May 14, 2023 News and Notes

• The May tournament in sumo has begun, and the two biggest pieces of news are:
• Yokozuna Terunofuji and Ozeki Takakeisho are both wrestling, at least to start the tournament.  Both are suffering major knee injuries (and Takakeisho needs an 8-7 to maintain his rank of Ozeki).  Both won their openers.
• And former Ozeki Asanayama has returned to the top tournament after a six-tournament suspension and a demotion deep into the boy ranks.  He also won his opener.
• I should do a post on the uselessness of regular seasons these days, but few will match what happened in the inaugural tournament for the championship of XFL version three.  The Arlington Renegades went 4-6 in the ten-game regular season.  But since they finished second in the division, they went to the playoffs and beat two teams with a combined record of 17-3, including a 35-26 win over the DC Defenders to become the inaugural XFL V3 champions.
• ANOTHER gun video starring Ja Morant has surfaced on social media last night, and the Memphis Grizzlies have banned Morant from all team activities as a result.
• The NBA needs to ban him from the league and investigate him for gang ties.
• In a continuing showing of "Championship Or Bust", the Phoenix Suns fired THEIR head coach for failing to win a title, as Monty Williams was fired instantaneously upon elimination.
• According to ESPN's research, the Suns are the winningest NBA team the last three years.
• Matt Ishbia, the main owner of the Suns, never wanted Williams -- he was a carryover from the previous regime which was forced to sell the team.
• Ishbia, according to reports, has seized the material control of basketball operations, spearheading the trade for Kevin Durant once he became owner.
• Probably meaning the team's GM is fired as soon as Monday...
• Manchester City are EPL champions again.  Will be made official in the next round or so, but a 3-0 win over possibly relegation-bound Everton and a 3-0 loss by Arsenal to Brighton and Hove Albion has all but clinched the title.
• Their third consecutive championship, fifth in six years, sixth in ten.
• Only twice in the last decade has the team not finished first or second.
• And it is no coincidence that the EPL has charged Man City with over 100 breaches of Financial Fair Play (this after Man City got a two-year European ban thrown out by the CAS -- which has no jurisdiction in this second situation, this one purely domestic).
• Given that these actions were 2009-2018, these actions perform the backbone of the entire run that Man City has been on, see above.
• Possible penalties include expulsion from the EPL.
• The independent commission hearing the charges will be kept private until a decision is made, at which point a second domestic appeals commission will have to confirm it.
• And Man City is looking at an EPL/FA Cup/Champions League treble.  It would be their second treble, having won the EPL/FA Cup/League Cup treble four years ago.
• Luis Aguilar just made football history in the USFL.
• Philadelphia defeated New Jersey 24-21.
• Aguilar got all 24 points.  EIGHT FIELD GOALS.
• 22, 42, 56, 36, 27, 51, 49, and a 55 yarder at the gun make him the first professional football kicker in any league to kick eight field goals in a game.
• Three from beyond 50 AND a 49...