June 7, 2023 News and Notes

• Josh Allen is the 2023 Madden 24 cover athlete.
• In a move which all but ensures God will have his back broken and made humble while the cameraman zooms, The Iron Shiek has passed away at 81.  I swear to you that I'm actually surprised - I thought he had died years ago.   
• Major League Baseball may have a major problem for most of the summer in the Eastern United States.  The Canadian wildfire season has literally exploded -- over 400 fires, 200 or more of which completely out of control.  New York looks about as apocalyptic as San Francisco did three or so years ago with the worst of Northern California's wildfires.  Weather patterns indicate Pittsburgh/Cincinnati/Cleveland/etc. could get the worst of it over the weekend.
• Games in New York and Philadephia were cancelled due to the air quality.
• Speaking of Pittsburgh, they may finally be coming down to Earth.  One big win and almost another for the Oakland A's.  That's still only 14 vs. 50 losses, but the expansion Mets are now at least somewhere in view.
• And a story in the NFL which, with some of the stories surrounding the writers' strike in Hollywood (soon to be joined by the Screen Actors Guild, who also had an authorization vote, and have overwhelmingly voted to strike, starting in July), has me drawing a regretful conclusion which nobody (and I do mean "nobody") is going to like.  It will have it's own post.
• Leonardo Messi has changed his mind.  He'll grab bags of dollars instead of Saudi blood money.  Inter Miami of the MLS is now his destination.