June 16, 2023 News and Notes

• Michael Jordan is out as owner of the Charlotte Hornets.
• In a move which probably seals the Reynas out of the USMNT, Gregg Berhalter has been rehired as the coach of the USMNT through US/Canada/Mexico 2026.
• We now find out that the CONCACAF Nations League semifinal ended in complete disgrace.  ABANDONED for the homophobic chants four minutes from the end of stoppage time, which there already had been one stoppage and at least eight or nine minutes of stoppage time which were played.  Minimum penalty is that the Mexican team needs to be sent home -- no third-place match with Panama.  Then we start talking about how we're going to deal with 2026.  FIFA has to start looking at, at minimum, removing Mexico as a host, throwing them out of world soccer, etc.  And it's also clear this may not be sufficient.  It may be time to seriously consider moving the World Cup.   
• Three more reasons they damn well need to do this now:  First, the abandonment now, under US Soccer rules, means a two-year ban from all international matches in the United States for the Mexican team.
• They've tried to sugar-coat it in the past, but the fact is that no one really knows how much further it has to go until somebody actually does something.
• Second:  A mass fan brawl outside the stadium after the match.
• Third:  $112,000 FIFA fine for the chants in Qatar.
• A 33-year-old Las Vegas man was arrested for threatening to duplicate the mass Las Vegas shooting before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  The only reason -- and I'm still not sure this whole immediate Las Vegas push doesn't do it anyway!! -- that I'm not in more fear of stans doing Tragedies For Championships is because I'm not sure people are that smart to figure it out without it being completely immediate!!!   
• Deion Sanders has already had two toes on his right foot, and no feeling at all in his left.  Very real chance doctors will have to amputate the left foot.