Armadillo Sports
Saturday’s 6-pack:
— Edmonton 5, Florida 1- Game 7 is Monday night in Florida.
— Mets 11, Cubs 1- Mets won eight of their last nine games.
— Marlins 3, Mariners 2 (10)- Miami won last 4 games, last 3 on walk-offs.
— Guardians 7, Blue Jays 1- Toronto pitchers threw 70 pitches in 2nd inning alone.
— Angels 3, Dodgers 2 (10)- Ohtani homered against his old team.
— A’s 6, Twins 5- Shea Langeliers hit a 2-run tater in 8th inning.
Quote of the Day
“I am grateful for the amazing doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals for providing me with needed care. My family and I are thankful for your prayers and support during this time.”
Hall of Fame RB Barry Sanders, who had a health scare last week, but is OK now
Saturday’s quiz
Who is the Milwaukee Brewers’ all-time leader in home runs?
Friday’s quiz
Tony LaRussa was the Oakland A’s manager, last time they won the World Series.
Thursday’s quiz
Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum was the third pick in the 2017 NBA Draft; 76ers picked Markelle Fultz with the first pick, Lakers took Lonzo Ball with the second pick.
*********************************************************
Saturday’s Den: Notes on SEC football………
— Favorites won/covered the last five national championship games.
— Best teams last year, in turnover margin:
+19- Michigan
+16- Penn State
+13- Northwestern
Worst teams last year, in turnover margin:
minus-20- Temple
minus-17- Nebraska
Minus-14- Rice
Some quick notes on SEC teams:
— Last four years, Alabama is 18-7-1 ATS as a home favorite.
Of course, a new era begins this year in Tuscaloosa, with Nick Saban leaving.
— Arkansas coach Sam Pittman is 16-7 ATS as an underdog, 6-11-1 as a favorite.
— In his career, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze is 6-2 SU in bowl games, 28-13 ATS as am underdog.
— Last three years, Florida Gators are 17-21 SU; they lost their last three bowl games by an average score of 38-13.
— Georgia coach Kirby Smart is 18-27-1 ATS as a home favorite, 20-11 as a road favorite.
— Famous birthdays, June 22nd:
Kris Kristofferson, 88
Bobby Douglass, 77
Meryl Streep, 75
Clyde Drexler, 62
Amy Brenneman, 60
Kurt Warner, 53
Champ Bailey, 46
Josh Naylor, 27
Cam Akers, 25
— In his career. LSU coach Brian Kelly is 35-17-2 ATS as an underdog.
— Ole Miss Rebels are 2-3 SU/3-2 ATS in their last five bowls, giving up 37.6 ppg in the five games.
— Last two years, Missouri Tigers are 11-5 ATS against SEC opponents.
— South Carolina coach Shane Beamer is 11-4 ATS as a favorite.
— In his career, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is 21-13 ATS as a home favorite, 3-8 ATS as an underdog.
Last two seasons, Vols were +17 in turnovers.
— Since 2014, Texas A&M is 15-26-2 ATS in games coming off a loss.
— Since 2019, Vanderbilt is 7-24 against the spread; they’re 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games coming off a win.
Saturday’s 6-pack:
— Edmonton 5, Florida 1- Game 7 is Monday night in Florida.
— Mets 11, Cubs 1- Mets won eight of their last nine games.
— Marlins 3, Mariners 2 (10)- Miami won last 4 games, last 3 on walk-offs.
— Guardians 7, Blue Jays 1- Toronto pitchers threw 70 pitches in 2nd inning alone.
— Angels 3, Dodgers 2 (10)- Ohtani homered against his old team.
— A’s 6, Twins 5- Shea Langeliers hit a 2-run tater in 8th inning.
Quote of the Day
“I am grateful for the amazing doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals for providing me with needed care. My family and I are thankful for your prayers and support during this time.”
Hall of Fame RB Barry Sanders, who had a health scare last week, but is OK now
Saturday’s quiz
Who is the Milwaukee Brewers’ all-time leader in home runs?
Friday’s quiz
Tony LaRussa was the Oakland A’s manager, last time they won the World Series.
Thursday’s quiz
Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum was the third pick in the 2017 NBA Draft; 76ers picked Markelle Fultz with the first pick, Lakers took Lonzo Ball with the second pick.
*********************************************************
Saturday’s Den: Notes on SEC football………
— Favorites won/covered the last five national championship games.
— Best teams last year, in turnover margin:
+19- Michigan
+16- Penn State
+13- Northwestern
Worst teams last year, in turnover margin:
minus-20- Temple
minus-17- Nebraska
Minus-14- Rice
Some quick notes on SEC teams:
— Last four years, Alabama is 18-7-1 ATS as a home favorite.
Of course, a new era begins this year in Tuscaloosa, with Nick Saban leaving.
— Arkansas coach Sam Pittman is 16-7 ATS as an underdog, 6-11-1 as a favorite.
— In his career, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze is 6-2 SU in bowl games, 28-13 ATS as am underdog.
— Last three years, Florida Gators are 17-21 SU; they lost their last three bowl games by an average score of 38-13.
— Georgia coach Kirby Smart is 18-27-1 ATS as a home favorite, 20-11 as a road favorite.
— Famous birthdays, June 22nd:
Kris Kristofferson, 88
Bobby Douglass, 77
Meryl Streep, 75
Clyde Drexler, 62
Amy Brenneman, 60
Kurt Warner, 53
Champ Bailey, 46
Josh Naylor, 27
Cam Akers, 25
— In his career. LSU coach Brian Kelly is 35-17-2 ATS as an underdog.
— Ole Miss Rebels are 2-3 SU/3-2 ATS in their last five bowls, giving up 37.6 ppg in the five games.
— Last two years, Missouri Tigers are 11-5 ATS against SEC opponents.
— South Carolina coach Shane Beamer is 11-4 ATS as a favorite.
— In his career, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is 21-13 ATS as a home favorite, 3-8 ATS as an underdog.
Last two seasons, Vols were +17 in turnovers.
— Since 2014, Texas A&M is 15-26-2 ATS in games coming off a loss.
— Since 2019, Vanderbilt is 7-24 against the spread; they’re 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games coming off a win.
Knock!Armadillo Sports
Sunday’s 6-pack:
Major League leaders in total bases:
191— Shohei Otani LA/Aaron Judge, NYY
178— Gunnar Henderson, Balt
169— Bobby Witt Jr, KC
165— Marcell Ozuna, Atl
156— Juan Soto, NYY
154— Ezequiel Tovar, Colo
Quote of the Day
“2009 can hold my beer. This is going to be crazy.”
Anonymous NL executive, talking about next month’s trade deadline, with so many teams still in contention
Sunday’s quiz
What famous actor played Trapper John McIntyre in the M*A*S*H movie?
Saturday’s quiz
Ryan Braun is the Milwaukee Brewers’ all-time leader in home runs.
Friday’s quiz
Tony LaRussa was the Oakland A’s manager, last time they won the World Series.
*********************************************************
Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…….
— Rockies 8, Nationals 7
Ryan McMahon drew a bases loaded walk on a pitch clock violation which ended the game in favor of the Rockies, who scored twice in bottom of the 9th.
It was the ninth pitch clock violation for Washington closer Kyle Finnegan, most in the major leagues this season.
— They were talking on the Milwaukee Brewers’ game the other night about how Milwaukee players think the baseballs aren’t going as far this season as they have in the past.
They didn’t talk about it for long; I get the impression that MLB is discouraging such talk, but offense is down and less lively baseballs would be a good reason why.
— Cardinals 9, Giants 4
Alec Burleson had two homers, five RBI
Giants have lost six of their last seven games.
— White Sox 5, Tigers 1
Rookie P Thorpe got his first MLB win, throwing six shutout IP.
White Sox won for only 8th time in 40 road games.
— Dodgers 7, Angels 2
Shohei Ohtani hit another home run against his old team.
Dodgers were -410 favorites in this game; you do not see baseball teams favored by that much very often.
— Rangers 6, Royals 0
Wyatt Langford hit a grand slam; he has 18 RBI in his last 21 games.
Royals are 3-10 in their last 13 games, scoring a total of 36 runs.
— Marlins’ P Jesus Luzardo is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a back injury, which likely screws up any chances the Marlins had of dealing him at the trade deadline July 30.
— Wild Card races:
AL- Orioles, Twins, Royals are the three Wild Cards.
Red Sox trail Kansas City by half-game, Astros/Rays trailed KC by 4.5 games.
NL- Braves, Cardinals, Padres are the three Wild Cards.
Arizona is game behind, Pirates/Nationals 1.5 games behind.
— Famous birthdays, June 23rd:
Bryan Brown, 77
Jim Deshaies, 64
LaSalle Thompson, 63
Shaun O’Hara, 47
LaDainian Tomlinson, 45
Rodney McLeod, 34
Tim Anderson, 31
— Dodgers’ OF Chris Taylor is the only major leaguer whose first career home run and 100th career home run were both grand slams.
— White Sox OF Tommy Pham hit a home run down the left field line in Detroit Friday that would’ve been a home run in 28 of 30 ballparks, with Fenway/Wrigley the two exceptions- that seems unusual, except it was a line drive that wouldn’t have cleared the Green Monster.
— Friday night, Cleveland Guardians scored seven runs in second inning against Toronto; the two Blue Jay pitchers threw 70 pitches, just in that inning.
— When Mets scored 10 runs in three innings against Shota Imanaga Friday, his ERA went from 1.89 to 2.96.
— Cardinals’ 1B Paul Goldschmidt became the 100th major leaguer with 350+ home runs.
— Lakers hired JJ Redick as their new head coach; he has zero coaching experience, and is the Lakers’ 7th head coach since Phil Jackson left in 2011.
— RIP to the great actor Donald Sutherland, who passed away at age 88; I remember him best as Matthew McConaughey’s mentor in A Time to Kill, the John Grisham movie, but he was also Hawkeye Pierce in the M*A*S*H movie and he was in Kelly’s Heroes, among many other movies.
He has 200 acting credits on IMDB.com; RIP, sir.
Sunday’s 6-pack:
Major League leaders in total bases:
191— Shohei Otani LA/Aaron Judge, NYY
178— Gunnar Henderson, Balt
169— Bobby Witt Jr, KC
165— Marcell Ozuna, Atl
156— Juan Soto, NYY
154— Ezequiel Tovar, Colo
Quote of the Day
“2009 can hold my beer. This is going to be crazy.”
Anonymous NL executive, talking about next month’s trade deadline, with so many teams still in contention
Sunday’s quiz
What famous actor played Trapper John McIntyre in the M*A*S*H movie?
Saturday’s quiz
Ryan Braun is the Milwaukee Brewers’ all-time leader in home runs.
Friday’s quiz
Tony LaRussa was the Oakland A’s manager, last time they won the World Series.
*********************************************************
Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…….
— Rockies 8, Nationals 7
Ryan McMahon drew a bases loaded walk on a pitch clock violation which ended the game in favor of the Rockies, who scored twice in bottom of the 9th.
It was the ninth pitch clock violation for Washington closer Kyle Finnegan, most in the major leagues this season.
— They were talking on the Milwaukee Brewers’ game the other night about how Milwaukee players think the baseballs aren’t going as far this season as they have in the past.
They didn’t talk about it for long; I get the impression that MLB is discouraging such talk, but offense is down and less lively baseballs would be a good reason why.
— Cardinals 9, Giants 4
Alec Burleson had two homers, five RBI
Giants have lost six of their last seven games.
— White Sox 5, Tigers 1
Rookie P Thorpe got his first MLB win, throwing six shutout IP.
White Sox won for only 8th time in 40 road games.
— Dodgers 7, Angels 2
Shohei Ohtani hit another home run against his old team.
Dodgers were -410 favorites in this game; you do not see baseball teams favored by that much very often.
— Rangers 6, Royals 0
Wyatt Langford hit a grand slam; he has 18 RBI in his last 21 games.
Royals are 3-10 in their last 13 games, scoring a total of 36 runs.
— Marlins’ P Jesus Luzardo is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a back injury, which likely screws up any chances the Marlins had of dealing him at the trade deadline July 30.
— Wild Card races:
AL- Orioles, Twins, Royals are the three Wild Cards.
Red Sox trail Kansas City by half-game, Astros/Rays trailed KC by 4.5 games.
NL- Braves, Cardinals, Padres are the three Wild Cards.
Arizona is game behind, Pirates/Nationals 1.5 games behind.
— Famous birthdays, June 23rd:
Bryan Brown, 77
Jim Deshaies, 64
LaSalle Thompson, 63
Shaun O’Hara, 47
LaDainian Tomlinson, 45
Rodney McLeod, 34
Tim Anderson, 31
— Dodgers’ OF Chris Taylor is the only major leaguer whose first career home run and 100th career home run were both grand slams.
— White Sox OF Tommy Pham hit a home run down the left field line in Detroit Friday that would’ve been a home run in 28 of 30 ballparks, with Fenway/Wrigley the two exceptions- that seems unusual, except it was a line drive that wouldn’t have cleared the Green Monster.
— Friday night, Cleveland Guardians scored seven runs in second inning against Toronto; the two Blue Jay pitchers threw 70 pitches, just in that inning.
— When Mets scored 10 runs in three innings against Shota Imanaga Friday, his ERA went from 1.89 to 2.96.
— Cardinals’ 1B Paul Goldschmidt became the 100th major leaguer with 350+ home runs.
— Lakers hired JJ Redick as their new head coach; he has zero coaching experience, and is the Lakers’ 7th head coach since Phil Jackson left in 2011.
— RIP to the great actor Donald Sutherland, who passed away at age 88; I remember him best as Matthew McConaughey’s mentor in A Time to Kill, the John Grisham movie, but he was also Hawkeye Pierce in the M*A*S*H movie and he was in Kelly’s Heroes, among many other movies.
He has 200 acting credits on IMDB.com; RIP, sir.
Armadillo Sports
Monday’s 6-pack:
Week 2 NFL spreads:
— Bills @ Miami (-1.5, 51.5)
— Saints @ Dallas (-6.5, 44.5)
— Buccaneers @ Detroit (-6, 48.5)
— Colts @ Green Bay (-4, 47.5)
— Chargers (-3.5, 42.5) @ Carolina
— Jets (-3.5, 44) @ Tennessee
Quote of the Day
“Winning helps, and losing doesn’t.”
Bill Parcells
Monday’s quiz
Who was the first player taken in last year’s NBA Draft?
Sunday’s quiz
Elliott Gould played Trapper John McIntyre in the M*A*S*H movie.
Saturday’s quiz
Ryan Braun is the Milwaukee Brewers’ all-time leader in home runs.
***************************************************
Monday’s Den: Random Lists of 4………
— Las Vegas hotels:
MGM, Vdara, Westgate, SouthPoint
— TV shows:
Law & Order
Magnum PI
CSI
Odd Couple
— Sports movies:
American Underdog
Moneyball
Blue Chips
Any Given Sunday
— Non-sports movies:
Rounders
A Star is Born
Leap of Faith
Begin Again
— Food:
Pizza, spaghetti/meatballs, scrambled eggs/sausage, chicken parm
— Current college basketball coaches:
John Calipari
Mark Few
Danny Hurley
Tom Izzo
— All-time college basketball coaches:
John Wooden
Dean Smith
Mike Krzyzewski
Jerry Tarkanian
— Actresses:
Gina Gershon, Diane Lane, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sela Ward
— Musicians:
Bob Seger, Billy Joel, Pat Benatar, Van Morrison
— best NFL coaches:
Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, Bill Belichick, Tom Landry
— In-person events:
2000 NFC title game: Rams 11, Buccaneers 6
2008 World Series game: Rays @ Phillies
Frank Sinatra concert in Albany, 1990
2008 Tennessee @ South Carolina football game
—Bucket List:
Spring training game, preferably in Arizona
LSU home football game, on a Saturday night
A’s home game in Oakland Coliseum
Rams’ home game in SoFi Stadium
— best quarterbacks, in Super Bowl era:
John Elway, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Patrick Mahomes
— best MLB starting pitchers (since 1960):
Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Greg Maddux
— Best-ever NBA players:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Lebron James
— favorite television characters:
Oscar Madison, Odd Couple
Jonathan Higgins, Magnum PI
Ray Donovan
Henry Blake, M*A*S*H
— Major league managers:
Bruce Bochy, Dick Williams, Sparky Anderson, Terry Francona
— My favorite sodas:
Dr Brown’s cream soda
Cherry Coke
Orange Crush
Dr Pepper
— Batman villains:
Riddler, Joker, Catwoman (Julie Newmar), Penguin
— Famous birthdays, June 24th:
Michele Lee, 82Joe Penny, 68
Chris Barnes, 59 (Tanner in Bad News Bears)
Alaa Abdelnaby, 56
JJ Redick, 40
Taj Gibson, 39
Tremayne Anchrum, 26
Wilyer Abreu, 25
Christopher Morel, 25
— Al Pacino movies:
Any Given Sunday
Heat
Danny Collins
Sea of Love
— Baseball movies:
Moneyball
For Love of the Game
Bull Durham
Major League
— Denzel Washington movies:
He Got Game
Pelican Brief
Remember the Titans
Out of Time
— Gene Hackman movies:
Hoosiers
Runaway Jury
The Replacements
Class Action
— Basketball movies:
Blue Chips
One on One
Fast Break
The Way Back
(He Got Game gets an honorable mention here)
— Steve Martin movies:
Leap of Faith
Shopgirl
Roxanne
Grand Canyon
— Gambling-related movies:
Rounders
Let It Ride
The Gambler (Mark Wahlberg version)
Lucky You
— Gina Gershon movies:
Bound
PS I Love You
Showgirls
Pretty In Pink
— Bill Murray movies:
Lost In Translation
Caddyshack
Meatballs
St Vincent
— Marisa Tomei movies:
My Cousin Vinny
The Rewrite
The Big Short
Lincoln Lawyer
— Robert DeNiro movies:
Last Vegas
Heat
Jackie Brown
Midnight Run
— Kevin Costner movies:
For Love of the Game
The Bodyguard
Bull Durham
Draft Day
Monday’s 6-pack:
Week 2 NFL spreads:
— Bills @ Miami (-1.5, 51.5)
— Saints @ Dallas (-6.5, 44.5)
— Buccaneers @ Detroit (-6, 48.5)
— Colts @ Green Bay (-4, 47.5)
— Chargers (-3.5, 42.5) @ Carolina
— Jets (-3.5, 44) @ Tennessee
Quote of the Day
“Winning helps, and losing doesn’t.”
Bill Parcells
Monday’s quiz
Who was the first player taken in last year’s NBA Draft?
Sunday’s quiz
Elliott Gould played Trapper John McIntyre in the M*A*S*H movie.
Saturday’s quiz
Ryan Braun is the Milwaukee Brewers’ all-time leader in home runs.
***************************************************
Monday’s Den: Random Lists of 4………
— Las Vegas hotels:
MGM, Vdara, Westgate, SouthPoint
— TV shows:
Law & Order
Magnum PI
CSI
Odd Couple
— Sports movies:
American Underdog
Moneyball
Blue Chips
Any Given Sunday
— Non-sports movies:
Rounders
A Star is Born
Leap of Faith
Begin Again
— Food:
Pizza, spaghetti/meatballs, scrambled eggs/sausage, chicken parm
— Current college basketball coaches:
John Calipari
Mark Few
Danny Hurley
Tom Izzo
— All-time college basketball coaches:
John Wooden
Dean Smith
Mike Krzyzewski
Jerry Tarkanian
— Actresses:
Gina Gershon, Diane Lane, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sela Ward
— Musicians:
Bob Seger, Billy Joel, Pat Benatar, Van Morrison
— best NFL coaches:
Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, Bill Belichick, Tom Landry
— In-person events:
2000 NFC title game: Rams 11, Buccaneers 6
2008 World Series game: Rays @ Phillies
Frank Sinatra concert in Albany, 1990
2008 Tennessee @ South Carolina football game
—Bucket List:
Spring training game, preferably in Arizona
LSU home football game, on a Saturday night
A’s home game in Oakland Coliseum
Rams’ home game in SoFi Stadium
— best quarterbacks, in Super Bowl era:
John Elway, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Patrick Mahomes
— best MLB starting pitchers (since 1960):
Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Greg Maddux
— Best-ever NBA players:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Lebron James
— favorite television characters:
Oscar Madison, Odd Couple
Jonathan Higgins, Magnum PI
Ray Donovan
Henry Blake, M*A*S*H
— Major league managers:
Bruce Bochy, Dick Williams, Sparky Anderson, Terry Francona
— My favorite sodas:
Dr Brown’s cream soda
Cherry Coke
Orange Crush
Dr Pepper
— Batman villains:
Riddler, Joker, Catwoman (Julie Newmar), Penguin
— Famous birthdays, June 24th:
Michele Lee, 82Joe Penny, 68
Chris Barnes, 59 (Tanner in Bad News Bears)
Alaa Abdelnaby, 56
JJ Redick, 40
Taj Gibson, 39
Tremayne Anchrum, 26
Wilyer Abreu, 25
Christopher Morel, 25
— Al Pacino movies:
Any Given Sunday
Heat
Danny Collins
Sea of Love
— Baseball movies:
Moneyball
For Love of the Game
Bull Durham
Major League
— Denzel Washington movies:
He Got Game
Pelican Brief
Remember the Titans
Out of Time
— Gene Hackman movies:
Hoosiers
Runaway Jury
The Replacements
Class Action
— Basketball movies:
Blue Chips
One on One
Fast Break
The Way Back
(He Got Game gets an honorable mention here)
— Steve Martin movies:
Leap of Faith
Shopgirl
Roxanne
Grand Canyon
— Gambling-related movies:
Rounders
Let It Ride
The Gambler (Mark Wahlberg version)
Lucky You
— Gina Gershon movies:
Bound
PS I Love You
Showgirls
Pretty In Pink
— Bill Murray movies:
Lost In Translation
Caddyshack
Meatballs
St Vincent
— Marisa Tomei movies:
My Cousin Vinny
The Rewrite
The Big Short
Lincoln Lawyer
— Robert DeNiro movies:
Last Vegas
Heat
Jackie Brown
Midnight Run
— Kevin Costner movies:
For Love of the Game
The Bodyguard
Bull Durham
Draft Day
Armadillo Sports
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Week 2 NFL spreads:
— Rams @ San Francisco (-7.5, 45.5)
— Cardinals @ NJ Giants (-4.5, 39.5)
— Broncos (-3.5, 38.5) @ Washington
— Patriots @ Miami (-1.5, 46.5)
— Panthers @ New Orleans (-3, 39.5)
— Steelers @ Cleveland (-2.5, 39.5)
Quote of the Day
“I think in industry in general and in sports in specific, sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in patterns of being in a sea of sameness and doing the same thing that everybody else is doing…… But when we embarked on this search, it was really important for us to see if we could do something a little bit different. And quickly in our conversations with JJ, it was very evident that he had a unique perspective and philosophy on basketball and how it’s to be taught.”
Lakers’ GM Rob Pelinka, on hiring JJ Redick as coach
Tuesday’s quiz
Dodgers’ P Clayton Kershaw played center on his high school football team; who was the quarterback on that team?
Monday’s quiz
Victor Wembanyama was the first player taken in last year’s NBA Draft, by the Spurs.
Sunday’s quiz
Elliott Gould played Trapper John McIntyre in the M*A*S*H movie.
*******************************************************
Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but……..
— Florida 2, Edmonton 1
Florida wins the Stanley Cup for first time in their 31-year history.
Panthers actually lost Stanley Cup final in 1996, their 3rd year in existence.
There were only three penalties called the whole game.
— Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 5
Volunteers win their first baseball national title.
Hell of a year for Tennessee alum Todd Helton, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.
— Padres 7, Nationals 6 (10)
Washington scored 3 runs in top of 10th, Padres scored 4 in bottom of 10th
Jurickson Profar’s two-run double was the walk-off hit.
— Giants 5, Cubs 4
San Francisco scored three runs in bottom of the ninth.
Win snaps the Giants’ 5-game losing skid.
— Phillies 8, Tigers 1
Detroit lined into a triple play, a 1-3-5 triple play— line drive to the pitcher, who doubled the guy off first base, who then threw to 3rd base for the third out.
Last time there was a 1-3-5 triple play in the major leagues?
1929.
— Mets closer Edwin Díaz was ejected from Sunday night’s game, then suspended for 10 more games after being ejected over having excessive ‘sticky stuff’ on his hand/glove in Chicago.
— Baseball injuries:
Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) goes on the IL
Fernando Tatis (stress reaction in thigh bone) goes on the IL
— Famous birthdays, June 25th:
Carly Simon, 81
JJ Walker, 77
Dell Curry, 60
Dikembe Mutombo, 58
Carlos Delgado, 52
Linda Cardellini, 49
Matt Schaub, 43
Gerald Everett, 30
Desmond Bane, 26
— Guardians 3, Orioles 2
Cleveland has won six games in a row.
Baltimore has lost four games in a row.
— Rays 4, Mariners 3
Tampa Bay scored three runs in bottom of the 8th
Yandy Diaz had the game-winning, 2-run single.
— Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 6
Toronto led 6-2 in the eighth inning.
Boston has won 10 of its last 12 games.
— Cardinals 4, Braves 3
Brendan Donovan had three hits and an RBI.
St Louis is 25-13 in last 38 games, after a 15-24 start.
— Dodgers 3, White Sox 0
James Paxson tossed five shutout innings.
Chicago was shut out for 11th time in 80 games.
— Brewers 6, Rangers 3
Rhys Hoskins hit a 6th inning grand slam for Milwaukee.
Loss snaps the Rangers’ 4-game winning streak.
— If the playoffs started today (they do not):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Braves, Cardinals, Padres
AL: New York, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: Orioles, Twins, Red Sox
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Week 2 NFL spreads:
— Rams @ San Francisco (-7.5, 45.5)
— Cardinals @ NJ Giants (-4.5, 39.5)
— Broncos (-3.5, 38.5) @ Washington
— Patriots @ Miami (-1.5, 46.5)
— Panthers @ New Orleans (-3, 39.5)
— Steelers @ Cleveland (-2.5, 39.5)
Quote of the Day
“I think in industry in general and in sports in specific, sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in patterns of being in a sea of sameness and doing the same thing that everybody else is doing…… But when we embarked on this search, it was really important for us to see if we could do something a little bit different. And quickly in our conversations with JJ, it was very evident that he had a unique perspective and philosophy on basketball and how it’s to be taught.”
Lakers’ GM Rob Pelinka, on hiring JJ Redick as coach
Tuesday’s quiz
Dodgers’ P Clayton Kershaw played center on his high school football team; who was the quarterback on that team?
Monday’s quiz
Victor Wembanyama was the first player taken in last year’s NBA Draft, by the Spurs.
Sunday’s quiz
Elliott Gould played Trapper John McIntyre in the M*A*S*H movie.
*******************************************************
Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but……..
— Florida 2, Edmonton 1
Florida wins the Stanley Cup for first time in their 31-year history.
Panthers actually lost Stanley Cup final in 1996, their 3rd year in existence.
There were only three penalties called the whole game.
— Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 5
Volunteers win their first baseball national title.
Hell of a year for Tennessee alum Todd Helton, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.
— Padres 7, Nationals 6 (10)
Washington scored 3 runs in top of 10th, Padres scored 4 in bottom of 10th
Jurickson Profar’s two-run double was the walk-off hit.
— Giants 5, Cubs 4
San Francisco scored three runs in bottom of the ninth.
Win snaps the Giants’ 5-game losing skid.
— Phillies 8, Tigers 1
Detroit lined into a triple play, a 1-3-5 triple play— line drive to the pitcher, who doubled the guy off first base, who then threw to 3rd base for the third out.
Last time there was a 1-3-5 triple play in the major leagues?
1929.
— Mets closer Edwin Díaz was ejected from Sunday night’s game, then suspended for 10 more games after being ejected over having excessive ‘sticky stuff’ on his hand/glove in Chicago.
— Baseball injuries:
Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) goes on the IL
Fernando Tatis (stress reaction in thigh bone) goes on the IL
— Famous birthdays, June 25th:
Carly Simon, 81
JJ Walker, 77
Dell Curry, 60
Dikembe Mutombo, 58
Carlos Delgado, 52
Linda Cardellini, 49
Matt Schaub, 43
Gerald Everett, 30
Desmond Bane, 26
— Guardians 3, Orioles 2
Cleveland has won six games in a row.
Baltimore has lost four games in a row.
— Rays 4, Mariners 3
Tampa Bay scored three runs in bottom of the 8th
Yandy Diaz had the game-winning, 2-run single.
— Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 6
Toronto led 6-2 in the eighth inning.
Boston has won 10 of its last 12 games.
— Cardinals 4, Braves 3
Brendan Donovan had three hits and an RBI.
St Louis is 25-13 in last 38 games, after a 15-24 start.
— Dodgers 3, White Sox 0
James Paxson tossed five shutout innings.
Chicago was shut out for 11th time in 80 games.
— Brewers 6, Rangers 3
Rhys Hoskins hit a 6th inning grand slam for Milwaukee.
Loss snaps the Rangers’ 4-game winning streak.
— If the playoffs started today (they do not):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Braves, Cardinals, Padres
AL: New York, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: Orioles, Twins, Red Sox
Armadillo Sports
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
— Nets traded G-F Mikal Bridges to Knicks; they get five 1st round picks in return.
— This was first trade between Nets/Knicks since 1983.
— Guardians 10, Orioles 8- Cleveland has won seven in a row.
— Tigers 4, Phillies 1- Tarik Skubal tossed 7 shutout IP.
— Pirates 9, Reds 5- Bryan Reynolds has a 22-game hitting streak.
— Padres 9, Nationals 7- Jurickson Profar hit a grand slam for San Diego.
Quote of the Day
“This deal has a chance to be utterly transformative for Brooklyn, taking an otherwise hopeless era and setting the foundation of one of the NBA’s most promising rebuilds.”
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, talking about the Nets/Knicks trade
Wednesday’s quiz
When was last time an NBA team won back-to-back championships?
Tuesday’s quiz
Dodgers’ P Clayton Kershaw played center on his high school football team; Matthew Stafford was the quarterback on that team.
Monday’s quiz
Victor Wembanyama was the first player taken in last year’s NBA Draft, by the Spurs.
*********************************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Quick notes on each of the 18 teams in the Big Ten
There are now 18 teams in the Big 10, so from now on, we’re calling it the Big 18. Here are some quick notes for each team:
— In his coach, Illinois coach Bret Bielema 28-16-1 ATS as a road dog.
At Illinois, Bielema is 4-10 ATS as a home favorite.
— Indiana lost its last six bowls, but covered the last three, losing by 2-1-6 points.
Hoosiers’ last win in a bowl game was the 1991 Copper Bowl.
— Since 2018, Iowa is 10-4 ATS as a road favorite.
Hawkeyes were minus-9 in turnovers LY; the previous six years, they were +52.
— In his career, Maryland coach Mike Locksley is 22-34 ATS as an underdog.
Since 2018, Maryland is 3-14 ATS as a road underdog.
— Michigan has only 7 starters back this year; 2 on offense, 5 on defense, plus a new coach.
Since 2014, Michigan is 16-22 ATS in non-conference games.
— Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith was 2-8 ATS as a road favorite, 13-7 as a road underdog, during his time at Oregon State (his alma mater).
Under Smith, Beavers were 15-3 ATS as a home favorite.
— In his career, Minnesota coach PJ Fleck is 37-22-2 ATS in road games.
Minnesota won its last seven bowl games.
— In his college career, Nebraska coach Rhule is 33-17 ATS as an underdog.
Nebraska hasn’t played in a bowl game since 2016.
— Famous birthdays, June 26th:
Shannon Sharpe, 56
Chris O’Donnell, 54
Derek Jeter, 50
Chad Pennington, 48
Michael Vick, 44
Deron Williams, 40
Iman Shumpert, 34
Rudy Gobert, 32
Ariana Grande, 31
— Northwestern won its last five bowls; they were underdog in 3 of the 5 games.
Since 2015, Wildcats are 49-31 ATS in conference games.
— Ohio State lost three games in a row vs Michigan, giving up 39 ppg.
Under Ryan Day, Buckeyes are 21-12 ATS as a home favorite.
— Last two years, Penn State is 21-5 SU, with a +27 turnover margin.
Last two years, Nittany Lions are 15-3-1 ATS as a favorite.
— Since 2018, Purdue is 4-15 ATS as a home favorite.
Since 2014, Boilermakers are 23-49 ATS in all home games.
— Since 2018, Rutgers is 10-2 ATS as a home favorite.
Since 2014, Rutgers is 21-11 ATS in non-conference games.
— Since 2018, UCLA is 8-16 ATS as a home favorite.
Since 2014, Bruins are 10-21-1 ATS in non-conference games.
— Washington is 25-3 SU the last two years, but their coach bolted to Alabama, and they only have 6 starters back, 2 on offense, 4 on defense.
While at Arizona, new Washington coach Jedd Fisch was 16-9 ATS as an underdog.
— In his career, Wisconsin coach Fickell is 15-8 ATS as an underdog.
Badgers are 10-5 ATS in last 15 games coming off a loss.
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
— Nets traded G-F Mikal Bridges to Knicks; they get five 1st round picks in return.
— This was first trade between Nets/Knicks since 1983.
— Guardians 10, Orioles 8- Cleveland has won seven in a row.
— Tigers 4, Phillies 1- Tarik Skubal tossed 7 shutout IP.
— Pirates 9, Reds 5- Bryan Reynolds has a 22-game hitting streak.
— Padres 9, Nationals 7- Jurickson Profar hit a grand slam for San Diego.
Quote of the Day
“This deal has a chance to be utterly transformative for Brooklyn, taking an otherwise hopeless era and setting the foundation of one of the NBA’s most promising rebuilds.”
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, talking about the Nets/Knicks trade
Wednesday’s quiz
When was last time an NBA team won back-to-back championships?
Tuesday’s quiz
Dodgers’ P Clayton Kershaw played center on his high school football team; Matthew Stafford was the quarterback on that team.
Monday’s quiz
Victor Wembanyama was the first player taken in last year’s NBA Draft, by the Spurs.
*********************************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Quick notes on each of the 18 teams in the Big Ten
There are now 18 teams in the Big 10, so from now on, we’re calling it the Big 18. Here are some quick notes for each team:
— In his coach, Illinois coach Bret Bielema 28-16-1 ATS as a road dog.
At Illinois, Bielema is 4-10 ATS as a home favorite.
— Indiana lost its last six bowls, but covered the last three, losing by 2-1-6 points.
Hoosiers’ last win in a bowl game was the 1991 Copper Bowl.
— Since 2018, Iowa is 10-4 ATS as a road favorite.
Hawkeyes were minus-9 in turnovers LY; the previous six years, they were +52.
— In his career, Maryland coach Mike Locksley is 22-34 ATS as an underdog.
Since 2018, Maryland is 3-14 ATS as a road underdog.
— Michigan has only 7 starters back this year; 2 on offense, 5 on defense, plus a new coach.
Since 2014, Michigan is 16-22 ATS in non-conference games.
— Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith was 2-8 ATS as a road favorite, 13-7 as a road underdog, during his time at Oregon State (his alma mater).
Under Smith, Beavers were 15-3 ATS as a home favorite.
— In his career, Minnesota coach PJ Fleck is 37-22-2 ATS in road games.
Minnesota won its last seven bowl games.
— In his college career, Nebraska coach Rhule is 33-17 ATS as an underdog.
Nebraska hasn’t played in a bowl game since 2016.
— Famous birthdays, June 26th:
Shannon Sharpe, 56
Chris O’Donnell, 54
Derek Jeter, 50
Chad Pennington, 48
Michael Vick, 44
Deron Williams, 40
Iman Shumpert, 34
Rudy Gobert, 32
Ariana Grande, 31
— Northwestern won its last five bowls; they were underdog in 3 of the 5 games.
Since 2015, Wildcats are 49-31 ATS in conference games.
— Ohio State lost three games in a row vs Michigan, giving up 39 ppg.
Under Ryan Day, Buckeyes are 21-12 ATS as a home favorite.
— Last two years, Penn State is 21-5 SU, with a +27 turnover margin.
Last two years, Nittany Lions are 15-3-1 ATS as a favorite.
— Since 2018, Purdue is 4-15 ATS as a home favorite.
Since 2014, Boilermakers are 23-49 ATS in all home games.
— Since 2018, Rutgers is 10-2 ATS as a home favorite.
Since 2014, Rutgers is 21-11 ATS in non-conference games.
— Since 2018, UCLA is 8-16 ATS as a home favorite.
Since 2014, Bruins are 10-21-1 ATS in non-conference games.
— Washington is 25-3 SU the last two years, but their coach bolted to Alabama, and they only have 6 starters back, 2 on offense, 4 on defense.
While at Arizona, new Washington coach Jedd Fisch was 16-9 ATS as an underdog.
— In his career, Wisconsin coach Fickell is 15-8 ATS as an underdog.
Badgers are 10-5 ATS in last 15 games coming off a loss.
Thursday’s 6-pack:
Six players who won the AP college hoop player of the year award more than once:
— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA
— Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
— David Thompson, NC State
— Bill Walton, UCLA
— Ralph Sampson, Virginia
— Zach Edey, Purdue
Quote of the Day
“A little song, a little dance…….a little seltzer down your pants.”
Chuckles the Clown, from the Mary Tyler Moore Show
Thursday’s quiz
In the movie The Natural, what number did Roy Hobbs wear for the New York Knights?
Wednesday’s quiz
2018 was last time an NBA team won back-to-back championships; Golden State won the title in both 2017 and 2018.
Tuesday’s quiz
Dodgers’ P Clayton Kershaw played center on his high school football team; Matthew Stafford was the quarterback on that team.
**************************************************
I am constantly confounded by the direction ESPN has taken; they’re covering the NBA Draft, they love promoting the NBA, but then they have a draft and don’t have a former coach or a former general manager on their panel. Why?!?!?!?!
Richard Jefferson played in the NBA for 17 years, he is very good on TV.
Jay Bilas is their college basketball expert; he is good on TV.
The host does a good job in her job, moving the broadcast around the arena.
But if you have to have a 4th person on set, it damn sure needs to be someone who has been in the room, scouting/drafting players on nights like this one, or someone who has coached in the NBA, so they can tell us what it is like to be behind the curtain on draft night.
We don’t need a 30-year old person who never played pro basketball talking more than either Jefferson or Bilas. I watch the broadcast to learn stuff, not to hear people talking about players’ handshakes, suit jackets or hair styles.
Bob Myers works for ESPN: he was the freakin’ GM of the great Warrior teams. Would be nice if they put him with the first team on TV.
— Three of the first six players drafted Thursday are from France, which is unusual.
— From 2025-31, Utah Jazz will have 18 first round draft picks,
Utah took USC guard Isaiah Collier with the 29th pick Thursday; it can be dicey to read body language, but he and his mom didn’t seem overly excited with being selected by the Jazz.
Jazz also took Cody Williams from Colorado; Buffs had two players taken in the first 18 picks, which helps explain why they were 26-11 this past season.
— Tristian da Silva was the other Colorado player drafted, by Orlando; the kid’s father was a pro boxer, so you can’t doubt his toughness, plus the young man speaks five languages, so he is smart and he can curse at officials in different languages and not get technical fouls.
— Kentucky has now had a player taken in the last 17 NBA Drafts; it is difficult to process that they ran John Calipari out of town, but they did, and Arkansas is glad they did.
— When you hear a basketball analyst use the team “motor” he is talking about a player’s effort, so if you hear a negative comment about a player’s motor, that is about as big an indictment as you can give to a player, that they don’t always try hard.
“Yeah, we’re going to pay this guy million$ to play, except he doesn’t always try that hard”
No bueno.
— Oklahoma City took a point guard from Serbia who has already partially torn his ACL, then re-injured the knee; they said on TV that the earliest we can expect to see him play is in next year’s summer league, 13 months from now.
— Someone was saying how the Washington Wizards are going into a total rebuild, as in, they fully expect the Wizards to miss the playoffs the next two seasons.
— By the way, if you like the NBA, you should head to Las Vegas in mid-July and watch the NBA Summer League at UNLV. It is affordable, lot of famous people around, they have really good air conditioning and you get to see all the rookies competing for invites to training camp. Plus, at the end of the day, you’re in Las Vegas, never a bad thing.
— Famous birthdays, June 27th:
Kevin Joyce, 73
Craig Hodges, 64
Chuck Person, 60
Tobey Maguire, 49
Jordan Hicks, 32
Jonah Heim, 29
Monte Morris, 29
Yordan Alvarez, 27
Will Levis, 25
— Dodgers 4, White Sox 0
Shohei Ohtani knocked in a run for the 10th game in a row, the first Dodger ever to do that; the last Dodger to get an RBI in nine straight games was Roy Campanella, in 1955.
— Toronto-Boston was suspended by rain in the second inning; the game will be finished as part of a doubleheader on August 26.
— Orioles 4, Guardians 2
Cedric Mullins had the tie-breaking homer in the 7th inning.
Baltimore snaps its 5-game losing skid.
Loss ends Cleveland’s 7-game winning streak.
— Mets 12, Bronx 2
Metropolitans are 15-4 in last 19 games, are back to .500 at 39-39.
Mets are only 1.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot.
Bronx has lost eight of its last ten games.
— Royals 5, Marlins 1
Struggling Kansas City improves to 3-7 in rubber game of a series.
Marlins led 1-0 in 8th inning, but Royals scored five times in the 8th.
— Mariners 5, Rays 2
Tampa Bay led 1-0 after five innings.
Cal Raleigh’s 3-run homer was the big hit in the game.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Braves, Cardinals, Padres
AL: New York, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: Orioles, Twins, Red Sox
Six players who won the AP college hoop player of the year award more than once:
— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA
— Jerry Lucas, Ohio State
— David Thompson, NC State
— Bill Walton, UCLA
— Ralph Sampson, Virginia
— Zach Edey, Purdue
Quote of the Day
“A little song, a little dance…….a little seltzer down your pants.”
Chuckles the Clown, from the Mary Tyler Moore Show
Thursday’s quiz
In the movie The Natural, what number did Roy Hobbs wear for the New York Knights?
Wednesday’s quiz
2018 was last time an NBA team won back-to-back championships; Golden State won the title in both 2017 and 2018.
Tuesday’s quiz
Dodgers’ P Clayton Kershaw played center on his high school football team; Matthew Stafford was the quarterback on that team.
**************************************************
Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud……..
— Word of the Day– Confounded- to be confused or perplexedI am constantly confounded by the direction ESPN has taken; they’re covering the NBA Draft, they love promoting the NBA, but then they have a draft and don’t have a former coach or a former general manager on their panel. Why?!?!?!?!
Richard Jefferson played in the NBA for 17 years, he is very good on TV.
Jay Bilas is their college basketball expert; he is good on TV.
The host does a good job in her job, moving the broadcast around the arena.
But if you have to have a 4th person on set, it damn sure needs to be someone who has been in the room, scouting/drafting players on nights like this one, or someone who has coached in the NBA, so they can tell us what it is like to be behind the curtain on draft night.
We don’t need a 30-year old person who never played pro basketball talking more than either Jefferson or Bilas. I watch the broadcast to learn stuff, not to hear people talking about players’ handshakes, suit jackets or hair styles.
Bob Myers works for ESPN: he was the freakin’ GM of the great Warrior teams. Would be nice if they put him with the first team on TV.
— Three of the first six players drafted Thursday are from France, which is unusual.
— From 2025-31, Utah Jazz will have 18 first round draft picks,
Utah took USC guard Isaiah Collier with the 29th pick Thursday; it can be dicey to read body language, but he and his mom didn’t seem overly excited with being selected by the Jazz.
Jazz also took Cody Williams from Colorado; Buffs had two players taken in the first 18 picks, which helps explain why they were 26-11 this past season.
— Tristian da Silva was the other Colorado player drafted, by Orlando; the kid’s father was a pro boxer, so you can’t doubt his toughness, plus the young man speaks five languages, so he is smart and he can curse at officials in different languages and not get technical fouls.
— Kentucky has now had a player taken in the last 17 NBA Drafts; it is difficult to process that they ran John Calipari out of town, but they did, and Arkansas is glad they did.
— When you hear a basketball analyst use the team “motor” he is talking about a player’s effort, so if you hear a negative comment about a player’s motor, that is about as big an indictment as you can give to a player, that they don’t always try hard.
“Yeah, we’re going to pay this guy million$ to play, except he doesn’t always try that hard”
No bueno.
— Oklahoma City took a point guard from Serbia who has already partially torn his ACL, then re-injured the knee; they said on TV that the earliest we can expect to see him play is in next year’s summer league, 13 months from now.
— Someone was saying how the Washington Wizards are going into a total rebuild, as in, they fully expect the Wizards to miss the playoffs the next two seasons.
— By the way, if you like the NBA, you should head to Las Vegas in mid-July and watch the NBA Summer League at UNLV. It is affordable, lot of famous people around, they have really good air conditioning and you get to see all the rookies competing for invites to training camp. Plus, at the end of the day, you’re in Las Vegas, never a bad thing.
— Famous birthdays, June 27th:
Kevin Joyce, 73
Craig Hodges, 64
Chuck Person, 60
Tobey Maguire, 49
Jordan Hicks, 32
Jonah Heim, 29
Monte Morris, 29
Yordan Alvarez, 27
Will Levis, 25
— Dodgers 4, White Sox 0
Shohei Ohtani knocked in a run for the 10th game in a row, the first Dodger ever to do that; the last Dodger to get an RBI in nine straight games was Roy Campanella, in 1955.
— Toronto-Boston was suspended by rain in the second inning; the game will be finished as part of a doubleheader on August 26.
— Orioles 4, Guardians 2
Cedric Mullins had the tie-breaking homer in the 7th inning.
Baltimore snaps its 5-game losing skid.
Loss ends Cleveland’s 7-game winning streak.
— Mets 12, Bronx 2
Metropolitans are 15-4 in last 19 games, are back to .500 at 39-39.
Mets are only 1.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot.
Bronx has lost eight of its last ten games.
— Royals 5, Marlins 1
Struggling Kansas City improves to 3-7 in rubber game of a series.
Marlins led 1-0 in 8th inning, but Royals scored five times in the 8th.
— Mariners 5, Rays 2
Tampa Bay led 1-0 after five innings.
Cal Raleigh’s 3-run homer was the big hit in the game.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
NL: Phillies, Brewers, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Braves, Cardinals, Padres
AL: New York, Guardians, Mariners. Wild Cards: Orioles, Twins, Red Sox
