Day 475

• To give you an idea of how dangerous this heat wave is:  Lytton, in interior British Columbia, broke the all-time all-day record for Canada -- the hottest temperature ever recorded in the country -- on Sunday when the temperature reached 45.5 Celsius (113.9 Fahrenheit).
• ... and then smashed THAT by over two degrees Celsius when it recorded 47.9 Celsius Monday.  That's 118.2 Fahrenheit!!!  That is hotter than the all-time all-day record for no less than LAS VEGAS!!!
• And then Tuesday, it smashed THAT by nearly two FURTHER degrees, making it to FORTY NINE POINT SIX Celsius (121 degrees Fahrenheit).
• That is a world record above 50 degrees North latitude by over five degrees Celsius.
• And another piece of evidence that the "Numbered Day" posts aren't ending anytime soon:  A summer camp in Illinois did not ask for any vaccination status information (according to MSN), nor require indoor masking.
• 85 teenagers and staffers of the camp have now caught the coronavirus.
• Sexual harassment has gotten Jared Potter, the ex-GM of the Mets, on baseball's Disqualified List through at least the end of next season.  When does something come down on Bauer????   
• The Cubs scored 7 in the first against the Brewers.  They lost 15-7.
• The Marlins have put 11 on the Phillies.  The White Sox, 11 on the Twins.  (And counting, in both cases...)
• The Nationals, 15 on the division-leading Rays.
• The Braves have put 20 on the division-leading Mets tonight.  Oh gee, you think the Sticky Stuff didn't have an effect?  I'm giving it Sunday, July 4th, before some disgruntled pitcher finds a player and puts 95 up his ear.   
• In what should be the last word to anyone about the power certain people and institutions have in this country:  Pigfucker Bill Cosby has had his convictions OVERTURNED by an appeals court and was RELEASED today.  There are websites which chronicle that "dark side of Hollywood".  I have to wonder how long that shithead has to live before some of his victims just shoot the son of a bitch.   
• 
  

The COVIDLympics: Day -24: If They Can Hold Them...

• At least the first nine days of running the Olympic torch through Tokyo will be closed to the public to try to stem COVID-19 fears.
• ... fears stoked from an announcement that Tokyo has had it's ninth week-to-week increase in infections in a row, now only about 3 1/2 weeks from the Opening Ceremony.  It now appears a very real possibility that the Games themselves MUST either be cancelled or postponed, or they will take place under State of Emergency conditions in the host city.
• And the story of Kim Gaucher isn't helping matters any.  She breast-feeds her infant child, but the Canadian has to now make a choice:  Find a long-term babysitter for the infant, or lose her Olympic spot on the Canadian women's basketball team, due to protocols.   Reversed on Wednesday -- she (and other nursing mothers) will be allowed to bring her child to Tokyo.

Day 474

• It appears that the Delta variant is what felled NC State at the College World Series.  At least eight players on the team have now been confirmed positive for the variant.  At least some of them were vaccinated.
• Racial slurs have been pointed toward Vanderbilt parents at the College World Series championship.  It appears as if Vanderbilt is about to win back to back titles after an 8-2 win yesterday over Mississippi State.  It is barely, if that, known who did the slurs, because once security were notified, the parties committing the offense left the stadium.  The NCAA and the stadium have condemned the slurs.
• Hector Santiago was officially suspended 10 games today.  He is appealing, stating he was only using rosin.  The suspension was solely based on the umpire ejection -- it appears as if the 10-game suspension is an automatic once the umpire tosses for an illegal substance.
• Giants AAA prospect Gregory Santos:  80 games for PEDs.
• Add Germany to the R16 casualties at Euro 2021.  And add a fourth clean sheet for England, who won 2-0.  The entire group-stage "Group of Death" is now eliminated.
• Conversely, three of the four "best third places" who made the R16 field defeated group champions to make the quarterfinals.
• An ESPN study of spin rates on the baseballs indicates that MLB had a serious foreign-substances problem.  Over 70% of the pitchers surveyed who threw at least 200 pitches before and after the apparent start of discussion of the enforcement of the rule on May 31st had at least a 100 RPM average drop in spin rage.  The season batting average for the players has already risen 3% in three weeks (probably evidencing an almost 10% rise within that period!).
• The Dodger pitching staff is basically 100 RPM down across the board since June 3.  The Dodgers are 15-8, though, since that date.
• Gerrit Cole has all but been outed.  Since the word got out on enforcement, his ERA:  4.65
• Serena Williams is out of Wimbledon.  Ankle injury after a fall.
• Court conditions also claimed Roger Federer's first round opponent -- which Federer admits was fortunate.  They were 2 sets all when the opponent had to withdraw!
• Another piece of evidence as to the rise of sports betting in America?  Sports Illustrated will be branding a casino/sportsbook online.  29 states and DC now legalize sports gambling in the United States.
• It will be at least 2023, however, until my home state does.  And that's IF it passes a ballot muster in about 18 months.
• IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO TELL US, TREVOR BAUER?????  Pasadena police now investigating possible assault/rape charges against Bauer by a 30 year old woman he met online!!!!  (TMZ)  The assault apparently took place six weeks ago.
• The District Attorney could file as soon as tomorrow -- meaning Trevor Bauer could be suspended as soon as tomorrow, for at least seven days pending an investigation by Major League Baseball.

The COVIDLympics, Day -25

• Taliyah Brooks' sister has spoken out on Brooks' dream of competing for Team USA in the pentathlon being ended by the ridiculous weather at the Trials yesterday.  She also posted that the track temperature was approaching 150 degrees.  Brooks was medically withdrawn after passing out after a javelin practice throw.
• The latest TV Asahi poll in Japan indicates that 60% of those polled want the 2021 Olympics called off.  But if they MUST go forward, then 64% of those polled state that NO FANS AT ALL should be present.
• At least four, and up to six, people arriving for the Games from other countries, are being withheld after testing positive for COVID-19 upon entry into Japan.
• The only reason there will be boxing at these Games is because the tournament will be run by the IOC themselves.  AIBA has been found so corrupt, they cannot sanely run the event.

Day 473

• Scottie Pippen has just stepped in it.  He told Dan Patrick today that a 1994 playoff game last-shot play was actually drawn up for Toni Kukoc rather than him because...  Phil Jackson is racist??!?!?!??  Yeowch, Scotty.   
• Pippen had one word to describe Michael Jordan:  "Selfish."  Here's a few more:  Foolish and Wretched One-Dimensional Ballhog.
• Suspicious dealings at Euro 2021:  In just 29 matches (30 now), there have been nine own goals.  Spain's howler against Croatia in the 20th minute may have been the worst.  To give perspective, there have now been as many own-goals in this tournament alone than in the ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE TOURNAMENT BEFORE THIS ONE.  Definite evidence of at least what is referred to as "spot fixing" -- the practice of partially fixing a match for a certain proposition bet -- first goal, a certain player getting a disciplinary card, etc. and so forth.  
• Spain needed extra time to get Croatia out, 5-3.
• Add France to the list of R16 exits.  Switzerland saw them off in penalties after a 3-3 draw.  That's France and Portugal out and Spain needing extra time.  Germany or England go out tomorrow, they play each other in Wembley!  Eriksen "miracle" forthcoming???   
• Bruce Smith just shot another hole in the homophobes' theories on the NFL:  Smith told TMZ that he was certain that at least one, and possibly two, Buffalo Bills in the mid- to late-1990's were gay.  Worse for the fucking pigs:  No one on the Bills cared!  Smith had the same theories Vince Lombardi did on the subject -- if they help us win, then let's bring 'em on!  (Yahoo!)  (With thanks to my anonymous friend for this and the Pippen story...)
• According to statistics posted by ESPN2's wagering show, the Giants are the most-profitable team in baseball for bettors this season.  And they are profiting at such levels that are equivalent to the two cheating MLB World Series "champions" of the last five years.  This isn't an implication yet -- the only two teams profiting by the All-Star Break at the levels these Giants have HAVE BEEN the Red Sox and Astros "championship years".  But it does make you wonder.   
• 125-1 to win the World Series to start the year -- the best team in baseball is now 22-1 entering a key series, 3 1/2 up on their opponents in this series, the Dodgers.

The COVIDLympics Day -26: I'm unfair if I don't give this woman her due...

You will not see her in Tokyo.

She will finish last of all those who completed the eight events of the heptathlon at the US Olympic Trials...

But none of the other woman are carrying a baby at 18 weeks like Lindsey Flach is.

What's the old saying?  Not always to the highest or fastest, but to those who finish the race...

(With an obvious nod to the woman who was fourth in these Trials until medically withdrawn for passing out before the javelin throw.)

The COVIDlympics, Day -26: Ms. Berry, I do NOT see you being allowed in Tokyo...

The predictable right-wing backlash has already begun.

In fact, one reader of a hyper-conservative/MAGAt blog I read basically proposed a loyalty test that basically anyone representing the United States much swear loyalty to MAGA United States.

This is after, last night, Gwen Berry went BLM at the Olympic Trials after placing third in the hammer throw qualifiers to punch her ticket to Tokyo.

The ceremony coincided with the beginning of the evening session -- and The Star-Spangled Banner was played, ostensibly (though Berry does not believe this is less than a set-up) only as the start of the session.

(The two top throwers were both White.)

I can easily see Berry removed.  In fact, I will predict she is.

The IOC has already said (though it has not made clear as to what penalty they would try to enforce) that any protests, BLM or otherwise, would be illegal and met harshly if performed at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

(Yes, I know both the Olympics and the European Soccer Championships are still being marketed as "2020" events, before anyone decides they want to ask.)

So, for that reason alone, I do not believe Berry will be allowed to go to Tokyo.

But I think it writes a much larger problem that both the USOC and NBC are going to have - and I believe much to the detriment of both.

In short, not only can we not agree on what America is supposed to be, but I would have to think significant portions of people who would otherwise watch the Games with their flag in one hand and their MAGA Hat/dick in the other will, in fact, boycott the Games.

How many of these conservatives are actually going to want to cheer American athletes when they are Black...

When they are LGBT...

When they are anything but White, cisgender, "good" Americans??

I think a lot of these people who have been crowing about sports are going to be more than shocked as to the number of medals actually won by the United States which are won by athletes they find patently unacceptable.

Of course, for the conservapigs, it could be worse:  There is an American alternate for one of the sports whose STATED goal is to medal in her sport and BURN an American flag on the podium!

More Olympic stuff:

• They had to postpone the last US Olympic track trials until the evening in Eugene, OR.  Why?
• Just a bit ago, it reached 110 degrees in the city -- the highest temperature ever recorded there.  It's 108 now, and they're supposed to restart in an hour.
• A pentathlon athlete, according to a Redditor living 40 miles north of Eugene (where it has reached 116!!!!!!), had fainted, causing the postponement.
• According to results, there will be at least three events (both race walks and the men's javelin throw) where there will be no American qualifiers.  Not only must one finish high in the standings at the Trials, they must also have a minimum met "Olympic Standard".
• Conversely, due to the 4X400m relay and acceptable times, all eight who participated in the 400m finals will go to Tokyo -- three in the event, the five others making up the rest of the relay pool.
• In a video which can only be described as frightening, the NBCSN broadcast of the resumption of the Trials began with a trackside thermometer which measured the track temperature at almost ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DEGREES (actually 148.2).

May Finebaum be right and REM ring throughout the land... Death to the NCAA...

I had been meaning to do this post for some time, and finally seem to be getting around to it unless the weather causes the power grid to try to eat itself.

It stems from one of a shocking number of unanimous Supreme Court decisions in the last number of weeks, a unanimous decision that the NCAA's refusal to allow players to be compensated for their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is unconstitutional.

Paul Finebaum, a couple of days later on Mike Greenberg's ESPN show, called it no less than the REM moment of the NCAA:  "The end of the NCAA as we know it.  The last rites have not been performed, the funeral has not been performed."

Oh, for that to be the truth.

The NCAA is nothing short of a terrorist organization which not only is misogynist (as has been exposed repeatedly in major women's championships this year), but it elitist toward two (MALE) sports, and is probably the biggest cover for rape, pedophilia, sexual assault, and all manner of other misconduct which ravages the American Sports Machine.

(High school sports would be bigger in the coverup, but there's no overreaching national authority on the matter.)

The fact is, the sooner the NCAA is relegated to the dustbin of history, the better off what is left will be.

Pedophile State

Rapelor

Hell, it seems the entire Big Ten these days.

The disintegrating "Power Five"...

Hell, the fact that the NCAA itself (with FBS football largely in some sort of dysfunctional relationship with said organization) is probably hanging on by the thread of March Madness these days.  Even have March Madness move "off the grid", as it were, and that probably starts the funeral outright.

We still are at the point, IMODO, of that there could be very serious question as to the very existence of the concept of "college", especially if the Delta Variant of COVID-19 flares up in the next few months and blows up all of our progress because of the unvaccinated.

The fact is, amateur sports, as a CONCEPT, are a joke.

Most people basically know, if they pay an ounce of attention, that major high-school players -- in either of the two male major sports -- are getting paid large sums of money to play for a given college.

Hell, if you remember that drug- and gang-fueled mess in Florida, you have children paying their parents' rent by playing professional football (I'm not saying NFL, just football-for-pay) as early as about nine years old!

I could go on and on.

But if actually compensating the players in much of any amount is to end the NCAA, then I'm all for it.

The sooner, the better.

I easily see, five years down the road, a complete reorganization of what Olbermann calls "college-pro" sports into a more minor-league situation.

Day 472

• Seattle Mariners:  Hector Santiago is to be suspended 10 games.  He's the first pitcher to be ejected under the new foreign-substances crackdown.
• The Czech Republic has seen off the Netherlands in the European Championship -- they get Denmark next...  HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....   
• UEFA is showing it's homophobic colors:  Days after it refused to allow a German stadium to be lit up in rainbow Pride colors at the Euro 2021 Championships, it has now refused to allow Dutch fans to bring rainbow flags to their match.
• If Cristiano Ronaldo is going to break the international-goals record, it'll have to be in the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers.  Top-seeded Belgium (yes, by the FIFA rankings, Belgium is the #1 team in the world) defeated Portugal 1-0.
• An interfering fan with a sign caused a massive crash at the first stage of the 2021 Tour de Farce France yesterday.  It has dropped one rider from the race (with at least one broken arm, if not both!), and most of the field is banged up.
• Dodgers fans a bit irked at the substance check the umpires did at the end of Clayton Kershaw's 8 inning, 13 strikeout effort tonight.  Dodgers won 7-1.  Won the other three games than the Cubs' no-hitter in the series.  47 wins, and still 3.5 back of the Giants.
• Apparently there was a wager between Shaquille O'Neal and one of the other "Inside the NBA" analysts before Game 3 Milwaukee-Atlanta tonight.  After the Bucks won in Atlanta, Shaq could be seen counting his money as the post-game show began.

Day 471

• In an all-too-convenient moment for the NCAA and the people who would probably push Vanderbilt and those two pitchers:  North Carolina State has been thrown out of the College World Series due to NCAA COVID protocols.  Vanderbilt is probably going to be gifted a national title now...  As I said in the NFL, I put that past NOBODY.   
• A regional high-school basketball championship game last week in San Diego was marred when a largely Latino group of players had tortillas thrown at them by the other team and their fans.
• Euro 2021:  Denmark and Italy, the first two to advance in the R16.  And Ivan Perisic is out for the tournament -- positive coronavirus test.
• Hammer-thrower Gwen Berry may be in trouble with the USOC.  During her award ceremony, the Star-Spangled Banner began to play to start the evening session (by sheer coincidence).  Berry turned away from the flag, revealed a shirt reading "Activist Athlete", and may just have voided her ticket to Tokyo as a result!  Stay tuned.
  
• And Berry does NOT believe the timing of the Anthem to the ceremony was a coincidence.  Really stay tuned!

Day 470

• Even though the post now only has ceremonial effect after the Japanese surrender in World War II, the Japanese emperor is still a very respected man in Japanese culture.  So, now a month out from the scheduled start of the 2021 Olympics, the Japanese emperor is "extremely concerned" about the Games going forward.
• Two COVID vaccine reports from sports from Yardbarker:  MLB reports that 23 of the 30 teams have hit an 85% vaccinated threshold...
• While the NFL reports 65% of it's players have been vaccinated.  I wonder what that percentage is among White players...   
• The 2021 (British) Open Championship will be held, but under a strict bubble.

Day 469

• The first Canadian Stanley Cup Finals team in 10 years -- the Montreal Canadiens made the Cup Final with another overtime win over Las Vegas to win the semifinal series 4-2.
• Oh boy...  In the biggest indication yet that the Dodger title defense needs a spark (more like a MASH surgery unit...) and needs it fast -- the ninth no-hitter of the year and eighth actual was a combined no hitter by the Cubs over the Dodgers tonight -- 2-0.

Day 467

• Another reason to discard the Chiefs:  Frank Clark has, for the second time this offseason, been arrested on felony gun charges.  Two handguns were seized back in March -- yesterday, an Uzi in his SUV on a recent LA traffic stop.

A "Here We Go" Moment Just Happened In The NFL...

A lot of people have always speculated on this event happening, and that it was only a matter of time before it did.

Eight years after the NFL blackballed Michael Sam for being a homosexual, the NFL finally has an on-roster, active gay player.

Carl Nassib has had five years in the NFL.  Two years with the Browns, where he was a third-round draft pick, two with the Buccaneers, and then signed a $20 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders last year.

And today, and with a $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project for at-risk LGBTQ youth, Carl Nassib has come out as gay.  And the first reaction of many was the first reaction of the person who told me about it:  "OK, assholes at ESPN and 280 Park Avenue, New York City, how you gonna handle this one??"

A lot of us who know don't think they will handle it well...

EDIT TO ADD:  It's only one day, but Fanatics reports that, at least for this day, Carl Nassib's jersey is the biggest seller of all NFL jerseys through Fanatics.

Day 466

• Like many pitchers before him, Sang Ho Baek, pitching for George Mason University, needed Tommy John surgery.
• Tragically, he did not survive the surgery.  Complications took Baek from us at 20 years old...
• Now up to 140 cases of the coronavirus at the Copa America.  And it is becoming clear this tournament is an increasingly bad idea...   
• 
  

Day 465

• Philly eliminated tonight.  Possible riot afterward -- fans were throwing things on the court.
• So you're down to Atlanta, Milwaukee, Phoenix, and the Clippers...  With Phoenix 1-0 up in the West.
• Even two efforts from the Dodger bullpen to gift a win for the Diamondbacks don't work.  23 in a row on the road (MLB Record), 20-53.  17 losses in a row.  There have only been eight streaks in MLB since World War II of 18 or more losses.  2-31 in their last 33.  3-34 in their last 37.  5-40 in their last 45.  This team was actually 15-13 at one point.
• The record for fewest wins in a full MLB season is 40.  I can't see, right now, how this Diamondback team gets 20 more wins in 90 games.

Day 464

• Said before the playoffs that neither Dallas (Doncic) nor Utah (their fans) were going to be around very long.  Both are now eliminated.  The Clippers are in the Western Conference Finals.
• After the main women's distance hope was banned, a new story at the US Olympic Track Trials:  New world-record in the shot put.  Ryan Crouser throws 23.37 meters to smash the world record, last set in 1990, breaking the world record by 10 inches (76 8 1/4 vs 75 10 1/4).  Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm....   
• Two own goals against Portugal in three minutes in their marquee match with Germany...  HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...   
• And the 4-1 is a cross to a completely-unguarded German less than six yards from net.  Investigate this match -- you won't have the balls to....   
• More evidence there are far too many bowl games...  Jimmy Kimmel has just bought the naming rights to the Los Angeles Bowl.  The Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl will be Mountain West #1/2 vs. Pac-12 #5 December 18th.

Day 463

• Owning to the chaotic nature of the 2020's, UEFA may, during the tournament, be looking for a new semifinal and final host for UEFA 2021.  Same reason the Champs League final was moved.  Budapest is the alternate site this time.
• Two-match World Cup Qualifier closed door sanctions ban and $65000 fine for continuing anti-gay chants at Mexico matches.  Throw em out or shut the fuck up.  
• And another disciplinary meeting is also pending.  And we haven't even gotten to the CONCACAF Nations League stuff yet.
• TREMENDOUS NEWS!  Christian Eriksen, six days after dying on the pitch with a heart attack, has been released from the hospital.
• Cole Beasley is an anti-vaxxer, and is prepared to retire from the NFL over it.  Then go away.   
• Next meeting on the CFP expansion is Tuesday in Dallas -- the 12-team proposal is gaining significant support, but needs more time to look at it.  After Tuesday, the next meeting is in September, so it's not happening this Fall (and wouldn't have anyway).  2023 is another story.

Day 462

• The ball was kicked out of play in Denmark and Belgium's 10th minute for an ovation in continuing support of Christian Eriksen, who collapsed of a heart attack in Denmark's first game.
• It appears as if FIFA is going to FORCE countries to play in Qatar -- if a country decides to boycott 2022, they will be thrown out of World Cup 2026 and lose their national-team payments.
• We have a double Madden curse to "worry about" this year -- they're going to do the "pass the torch" on the cover, Brady to Mahomes.
• Rafael Nadal is sitting out both Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics.
• Wimbledon is starting a dialogue with Naomi Osaka with respect to her mental-health concerns.  My guess is she won't be playing this Slam either.   
• Arizona has tied the MLB record for most consecutive road losses with 22.
• Make it 23 and the new record after today's play.
• Phil Mickelson apparently had quite the problems today with cell phone cameras during his US Open opening round.  He shot four over.
• And, to no one's shock:  Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from Wimbledon.

Day 461

• Chris Paul is being removed from play for the COVID protocols.  Depending on his vaccination status, it is not known how long he could be out for Phoenix.
• One Vegas sportsbook is not a fan of Phil Mickelson.  Caesar's Palace William Hill has taken twice as many bets on the PGA Champion than any other golfer.  Jon Rahm is the +900 favorite to win.
• Speaking of Rahm, a partial retraction from earlier:  Rahm WAS vaccinated, however, the positive came within the 14-day window of his second vaccine -- which is more than possible.
• All it takes is the wrong person:  Cristiano Ronaldo forcibly removed two Coca-Cola bottles from his Monday Euro 2021 press conference ahead of his first match.  As a result, Coca-Cola stock had it's market cap fall by no less than FOUR BILLION DOLLARS.  (And Ronaldo had two goals in a 3-0 Portugal win over Hungary on Tuesday.  Three more will give him the international-goals record over all competitions for all time.)
• It appears as if Schalke 04 has accepted reality and decided to concentrate on soccer.  They have sold their League of Legends franchise due to the soccer club's relegation to Bundesliga.02.
• Major fix in the playoff round before the US and the other regional powers enter CONCACAF qualifying for Qatar 2022:  One of the worst own goals in history was given to Canada to help them advance over Haiti.
• The PGA will probably ban, for professional tournaments, the use of green-reading notes by the players after this season.  Rory McIlroy believes it's time, The Sham Beau actually likes the practice.

Day 460

• Brazilian health officials now report 31 new COVID-19 cases by team players and staff and 10 more for tournament staff for the Copa America.
• Christian Eriksen spoke to fans for the first time about his condition -- he says he's fine, given all the circumstances of Saturday's collapse.
• The WNBA will hold an All-Star Game this year as a final tuneup for the USA women's basketball team, should the Tokyo Olympics still be held.  The voting will be to determine a pool of 36 WNBA players not on the national team from which coaches will choose 12 to face Team USA on July 14th.
• Tampa's Tyler Glasnow has a UCL injury -- as a result of no longer being able to use sunscreen to grip the ball.  Just put it on a fucking tee and let them do it.   
• A parachutist invaded Euro 2021 today, a Greenpeace anti-oil protestor who caused several injuries in Munich, just before the kickoff of France-Germany.  The whole cauldron is about to boil over.  If it doesn't here, it will in the World Cup.   
• US Soccer is still adamnant that the women will never be paid the same as the men. Again, they should be paid MORE.  They're the only reason you even have relevance as an organization, you fucking hacks!!!   
• The last World Cup cycle:  Men's total purse, $400M.  Winners share:  $38M.  Women's total purse:  $30M.  Winners share:  $4M.
• A Monday qualifier for the Korn Ferry Tour went postal yesterday.  One golfer arrested for attacking another.  Slow play due to the attacked not wishing to aid in the search for lost balls in the rough.
• A boxing match and rap concert which were scheduled for Miami as the first Miami full-seating event post-COVID was postponed today -- one of the fighters HAS COVID.
• DraftKings stock dropped about 10% for a time today, after an investing researcher has tied about half of DraftKings' traffic to illegal and mob gambling.  Oh gee, what a fucking shock...  Water is wet, film at 11.   

Day 459

• UEFA strong-armed Denmark into playing the rest of the match on Saturday.
• The NBA is (finally) considering a rule to outlaw unnatural shot motions which are simply made to draw act-of-shooting fouls.
• Bartolo Colon is still at it in Mexico.  At 48, he threw a complete game victory on only 90 pitches -- 70 of them strikes.
• Look for offenses to explode this summer.  MLB puts out the new substance policy tomorrow -- includes 10 games for any pitcher caught with a substance.  Trevor Bauer is already being exposed as a massive cheat.  Who else?
• Bob Baffert is suing the New York Racing Authority to try to overturn his ban in that state.  He may have a point about duration and conditions, but, if he isn't careful, NYRA might just state they intend him out of the sport for life.
• Shelby Houlihan is banned for four years and out of the Tokyo and Paris Games for a second banned substance violation.  She was tested in December.  She was to be America's main hope at 1500 and 5000 meters.

Day 458

• One of the attending doctors to Christian Eriksen noted the Danish striker had lost his life on the pitch -- and they brought him back.
• Latest reports on Eriksen this morning are that he's stable condition.
• A turnover by Bachmann of Austria led to North Macedonia's first goal in a major competition.  The ESPN announcer said the Bachmann turnover was put into overdrive.  So does that tell me they're Takin' Care of Business?  That You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet???
• He apologized just after.  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....
• An online-only E3 is taking place this weekend into next week.

Day 457

• The Denmark-Finland game has been halted with a Gathers-like incident on the pitch.  About three minutes short of the first-half whistle, Denmark's Christian Eriksen has collapsed on the pitch.  CPR has been performed.
• The match has been suspended.  After CPR and a defibrillator, it appears Eriksen was taken from the pitch, awake and alive.
• The match was later resumed.  Finland defeated Denmark 1-0.
• Latest word on the 12-team CFP proposal is that it would take only the six highest conference champions in FBS -- meaning a Power 5 Conference CAN be excluded -- and would've been last year, with Oregon at #25 and Coastal Carolina at #12.
• Twelve team and staff members of the Venezuelan national soccer team have tested positive for the coronavirus -- just one day before they are scheduled to start play tomorrow in the Copa America.
• Late word is now stating that fourteen new members of the Venezuelan national soccer team are being shipped, last-second, to Brasilia to face Brazil tomorrow.
• And four members of Bolivia's national team have tested positive!  They are supposed to start Monday.

Day 456

• The major scandal surrounding Ozeki Asanoyama and a visit during the last tournament to a hostess bar (in violation of not only COVID restrictions, but also a violation of the decency that such a high-ranking sumo wrestler is supposed to carry himself as) has reached at least a temporary conclusion.
• Asanoyama offered to retire from the sport.  This was rejected.
• Instead, he's been banned one full year from the sport, six tournaments, and his salary slashed in half for the next six months.
• This will demote him all the way from Ozeki #1 West (the highest ranking non-Yokozuna), possibly all the way to the third semi-professional level, Sandamne, in which it would take him three further tournaments to re-enter the 42-man top areas.  Meaning, to even get back to the top tier will be 2023 at the earliest.
• Because of one of the policies of sumo with respect to Yokozuna, he probably has killed any opportunity of ever reaching Grand Champion status.
• As such, I think they should've rejected his retirement, and then banned him from the sport for life.  
• Two major sponsors of the Copa America pulled their support from the tournament in protest of holding the tournament during the pandemic on Wednesday.
• The Brazilian Supreme Court turned back THREE injunctions to try to stop the tournament.
• The tournament begins Sunday.  Final Fantasy X:  "At least we have blitz..."   
• Euro 2021 finally began today, a pan-European event.  Italy beat Turkey 3-0.

Day 455

• One of the sons of legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler says his father knew of sexual abuse his football team doctor inflicted on him -- when the son tried to report it to him, Schembechler ignored it. When the son insisted, Schembechler punched his son clear across the room   To me, I would have to think this is even WORSE than covering it up -- it all but indicates Bo SIGNED OFF ON THE SEXUAL MOLESTATION OF HIS FUCKING SON!!!  Process that when you try to understand the ties between sexual misconduct and every sacred cow we have in this culture, especially the American Sports Machine.   
• He plans to elaborate further today in a press conference with at least two former players who also knew.
• An interesting rigging claim by the Mets' Pete Alonso.  He claims that Major League Baseball tampers with the balls, at least in part, based on the position makeup of players heading to free agency the next winter.  If a lot of pitchers are entering, the balls get juiced to favor the hitters.  If a lot of hitters are entering, the balls then favor the pitching.  Another way, at least Alonso claims, the game is conspiring to keep salaries down.
• Under close examination in his start last night, Gerritt Cole's spin-rate fell significantly in his start, indicating he has been tampering the balls.
• It appears the Buccaneers may be fined and possibly lose a 2022 draft pick.  Tom Brady revealed yesterday he actually played the entire Super Bowl season with a surgery-required knee injury.  He had the surgery after the Super Bowl.  It's not only the illegality because of Vegas considerations, it basically shows the hand that the NFL openly rigged this Super Bowl for the pig and his team.  And they are SIGNIFICANT favorites to do it again (if you're paying attention, the sportsbooks still favor Kansas City at +450 to TB's +650), and I don't see much other storyline than that the entire season orbits around the motherfucker.   
• It appears as if, should the Olympic movement survive Tokyo, Paris, and Los Angeles, Brisbane will be the 2032 sucker.
• The 12-team CFP proposal appears to be what they're going to discuss next week.  I'd make one change:  If you are in an FBS conference and you go undefeated, you're in.   

Day 454

• The head of the Brazilian soccer federation has been fired after the national team was prepared to boycott the Copa America (which it now hosts and starts this weekend).
• Things have gotten so crazy on the women's draw that none of the top SIXTEEN seeds made the semifinals at the French Open.
• It seems that MLB players don't know how to run bases.  At least two runs were taken off the board last night after home runs where players failed to touch the bases and were called out on appeal.
• The few people still thinking the NCAA cares about women's sports want to see if they can expand the women's basketball tournament and give it March Madness branding.  Good luck...   
• Andy Martino has a new book out which claims the Houston Astro sign-stealing scheme continued into their second American League title in 2019 -- only to be beaten by Washington.
• At least one Deadspin writer believes the discussions surrounding tampering of the baseballs have, at least partially, to do with the CBA talks which could cancel next season.  One problem with that:  Wouldn't the MLBPA also be representing the pitchers, as well?  This would appear to indicate that the pendulum is PERMANENTLY swinging away from pitching, if they can get away with it...   
• Packers OTA's have a report that Jordan Love is ready to start Week 1 (or at least he claims it) if necessary.  Rodgers is never playing another down for Green Bay, it looks like.  And, given what else has been said, that could smell full-scale mutiny for a team which already has a lot of trouble getting their hands on decent players...   
• Pat Riley has been fined $25,000 for tampering, for implying that he'd like to see LeBron James back with the Heat, of whom he is now team President.  That's not gonna work, people...   
• The Baseball Hall of Fame has moved back Induction Sunday for the 2019-20 class to September 8th.

Part 2: Meet SpiderTack.

It appears we have the identity of at least a super-substance which pitchers appear to be using to gain the advantage.

The Athletic, in an article today, is noting that it appears the substance is a synthetic with the name of SpiderTack.

It is so sticky that it requires WD-40 or baby oil to remove from a pitcher's hands or glove.

An unnamed former major-league pitcher who was tagged by The Athletic for testing was able to increase his spin-rate (which aids in breaking pitches and the like) by over 25%, about 500 RPM.  Even a clear amateur on the paper's staff was able to increase his spin-rate on 59 MPH fastballs by almost 400 RPM.

I will say this -- if the arms' race (pardon the pun) is getting this sophisticated, we could be in for a very interesting summer in MLB.

It is unknown whether SpiderTack is the substance it is believed Trevor Bauer was using last year.

It appears they've gotten the Yankees' Gerritt Cole, who hemmed and hawed his way through an interview on the subject today.  (So, if that's the case, it probably ISN'T the substance that "some say" Trevor Bauer brought to the Dodgers.)

Anatomy of a Narrative: How Social Media Attempts To Manipulate The Public To Accept A League's Biases...

Oh.  

My.  

GOD.

I want you to take a look at a video made by a verified YouTube user regarding what, in and of it's own merit, probably deserves some degree of a deep dive:  the rise of the pitchers this year and the fact that it is increasingly believed (now up to third-party evaluators employed by Major League Baseball to verify) that the entire rise of pitching this year has been due to RAMPANT doctoring of the baseball:

Now, of it's own merit, this is definitely a deep dive some would want examined.

But there's a serious bias problem here in this video, and it's another "FUCK THE DODGERS!" moment, as it appears that Rob Manfred's "FUCK THE DODGERS!" campaign of the last 6-8-10 years is beginning to weasel it's way into commentaries about the game.

It does not take 75 seconds of a brief beginning of this video (so you don't have to listen to the whole 22 minutes unless you want to) for this verified YouTuber to make three very strong charges:

1. The cheating is so rampant among pitchers that the YouTuber is effectively certain that every no-hitter performed to this point in 2021 had doctoring of the baseball.
2. Trevor Bauer, while with Cincinnati, concocted a historic-ly effective substance to doctor the balls, and not only won the 2020 Cy Young with it...
3. ... but won that fat contract with the Dodgers, not only for his services, BUT FOR THE SUBSTANCE TO GO ALONG WITH IT.  ("... which has led some to believe that his record-setting contract he signed this off-season was made by the Dodgers, in part, to gain access to this substance." (1:05-1:14 in the video))

If that's not a direct hit piece on the LA Dodgers, I want to know what is.

And, as I said to him, he might as well be Rob Manfred, because that's trying to manipulate a narrative.

Here's the problem:  At least on a league-wide level, he may be right.  Word is getting out that "substances on the ball" are being investigated across the league -- and, wouldn't you know it, offenses are beginning to respond!!

But statements like this are trying to put a narrative out there -- Fuck The Dodgers, and we know we can't beat them without basically attempting to dismantle the entire team and foment it's break-up.

Want to say otherwsie?  Who's saying that, "Baseball Doesn't Exist", and WHY???

Day 453

• Jim Fassel, former coach of the Giants, has passed away at 71.
• Rickie Fowler will not qualify for this year's US Open.  Phil Mickelson would've been granted a special waiver, but then gave it back when he won the PGA Championship.  
• ESPN notes in an offseason-so-far ranking that the Packers, Raiders, and Steelers have had the three worst offseasons.  Sounds about right.  
• The two best:  Buccaneers #1, Patriots #2.  Brady vs. Belichick.  If it is safe for me to go to Vegas in early-August, something I'm looking at with some interest is the Patriots' number for winning the AFC Championship.   
• The CFP will get a report soon to determine how and if they are going to change the format.  Until there are more than about six relevant schools in college football, just scrap it.   
• SI reports that the new model appears to be a 12-team model.  If that's the case, how many spots would they dare give to the non-AQs?
• It appears the answer is "one".  Under the proposed format, half the field would be the Power 5 conference champions, but WOULD include a guaranteed spot for the Group of 5 "National Champion" as named by the Committee as the highest-ranked team in the Go5, who would normally get the slough-off bowl in the New Years' Six.  The other half would be at-large.  The top four of the six champion slots would get byes.
• If this were in place last year:  Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Oregon were the Power 5 champions.  The highest-rated Group of 5 conference champion was Cincinnati.  So those are your six automatic bids.
• Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, and Oklahoma would get the byes.
• The six at-larges:  Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia, Iowa State, and Indiana.
• They would probably give the conference champions priority, at least in the Power 5.  I'll use the last ranking as the determinant.  The first round, had we used last year's standings:  Oregon is actually the lowest-rated team, but they were a conference champion, and hence AQ, so they get top billing vs. Indiana.  Notre Dame would face Iowa State.Texas A&M would face Georgia.    Florida would get Cincinnati.  
• And yes, regular-season-undefeated Coastal Carolina would STILL GET SCREWED.  Cincinnati is a Group of 5 team ahead of them, and Indiana finished one spot above Coastal Carolina in the final CFP standings to ace out the final spot at #11.
• At least five attendees of the CONCACAF Nations League Final USA vs. Mexico left in handcuffs Sunday night.  And it sounds like the number should've been far higher.  The only way to get rid of the chants is to expel Mexico from all international competition otherwise.  Period-end-finito.  It will never change otherwise.   
• Got a spam comment earlier today on an old Asian match-fixer article I did here which said "Thanks for the support, I hope to see you in the future."  The only reason I don't think it was from an Asian match-fixer (name appeared all to be in Sanskrit) is because I get enough spam e-mail, etc., to see when phishing or farming for stuff on the Net is being done.

Day 452

• The head of the Japanese Olympic Committee's accounting department has suicided by jumping in front of a train.  5 1/2 weeks, people...   
• Fuck.  The stadium didn't blow up and take out Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul.  Dammit.
• Last night's CONCACAF Nations League Final was a farce.  Match had to be Level 2-stopped again for THAT chant, and Claudio Reyna was beaned by items thrown from the stands by Mexican fans.  If it even matters, the USA won 3-2 in extra time, after VAR ruled an extra-time penalty for both sides.
• The Continuing Saga of Aaron Rodgers will be the continuing focus of the NFL this summer.  The real question is who blinks first:  Rodgers by playing for the Packers or the Packers for trading him and losing what little relevance as job-boys they have left...   
• The 76ers and their president of basketball operations Daryl Morey have been fined $75,000 each for a tweet the NBA is interpreting as attempting to get Steph Curry to the 76ers.
• Britt Reid has pled not guilty to his DUI charges.

Day 451

• So long Luka.  The NBA got rid of Luka Doncic and his problems following the rules with the Clippers beating the Mavs in the playoffs.
• Which means we are probably now leaning toward Nets vs. Clippers....
• Patrick Cantlay won the Memorial in a playoff, with a 72-hole score five shots worse than what Jon Rahm had through three rounds before a positive COVID test ended his weekend.
• And, between the lines, we have confirmation:  Since the PGA Tour does not test vaccinated players (thank you, anonymous friend!), we can now know Rahm is NOT vaccinated.  (See clarification on June 16 post.)

Day 450

• In another example of football's incompatibility with humanity, seven coaches at an Ohio high school have been fired for the violation of a Jewish player's beliefs by forcing him to eat pork as a penalty for missing a voluntary workout.  The 17 year old and his family are still suing the school district.  An eighth coach will remain after a suspension after the investigation.
• It appears as if ball-doctoring in MLB has meant that the pitchers and teams have taken over "de-juicing" the baseballs, and some believe the rampant use of illegal substances, even in the face of an MLB crackdown, is what's responsible for the historic feeble stats of the first two months.
• In evidence, the Dodgers did score 9 runs yesterday in beating the Braves 9-5.  However, they were on 4 hits, 9 walks, an error, and two wild pitches.  Outside the eight-run fifth and the ninth, in which they scored one run, they didn't get a hit in any other inning.  Any interesting comparison stats would require a subscription to Baseball Reference's rotisserie searches (thanks, but no thanks...).
• The good news:  Major League Baseball is partnering with all 30 teams to give a free ticket to a game to anyone who gets vaccinated for the coronavirus.
• The bad news, like it appears some of the incentives:  You can't have been vaccinated for the coronavirus beforehand.
• Fucking REALLY, people???  Look, some of us busted our asses and did the right thing without prompting, and yet more than just I are beginning to think being a petualant QOP DICK about things forces more bribes onto the table.  California just gave away it's first 15 $50,000 lottery prizes for vaccinated residents of the state (though, in that case, nothing needed to be done -- all people vaccinated already were in the pool).  And a lot of us aren't asking for much.  Maybe the game ticket here and the $50 gift card there, etc., if this is how things are gonna go...   
• Speaking of dicks, Floyd Mayweather and YouTuber Jake Paul are supposed to fight this weekend.  Really.  Seriously.
• Terry Stotts was fired yesterday as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.  Four years out of the last five, out in the first round.
• Jon Rahm had a six-shot lead and was cruising at the annual Memorial Tournament in Ohio....
• ... before he was defeated...  by a positive coronavirus test.
• The Sultan's horse, Essential Quality, finally gets an arm of the Triple Crown, winning the Belmont Stakes.

Day 449

• The illegal homophobic Mexican chants are back.  Several fans ejected in the first half, CONCACAF protocol invoked in stoppage time of a Nations League semifinal with Costa Rica after a fight.  After the three-minute stoppage of play, the match was completed to a 0-0 draw.  Mexico will face the USA in the Nations League final in Denver after winning a six-round penalty-kick shootout 5-4.  Anti-discriminatory ads were all over the stadium during last night's game -- but had little to any perceptible effect.  It's time for CONCACAF and FIFA to throw out Mexico.   

The protocol:

1. PA announcement
2. Three-minute stoppage of play
3. Removal of the players from the pitch for up to 10 minutes
4. Abandonment of the match

• Another fan incident as the defending champs are ousted in the NBA Playoffs.  Montrezl Harrell of the Lakers was taunted online after the Lakers got eliminated for the death of his grandmother last July.

Day 448

• Things are spiraling out of control in the winter playoffs.  At least the third multiple-game suspension will be administered to Mark Schiefle of the Winnipeg Jets for this thug-shot as Montreal's Jake Evans scored an empty-net goal to seal the North Division Game 1 5-3...

• That needs to be a "rest of the playoffs" suspension, probably with a minimum of no fewer than 15 games.  I an not aware of whether Schiefle has a record with the DoPS -- if he does, then make it the 25 Dale Hunter got for his post-goal cheap-shot.  At some point, you have to wave the white flag and understand the game is lost.  He didn't and put Evans on a stretcher as a result.   
• And it sounds like the suspension will be less than six games.
• It's four.  Open season declared.
• The USFL is back next Spring.
• Reports have Amazon wanting Al Michaels for it's Amazon-exclusive NFL games.
• Critical scenes in a minor-league game in Durham.  Stopped when the pitcher took a shot off the head and fell convulsing to the mound.  No word on the current condition of Tyler Zombro.

Day 447

• Some stunning, though not completely surprising, employment news in sports and sports entertainment to kick off the day.
• It sounds like the Boston Celtics have had enough of their malaise.  Danny Ainge has retired/been forced out as the head of basketball operations -- former head coach Brad Stevens has been promoted to the role and they will look for a new head coach.  This the day after being ousted from the playoffs 4-1 by Brooklyn.
• But another round of WWE talent cuts has come.  First, it's unusual for a second round of "Black (Whatever Day It Is)" cuts to occur after a Wrestlemania.  In fact, if you count NXT, this could be a THIRD round of such cuts.  It is clear that a major reorganizational effort is being made in the company, but some of these names...

1. Lana.  Pretty much never amounted to anything other than a long pair of legs accompanying her husband FKA Rusev.
2. The Riott Squad is finally no more.  After having some featuring on Monday's Raw -- by Wednesday, Ruby Riott is no longer with the company.
3. Buddy Murphy finally gets his release after months of little use.
4. Santana Garrett never got much traction in the NXT women's division.
5. But two major bombshells:  The first being Aleister Black.
6. But former Universal Champion Braun Strowman overshadows the lot.

• This is fueling further speculation that Vince is finally getting rid of WWE, and streamlining.
• Perhaps another idea the NCAA is on it's way out:  Mike Krzyzewski of Duke is retiring after next season.
• Medina Spirit's disqualification has been confirmed by Churchill Downs, and the track has banned Bob Baffert for 2 years, meaning he's out of the 2022 and 2023 Derbies.

Day 446

• Another example of how bad baseball got with juicing the balls:  It has been 57 years since a qualifying pitcher got as low of an ERA through two months of the season of Jacob DeGrom's 0.71 ERA for this year.
• Latest word on Broadway's reopening:  Sept. 2020 through the winter into 2021.