The guard, who played high school basketball at Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles, chose USC over Oregon and Ohio State.
My Buckeyes lost out. Or avoided the circus. Or both.
tags: sportsbasketballohiostate
posted by matt in Sunday, May 7, 2023
Ah, the Detroit Lions did it again. Victory was seemingly in hand...until it wasn't. In the last minute I mentally prepared for overtime, assuming they would hold the Vikings to a game-tying field goal.
Nope. A defensive breakdown left a recover wide open in end zone to give Minnesota, with the extra point, a four point lead with forty-five seconds left.
So there's a chance, right? Yes, there was, indeed, a chance. The Lions even seemed to start a March down the field, but then it sputtered. And then it died when quarterback Jared Goff inexplicably pulled the trigger on the Hail Mary on third down, with time left on the clock for another play. Needless to say his pass was intercepted at the goal line, killing any chance the Lions had at winning.
Ah, yes, the Lions did it again.
tags: sportsfootballnfllionsdetroit
postposted by matt in Sunday, September 25, 2022
Aaron Judge, rightfully so, is all the talk on sports radio. Standing at 60 home runs for the season, it's only a matter of time until he catches and passes Roger Maris's single season home run record of 61.
There's another layer to the story, though, that most people aren't talking about. Yet.
Remember that Judge "bet on himself" before the season started, turning down a truckload of money from the Yankees and, in effect, choosing to use this season as a demonstration of his abilities before entering free agency after the season ends.
He's certainly made the best of it, too. The Yankees are now going to need a second truckload of money to keep him in pinstripes. Don't feel too bad for the Bombers, though. The team, no doubt, has loaded several trucks full of cash as Judge put butts in the seats, turned on televisions (and phones and tablets), and sold jerseys, hats, and all the other things.
I don't think Judge is going anywhere. He's a Yankee and will remain a Yankee. It's just a question of how many trucks the team brings to the table.
As a side note, I suspect Lamar Jackson, another superstar athlete who bet on himself by turning down a truckload of money, is watching intently as Judge makes the mold.
tags: sportsbaseballmlbyankeesaaronjudgelamarjackson
postposted by matt in Thursday, September 22, 2022
Huge road win for the Guardians as October looms.
tags: sportsbaseballmlbguardiansclevelandcleguardians
posted by matt in Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Boy the Guardians are playing great baseball. They all but knocked the Twins out of the division race in the last series, taking four out of five. Tonight they kicked off a road series against the White Sox that stands to be the definitive set as the American League Central race winds down.
It took extra innings tonight, but the Guardians settled it in the 11th with an emphatic five run effort, ultimately winning 10-7.
It feels appropriate to say it while they're playing in the south side of Chicago — the kids can play.
Go Guardians!
tags: sportsbaseballmlbguardiansclevelandcleguardians
postposted by matt in Wednesday, September 21, 2022
I broke a long-standing vow of mine yesterday.
Well, kind of.
Long ago, as a freshman at Ohio State, I left a football game in the fourth quarter as my beloved Buckeyes trailed LSU by 13 points. The game looked hopeless to me and my mates, so we decided to pack it in and head home early. When I eventually made it to my dorm room, I noticed my roommate glued to the tiny television in our common room. He glanced at me and my friends and gave us a simple "you're not going to believe this." We knew right away that the Buckeyes had somehow made a game of it, and then sat and watched—on television—the last few seconds of what is considered one of the greatest games ever played in Ohio Stadium.
I missed it. And I vowed right then and there to never again leave a game early.
And I haven't. Whenever we go to a sporting event, we stay to the end, no matter what. Usually we even stay a bit longer, especially for hockey games—you've got to see the three stars, after all.
Well, I broke that vow last night. Sort of.
Our beloved Toledo Walleye are playing in the ECHL Western Conference Finals. I watched the first period at Renee's parents' house, and it was awful. It's probably the worst twenty minutes of hockey I've ever seen a Walleye team play. They were down 0-4 at the end of the first, and I packed it in. Hopeless, I said, and left.
I couldn't watch the game at home (it's minor league hockey…streaming is a bit of a challenge), but checked the score later as I was headed to bed (they're playing in Utah, so the game was on relatively late). 2-4 half way through the third period.
Interesting.
I checked again with five minutes to go.
Tied.
Again.
Overtime.
Again.
Still tied.
Again.
Walleye win 5-4, about five minutes into the overtime period.
Damn! Probably one of the greatest comebacks in Toledo hockey history, in a playoff game no less, and I missed it!
But, technically, I wasn't at the game, so I didn't break my vow to never again leave a game early.
Right?
Anyways, the Walleye play again tonight and could win the series on the road. I'll be at Renee's parents' house again, and there's no way I'm leaving early.
No matter what.
tags: toledowalleyehockeyechlsportsohiostatebuckeyes
postposted by matt in Saturday, May 28, 2022
Just watched the Lions and Steelers play to a tie, 16-16. The ten minutes of overtime had to be the worst ten minutes of pro football I've ever watched. Turnovers, penalties, a horribly missed field goal, and just plain sloppy play. It was an embarrassment for the league. It was hysterical, though.
And the the Lions didn't lose, so at least there's that.
postposted by matt in Sunday, November 14, 2021
There's so much I love about hockey, but the post-game handshake line has to be near the top. While the NHL only does it at the end of a series, college players still line up at the end of every game and shake hands, just like the little kids playing pee wee. After beating the living daylights out of each other, each of these guys congratulated every opposing player and coach. It's such a hockey thing, and I love it.
photo posted by matt in Friday, November 5, 2021
It's been awhile since we've been able to watch a game with the boys, so the Harvard game was great just from that perspective. But what a game! Harvard is ranked 8th, Cornell 14th, and it's an intense rivalry. Both teams have some incredible talent, and the small, nay, intimate, arena intensified everything. This was one of the best hockey games I've seen in years.
photo posted by matt in Friday, November 5, 2021
MLB and NHL have made it nearly impossible to be a fan of your local teams in the streaming era. Since Hulu (our streaming provider) dropped the Sinclair (formerly Fox) regional sports networks, we've essentially been shut out of watching local broadcasts of the Indians (are they officially the Guardians yet?) and Red Wings. It's miserable. And while this article brings welcome news, it doesn't sound like a solution will be available anytime soon. We might have to re-up with cable for now. Ugh.
posted by matt in Tuesday, October 19, 2021
This seems like a great way to get environmental issues in front of American consumers. It's not without risk, though, and could backfire. Plastic products are essentially invisible to the experience now. If the substitutes are somehow inferior (warm beer, anyone?), they may negatively impact the experience of going to a game, and fans will notice. Here's hoping all goes well.
tags: sportsnbaenvironment
posted by matt in Tuesday, October 19, 2021
This is consistent with my observations. All major sports leagues need to innovate to attract younger viewers. Weird halftime shows aren't going to cut it. And I'm not sure in game betting is the answer, either.
posted by matt in Monday, February 15, 2021
