Ten Piece Nuggets-Sports

Posted on March 8, 2021March 8, 2021 by thependulumswings staff

If you have a busy Monday and need to go, we’ve got Ten healthy Nuggets to put you in the know. It’s been a while.

The NBA All-Star game was yesterday. Did you watch it? If you didn’t here is what you missed. 320 points. Yep, 320. That’s about 6 and 1/2 points a minute. If you didn’t, here is what you didn’t miss. Defense. Team Lebron beat Team Durant 170-150. Are you underwhelmed? Understandable.
That said, thanks to a perfect 16-for-16 performance from the field, including banking in multiple jump shots, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, as he and his Team LeBron cruised. Even with defense being optional, 16 for16 is16 for 16.
The virus was on offense as well, as contact tracing forced the league to pull Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons out of the game. It potentially will keep them away from the Sixers when the second half of the season begins Thursday.
Lebron knew better than to play this meaningless exhibition. James, who said early last month that the NBA’s choosing to hold an All-Star Game amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was a “slap in the face,” lived up to the other quote he had about the game that day. “I’ll be there if I’m selected,” James said. “But I’ll be there physically, but not mentally.” Could the same be said about the King numerous other times that he’s flapped his jaws? He’s also keeping his decision about whether to get vaccinated or not private. Maybe he’ll get it and be there physically but not mentally?
With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc, the expectation has been that the NFL salary cap would fall significantly from 2020’s $198 million budget. After years of increasing by tens of millions of dollars, the fall was expected to be precipitous. The new floor of $180 million isn’t the exact final cap number but with the NFL and the NFL Players Association agreeing to it, it mitigates some of that decrease.
Who has the most money to spend? The Jacksonville Jaguars do. They have $84 million free and clear. They also own the first pick in the draft. What team is the most underwater? The New Orleans Saints went all in to try to get to another Super Bowl before Drew Brees’ arm turned into total mush. They’re still about $48 million over the cap even after some off-season moves. Three other teams (Rams, Packers, and Chiefs) that had playoff appearances or runs are also currently significantly over budget.
When was the last time Phil Mickelson wasn’t ranked inside of the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking? It was 1993. Or, 1425 weeks ago if you prefer. It’s a record run. Mickelson turned the big 50 last June. He has won 44 times on tour. If or when he is willing to put his mind to the PGA Champions Tour (aka the Senior Tour) he will pile up many more trophies.
Is Bryson DeChambeau unconventional in his approach to golf? Is the Pope Catholic? DeChambeau cut the corner, make that cut straight across the lake both Saturday and Sunday in the Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Classic with tape measure drives of about 342 yards. Is his swing different than anything golf has seen since, well, ever? Does a bear, nevermind. DeChambeau won the Bay Hill and collected the top prize of $1,674,000. That brings him to $23,229,908 for his career. He’s but 27 years young. It pays to zig when others zag it seems.
Kyle Larson wasn’t sure he’d ever race again in NASCAR. And if he could, he didn’t know who would hire him. Larson’s use of a racial slur while participating in an online call last April cost him his job, his reputation, and his ability to attract the corporations that fund a race team. On Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Larson raced to his first NASCAR victory since he was reinstated from a nearly yearlong suspension. Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only black full-time driver, was one of the first competitors to congratulate Larson. Good stuff. Cancel culture gave a rare second chance. Things are already improving under Biden, but we digress.
So, who has already punched their dance card for the big NCAA Basketball Tourney? If you guessed the Liberty Flames, the Morehead State Eagles, the Winthrop Eagles, and the Loyola Chicago Ramblers you should reconsider your priorities. “It’s small conference champ city, baby,” screeched Dick Vitale. Selection Sunday is but six days away.

You’re fed. Get to work.

Ten Piece Nuggets-Sports

Posted on July 1, 2019 by thependulumswings staff

Summer’s in. Three major U.S. sports (football. basketball, and hockey) are out. But the pickings are never slim with our nuggets. Whether you dine in or take out, enjoy the ten below.

The ugly Americans scored 50 combined runs in the first two London MLB games ever. The Yankees out scored the defending Word Series champion Boston Red Sox 17-13 on Saturday and 12-8 on Sunday. If the Brits like scoring, they got scoring. The teams combined for 65 hits, 16 doubles and 10 homers. Only one starting pitcher made it out of the first inning.
BoSox manager Alex Cora was impressed with the 60k screaming fans, but not his team. “It was eye opening, the last two days, from top to bottom,’’ Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “They’re a lot better than us right now.’’ The Yanks are rolling, even in Europe.
MLB took a bow. They retrofitted a soccer stadium that was more than serviceable. They saw 60k fans stand and cheer each of the two days. All in all it was good to great publicity for a game that often struggles to market itself. “All of the feedback was that it was fantastic,’’ MLB senior vice president Jim Small said. “So, from a U.S. standpoint, the pitching wasn’t very good, the game was too long, but it was such a great fresh start for baseball here.’’
The Yankees scorching 9-1 record in their last ten has pushed their lead over the Devil Rays to 7 games in the AL East. Five of the six division leaders enjoy leads of 5.5, 6.5,7, 8 and 12 games. Only the NL central is close where the Cubs and the Brewers are tied for first. Half of the season is over. Are five of the six division races over? Probably not, but maybe so. Say it ain’t so. At least a bunch of teams are still very alive for a wild card spot.
LPGA’s Michelle Wie announced late last week that she was shutting down her 2019 season due to a chronic wrist injury. There was no word on whether the wrist was injured when she tweeted to express her dismay via Twitter of Hank Haney’s LPGA U.S. Open remarks. Haney tweeted out Saturday “Know what last name rhymes with Wie? Lee!” No, he didn’t.
How about a golf clap for first time PGA winner Nate Lashley? On Sunday, the 36-year-old journeyman, ranked 353rd in the world and the last player to get into the Rocket Mortgage Classic, was a winner for the first time with an impressive six-stroke margin at Detroit Golf Club. He now has a job on the game’s biggest stage for the next two years. A spot in next month’s Open Championship awaits, as does an invitation to next year’s Masters among other perks. That is pretty sweet for a guy with just one previous top-10 on the PGA Tour in 32 starts. Fifteen long and hard years ago his mother, father, and girlfriend crashed and perished in a small plane accident in Wyoming while attempting to return to Nebraska after watching the then 21 year old Nate play in a tournament for Arizona U. in Oregon. The golf gods said, “enough already.” Great story.
The NBA free agency period is off and some teams are playing above the rim. In a whirlwind of conversations, salary dumps, more conversations, max salary offers, and strokes of genius, several franchises saw significant transformations. No transformation is bigger than where the Brooklyn Nets are headed however. After years of also ran status the Nets will land Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan. If (when really) GM Sean Marks completes these FA signings the Nets will have exactly one player left from the 2015-2016 roster Marks had when he started that won only 21 games.
Durant, baring a major medical miracle, will miss all of the 2019-2020 season with his torn achilles. That didn’t stop the Nets from throwing max or near max money at him. It did stop the Knicks who worried publicly about his total recovery. One borough’s loss was another borough’s gain. Durant at 90% is still an unselfish player who melds well with other stars and would still be an all star level player himself.
The Miami Heat are believed to be very close to completing a deal that would land Jimmy Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler was rumored a week ago to be heading to the Houston Rockets to join Chis Paul and The Beard. Butler was rumored eight months ago to be headed to those same Rockets. Houston you may or not have a problem with team chemistry. But, with exactly zero draft picks this past draft and a HUGE Paul four year deal only entering year two now, you clearly have some hurdles to clear to try to hurdle the Golden State Warriors in the West. GM Daryl Morey can feel the heat coming from one of restaurant magnet and owner Tillman Fertitta’s kitchens.
However, Tillman Fertitta and 31 owners of NBA franchises may not be “owners” for much longer. In the league office and in some team’s front offices a push is on to remove that term due to it’s “racial insensitivity” in a league whose players are 75% African American. In Los Angeles, Steve Ballmer ,who was billed as the owner for the first couple of years after he took over the Clippers is now listed as Chairman on the team’s website. That change occurred in early 2018. The term “governor” is being used inside of the league office “for years now” per Commissioner Adam Silver. “Governor,” really? Hopefully everyone feels better.

We at least know that you’ll feel better having consumed the above. It’s Monday, and this work week is at most four days long. Enjoy.

Swing and a Miss

Posted on May 30, 2019May 30, 2019 by thependulumswings staff

You know old Hank Haney, don’t you? Sixty-three year old PGA teaching professional Hank Haney worked with Tiger Woods for a few years about a decade ago along with other PGA professionals. He parlayed that experience into a golf reality show that lasted five years. Each season one chosen celebrity would be the one that Haney would try to improve their golf game.

In 2008, Haney started working with former NBA star and current NBA analyst Charles Barkley on the Golf Channel’s The Haney Project: Charles Barkley, in an attempt to fix Barkley’s infamously bad swing. Haney’s show continued in 2010, this time with comedian Ray Romano. The third season, in 2011, featured talk radio host Rush Limbaugh. Series 4 (2012) featured a four-player shootout in Mario Batali, Adam Levine, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Angie Everhart. Series 5, in 2013, featured all-time winner of the most Olympic medals, Michael Phelps.

Old Hank would cringe on camera every time Sir Charles stopped midway through his swing, then shank the ball in any and every possible direction.

Well, yesterday, several people cringed when old Hank weighed in on this week’s U.S. Women’s Open on his SiriusXM radio show.

When Haney’s co-host, Steve Johnson, asked him about the 74th Open being played this week, Haney joked that he was going to predict that a Korean would win. And, he added that he couldn’t name six players on the LPGA Tour, except for those with the last name Lee.

“I’m gonna predict a Korean,” Haney said.

“That’s a pretty safe bet,” Johnson replied.

“That’s gonna be my prediction. I couldn’t name you, like, six players on the LPGA Tour,” Haney continued.

“Yeah,” Johnson said.

“Nah, maybe I could,” Haney said. “Well, I’d go with Lee. If I didn’t have to name a first name, I’d get a bunch of them right. I don’t know. … Lexi Thompson. Michelle Wie’s hurt. I don’t know that many.”

Haney’s comments were quickly criticized on social media, the platform of self expression of the new, kinder, more sensitive generation. And Wie was one of them.

As a Korean American female golfer, these comments that @HankHaney made disappoint and anger me on so many different levels. Racism and sexism are no laughing matter Hank….shame on you. I don’t ever do this, but this must be called out. https://t.co/P18JByTosN

— Michelle Wie (@themichellewie) May 29, 2019

Old Hank took to the same Twitter outlet to get out his apology. “This morning, I made some comments about women’s golf and its players that were insensitive, and that I regret,” Haney wrote. “In an effort to make a point about the overwhelming success of Korean players on the tour, I offended people and I am sorry.

Racism? Sure. Old white Hank predicted a Korean would win. Old white Hank knows better we think. You can’t say the obvious. Koreans currently hold down the 1,4,6,8,12,13, and 15th places year to date on the LPGA money standings. You can’t say the obvious. He said he couldn’t name six players on the tour. Neither can anyone else. No one watches it in person. No one watches it on TV either.

So Hank Haney said “I’m sorry.” He offended people and was insensitive towards women. Maybe he could make a run for the White House in 2020. Joe Biden realized the error of his previous ways and said he was sorry to have been insensitive towards women as well. He said he stands behind women now. Wait, that still doesn’t sound right.

Regardless, old Hank’s apology stated that he actually had intended to “make a point about the overwhelming success of Korean players.” No he didn’t. He intended to make a joke about a tour that is viewed (but not seen) as a joke.

Wie said that she “as a Korean American female golfer” was disappointed and angry. Couldn’t she just be a golfer or an American that was angry? Or, an American tour player that was angry? Nope. It’s important today to tell everyone where you are originally from and how many obstacles you had to and have to overcome. Wie claimed that the remarks were sexist too. We wonder about that. He was asked to comment on the LPGA tour. Like what he said or not, he did just that. If a female reporter comments on the PGA tour, are her remarks automatically sexist?

Christine Brennan, who writes for the USA Today, broadened the scope of the crime to include an accusation of xenophobia and wrote, “If there’s any golf club in the country (let’s make it the world) that allows Haney to set foot on its property after that despicable exchange, that club is telling every girl and woman and person of color to go play any one of the dozens of other sports they can play for life, not golf.”

This went from Koreans under attack to all countries. This went from women to girls. And, this went from one race to any person of color. We wonder if Tiger Woods or Charles Barkley or Sugar Ray Leonard think old white Hank is prejudiced. Did Angie Everhart think he was sexist? Maybe they do. And, maybe he is. But, can we tap on the brakes just a bit?

Christine, a ton of golf clubs that you want old Hank to be banned from have members that can’t name six LPGA golfers either. But, when they flip through the channels in the men’s locker room looking for the men’s tour broadcast of the week, they ever so briefly pause on the leader board of the LPGA event in their search. On it they see the Korean flag, among others, up and down the first page. It’s not bad. It’s just bad the way old white male Hank made light of it.

Michelle Wie cried “wie, wie, wie,” all the way home. It’s certainly her right. But, did anybody hear her?

The problem for Christine Brennan and her diatribe is that no one reads the failing USA Today anymore. Do you? The problem for the LPGA tour is that no one watches the LPGA Tour anymore. Do you?

Tap the brakes people.

Ten Piece Nuggets-Sports

Posted on May 20, 2019May 20, 2019 by thependulumswings staff

Back in the day, Monday was known as “wash day” in New Orleans. It became popular to slow cook red beans, lots of seasonings, and rice that day while moms cleaned the house and washed the clothes. Yum. Monday on BBR is becoming known as Ten Piece Nuggets day as multiple sports in the late Spring season gives us plenty to season ourselves. Help yourself below.

Brooks Koepka owned the largest 54 hole lead in PGA history after three rounds. After four consecutive back nine bogeys, and a three under (at the time) round going for Dustin Johnson, the lead shriveled to two. Was Koepka on the verge of a Greg Norman 1996 Master’s meltdown? Perhaps. But the brutal Bethpage Black course and gusts to 35 mph late in the afternoon didn’t discriminate. It handed out bogeys to all from punishing places the course over. Koepka held on, as DJ faltered, to win his fourth major in his last eight starts.
Koepka boldly spoke before the PGA about winning ten or more majors. He has openly told coaches and players that he’s better than Tiger was and he might win 18 or more. Koepka doesn’t rhyme with confidence, but it may be a synonym for it. At the current pace of winning every other one he’ll have ten down in early 2022. “Not so fast my friend,” Lee Corso just said. Regardless, with the win Koepka moved to the number one ranking in the world. He becomes the first golfer ever to hold two back to back major titles simultaneously.
Koepka’s former coach at Florida St. weighs in like a heavyweight. Doug Malloy, now the head coach at his alma mater, Ole Miss, believes Koepka is upset nobody is taking him seriously as a threat to Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major titles. “It pisses him off that he isn’t asked that question,” said Malloy. “That will make him feel great if you ask him about Jack. I promise you he absolutely thinks of both Tiger’s 15 majors and Jack’s as targets. That’s not 99 percent, it’s 100 percent. Guaranteed.” We need to order some of whatever supplements he is taking. The US Open starts 6/15 at Pebble Beach.
From good golf we turn to good baseball. Good baseball is exactly what the Yankees have been playing for the past month. Since April 19, they are 20-7, earning the best record in the big leagues across that span. The Yankees have notched that record while a bevy of key players have spent time on the injured list. In all, 17 Yankees have landed on the IL this season. They took two of three from the AL East’s division leader Tampa Bay over the weekend and also took over the division lead.
More good baseball was on tap this weekend as the Houston Astros took two of three from the once slumping, suddenly hot, defending 2018 World Series champs, the Boston Red Sox. Until yesterday’s loss the Stros had won ten in a row for the second time this season. Houston’s month of May to date, winning 13 of 14 starts, is the best record in the big leagues across that span. The Astros own the best record in the AL at 31-16.
Good baseball wasn’t limited to the East either. Hyun-Jin Ryu, pitcher extraordinaire for the LA Dodgers, pitched seven shutout innings to lower his season ERA to 1.52, or half of his career ERA of 3.03. In his nine 2019 starts spanning 59 innings he has given up a stingy ten earned runs. They have scored game by game as follows, 1,2,2,2,2,1,0,0, and 0. He extended his scoreless streak to 31 innings. Hyun-Jin Ryu doesn’t rhyme with Cy Young Award, but it may be a synonym for it. The Dodgers own the best record in the NL at 31-17.
The Dodgers lead the NL West by 5.5 games over the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s early, way early, but will they even look back at the division want to be’s? The Astros lead the AL West by 8.5 games over the Angels of LA. It’s early, way early, but will they even look back at the division want to be’s?
We think that run differential in MLB is a telling stat. It’s simply how many total runs have you scored season to date minus how many runs have you given up. If the difference is in the black, you likely have a winning record. If it’s in the red, you likely have a losing record. The MLB leader at plus 92 is Houston. The surprisingly good, and in first in the AL Central, Minnesota Twins are second at plus 74. The LA Dodgers are third at plus 65. Somehow Pittsburgh has a 24-20 record with a minus 39 runs scored. We guess they win close games and lose blowouts. That doesn’t sound too good for the long summer nights ahead.
A week ago we liked Golden St. in six or less over Portland in the NBA West Conference Championship. A week ago we liked Milwaukee in six or less over Toronto in the East Conference Championship. A week later we like what we liked. Golden St. is going to close out Portland in four tonight. Milwaukee will take Toronto in five, or six at the max, by week’s end.
We don’t follow boxing. We think fewer and fewer do. Therefore we wouldn’t recognize Deontay Wilder or Dominic Breazeale if they were walking down the street next to us. That said Deontay introduced himself to Dominic in their bout in round one Saturday night in Brooklyn. It’s as vicious of a one punch TKO as you’ll ever see. Want to see it? Click here. Be forewarned. It’s brutal. Want to see it in slow motion? You can in that same link. Be forewarned. It’s even more brutal in slow mo.

That was a lot to chew on. Be sure to brush regularly.

Ten Piece Nuggets-Multiple Sports

Posted on February 19, 2019February 19, 2019 by thependulumswings staff

Update-February still makes us shiver.

As the shortest month of the year rolls along we dug deep to find a savory serving of ten nuggets for our insatiable readers. We need to grab a bit from here and some from there to do so. The oven is on.

In men’s NCAA basketball the new AP Top 25 is out. Duke regained the no. 1 spot for the third time this year. Somehow, Tennessee dropped for 1 to 5. Sure, Kentucky worked them over in Lexington Saturday. But, a drop of four spots with only two year long losses in what is supposed to be one of the top two conferences seems a bit strong. It doesn’t matter too much just yet.
Kentucky, somehow rose one from 5 to 4. The same voters that punished Tennessee rewarded Kentucky for losing at home earlier in the week to LSU and then beating Tenn. It must pay to have the Kentucky blue unis come voting time. It doesn’t matter too much just yet.
This just in. The PGA is now allowing shorts for the pros in practice rounds. After an offseason of rule changes for the stodgy sport that includes leaving the flag in on putts, can beer kegs next to the Powerade coolers on the tee boxes be far off? One can hope. This just in. John Daly liked boomboomsroom.com.
How many mock drafts do you think you could review between now and the NFL draft in April. How many ways can the “draft experts” recast a list in hopes to get one to read one? Like the stock market pundits someone should write a column or three after the draft to mock the absurdity and inaccuracy of these mocks.
Speaking of mocks, mocking, and bad franchises; have the Cleveland Browns turned a corner? Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, and a talented defense won seven games last year after the team won one game in the last two years prior combined. And they have a lot of decent, promising, young talent acquired in 2018 draft.
And, here is the kicker. The once and forever woeful Browns have their own pick in all seven rounds in 2019. Plus, they have an additional 3rd, 5th, and 7th thanks to some savvy moves on draft day 2018 made by their “suddenly to be taken seriously” front office. Can the heretofore bad ownership stay out of the way?
This writer sat fifteen rows from the ice in Nashville at a Predators v. St. Louis Blues game Sunday a week ago. The Blues prevailed sixteen seconds into overtime 5-4. Why is this now news? It’s not. It’s just the setup to say that hockey is SOOOO much better in person than on the TV. Two dimensions, even in HD, cannot do justice to what large grown men do at full speed on a relatively small piece of ice with wooden sticks and a small frozen rubber puck. If you haven’t recently, get to an NHL game soon. If they don’t look faster than ever to you it will be a surprise.
Pitchers and catchers reported to MLB camps over a week ago. With Tampa Bay now pitching backwards in some games (starting the closer and finishing with longer innings guys) and other teams increasingly going to “Johnny Whole Staff” for pitching games by committee, innovative thinking is accelerating in baseball. Can it be very long before a team decides to not have pitchers and catchers throw and squat in early February in hopes that they will still be able to throw and squat in early October?
In yesteryear four man starting rotations were the norm. Now nearly every team has a five man starting rotation, giving an extra day of rest to all. The analytics side to the game has really changed the thinking on many fronts for what we think is the good of yet another sport viewed by too many as too stodgy.
Which reminds us of the whispers emanating from MLB’s front office. “Should we limit the severity of the defensive shifts that teams are making against hitters?” Here is a simple answer-NO. Should teams, and hitting instructors from early ages, rethink their approach as to how hitters work their plate appearance? Here is a simple answer-YES. Can you imagine the NFL dictating that defenses must not overload one side of the field? Well, with this commissioner, maybe you could. The ever-changing strategy is the actual beauty of these games.

March is but ten days away. Who’s counting?