world series?

Phillies have been knocking on the door last few years. They lost in the World Series two years ago and lost in the NLCS last year. This might be the year they get over the hump. But would they want to face the Yankees in the World Series? That didn't end well for them the last time they played the Yankees in the WS.

They have the best record in MLB. They have Bryce Harper, Player of the Month for May and one of the very best players in baseball. They've got good hitting, good pitching and great team chemistry. They may win the pennant and play in the World Series.

What about the Phillies then?

I don't know how Gary, Keith and Ron hang in there calling Mets games. I've watched many this year and it's not easy. Besides Alonso, they don't have much hitting. Then they have that incident with the reliever. Just bad luck after more bad luck. You want them to win, but...

Am I right in thinking that the Phillies made the playoffs last season?

Phillies are one of the best teams in baseball this year and the Mets are one of the worst. It will probably be a pretty one sided affair.

Can I get some information about the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies and their 2 games in London this weekend?

Rangers vs Oilers would have been fun to watch. Last year the Bruins were the best team and lost.

I just hope they can sustain it all season. I remember they got out to blazing hot start two years ago and then they fizzled out in the second half. After watching the Rangers get eliminated last night in the conference finals after being the best team in hockey, I know not to jump too far ahead. But they are back to being the Bronx Bombers again.

Demolished the Giants in San Francisco. Judge hit three home runs and today Soto hit 2 HRs. Bombers sweep SF and go 7-2 on West Coast road trip. Now back to the Stadium and the Dodgers.

In 60 games, Juan Soto is hitting .322 with 17 HRs 54 RBIs and an OPS of 1.031.
In 61 games, Aaron Judge is hitting .288 with 21 HRs 47 RBIs and an OPS of 1.075.

Judge and Soto are the only two players in baseball with an OPS above 1.000.

Yankees are in first place at 42-19 and are .006 behind the Phillies 41-18 for best record in MLB.

They're going to need Porzingis back. And I wouldn't care if he's 100 percent or not. This is the Finals. Just throw him out there and tell him to be a human tree by the basket.

Celtics should win but won't be easy. May be a 7-game series which would be great.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics vs Luka, Kyrie and the Mavericks.

What he did at UCLA and with the Trailblazers was unreal. He had pretty much achieved everything you could achieve in basketball by the time he was 26. And then his foot broke apart like Humpty Dumpty in ways they never really could put back together. But Bill Walton was so much more than just a basketball player. Larger than life in every sense.

Thanks for the memories

Prediction:Jets first play will be a run ... crowd will give SO