General Sports Thread

[unclevlad]

On 5/14/2024 at 11:18 AM, Pariah said:

Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin placed in Stage 3 of Player Assistance Program, suspended six months

 

From ESPN:
 

Quote

Created in 1996, the player assistance program is a joint venture between the NHL and the players' union that's meant to help players when they're struggling with mental health, substance abuse and other issues. The program, which has been around since 1996, is also available to players' family members.

 

Understandably, the reason why is kept confidential.

 

EDIT:  an interesting adjunct on this.  Switched over to ESPN because MLB's games were both hit with blackouts.  NBA Today.  The NBA combine's going on, so they showed a clip of Bronny James' press conference.  Austin Rivers congratulated him on how he handled himself, particularly with regard to questions like "what do you think about playing with your dad?"  The response was pretty much "I want to be known for me."

Rivers then talked briefly about his early career, and the *major* flak and difficulties.  He said he suffered from depression and went through therapy.

 

Whoa.  Never heard that, did we.

 

And it's worse now.  I remember a story from the college basketball season about the kinds of MAJOR!!! serious verbal ABUSE!! that players are getting...the story focused on some of the deep bench warmer types who come in at the end of the game, when the outcome's decided.  Problem is...the bets may NOT be.  So the kid dribbles out a shot instead of driving for an open layup...so his team wins by 23, where the spread was 23.5...gets RIPPED.  

 

And of course social media is even more vicious than afternoon drive time AM radio callers.

 

So...I'm really happy to hear the NHL has a program to help, because I fully believe there's MUCH more need for it than we know.

 

 

[death tribble]

Julian Alaphilippe wins stage 12 of the Giro D'Italia

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/ce9699gkl9qo

Edited May 16, 2024 by death tribble

[Cygnia]

[death tribble]

Jonathan Milan wins stage 13 of the Giro D'Italia

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cxwv23y18nvo

Edited May 18, 2024 by death tribble

[Starlord]

The world’s top-ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler, arrested and charged with felony assault. Then returned to play his round at the PGA Championship.

[death tribble]

Filippo Ganna wins Stage 14 of the Giro, a time trial. Geraint Thomas retakes second place overall while Pogacar retains the overall lead

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cv225l0r6d8o

Edited May 18, 2024 by death tribble

[death tribble]

No mention of the Heavyweight Unification in boxing ?

 

There is now !

 

Usyk beats Fury on a split decision.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/articles/cg33drqdd2no

[death tribble]

Tadej Pogacar wins stage 15 of the Giro

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/c6pp45e4engo

 

Manchester City become the first team to win the league title four years in a row

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/czkvkp3ej9xt

 

Verstappen win the Grand Prix at Imola 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/c877x4lxgkxo

Edited May 19, 2024 by death tribble

[Michael Hopcroft]

On 5/19/2024 at 6:41 AM, death tribble said:

No mention of the Heavyweight Unification in boxing ?

 

There is now !

 

Usyk beats Fury on a split decision.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/articles/cg33drqdd2no

And loses one of his new titles within hours over a potential "mandatory defense" with that promotions top contender. Given that there are now four sanctioning bodies in boxing, it is not in their interest to cooperate.

[Pariah]

The Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars are both in their respective conference finals for the first time ever.

 

In other news, the Dallas Cowboys still suck. 

[death tribble]

Tadej Pogacar wins stage 16 of the Giro D'Italia

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/c13386lkpgeo

Edited May 22, 2024 by death tribble

[death tribble]

Georg Steinhauser wins stage 17 of the Giro D'Italia

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cmmm7vrggqqo

[death tribble]

Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final 3-0. It is Atalanta's first European final and a 61 year trophy drought 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cw005j1704lt

[death tribble]

Tim Merlier wins stage 18 of the Giro D'Italia. This is the first time he has won past stage 3 of any of the Grand Tours.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cpvvzdw44nqo

[Pariah]

Her first Olympic Competition was as part of the Unified Team in 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Gymnast Oksana Chusovitina's quest to qualify for record 9th Olympics at age 48 ends with injury

 

[death tribble]

Andrea Vendrame wins stage 19 of the Giro D'Italia

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/ck55zl6ele8o

Edited May 24, 2024 by death tribble

[death tribble]

Tadej Pogacar wins stage 20 of the Giro D'Italia

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/c0jjw0vkg5yo

 

And the wrong Manchester team win the FA Cup final

 

And in the old firm Scottish FA Cup derby Glasgow Celtic beat Glasgow Rangers 1-0

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c722keg5nndo

Edited May 26, 2024 by death tribble

[unclevlad]

Grayson Murray withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament late in his second round Friday, citing illness.

 

He died this morning.  He was 30.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/golf/news/two-time-pga-tour-winner-grayson-murray-dies-saturday-morning

 

That's all that's known at this point, unsurprisingly.

[unclevlad]

Common phrase in athletics...win or go home.

 

It has a bit of a different meaning for the baseball team from Birmingham-Southern.  They punched a ticket to the Division III College World Series, which starts May 31st.

 

That's the day the school shuts down due to insufficient funding;  stories note they've had financial issues for several years.

 

So once their time at the CWS is over...so is...well...everything about their college experience.  At least as it has been.  It's largely been that way since late March, when the school announced the news.  Since then, the baseball team has gone 15-4.  

 

The school's actually resorted to a GoFundMe to raise the money to pay the traveling expenses, staff, and rings for the players...even if they don't win the CWS, I'd think almost nothing would mean more to them than a ring for winning the super regional, under the circumstances.

[Cygnia]

16 hours ago, unclevlad said:

Grayson Murray withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament late in his second round Friday, citing illness.

 

He died this morning.  He was 30.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/golf/news/two-time-pga-tour-winner-grayson-murray-dies-saturday-morning

 

That's all that's known at this point, unsurprisingly.

He took his own life

 

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/40222743/family-reveals-pga-tour-golfer-grayson-murray-died-suicide

[death tribble]

Leclerc wins the Monaco Grand Prix

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/ce99jln69vno

 

Pidcock wins Nove Mesto race for fourth year in a row

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/crgg703jmk0o

 

Tim Merlier wins stage 21 of the Giro D'Italia. He has never previously won past stage 3 on any Grand Tour so winning here on stage 18 and 21 is great for him. Pogacar won the race overall with Daniel Martinez second and Geraint Thomas third. Jonathan Milan won the Sprinters competition and Pogacar is King of the Mountains. Biggest winning margin since 1965 at nearly 10 minutes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/c06652p001no

[unclevlad]

French Open has started.  The draw had one particularly unfortunate first round match.  Rafa Nadal was in the field...I presume as a wild card, because his ranking is far, far too low, but when you're the absolute French Open GOAT?  You wanna play, you get a spot.  But he didn't get a seed...also reasonable.

 

So he drew Zverev.  First round.

 

Oops.  Straight sets for Zverev.

 

In what likely is his last appearance...possibly as a pro, period...it was unfortunate for the sport, that he went out so fast.

[death tribble]

Olympiakos become the first Greek side to win a European football trophy. They beat Italian side Fiorentina 1-0 in extra side

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c988jy177gqt

Edited May 29, 2024 by death tribble

[unclevlad]

Naomi Osaka returns to Roland Garros, after her difficult times, then the more recent pregnancy.

 

She also gets a nasty draw...not in the first round, but the second.  Iga Swiatek, the world's #1 woman player, and 2-time defending champ.

 

It's an amazing match, with incredible play and tenacity.  Swiatek takes the first set in a tie breaker...but Osaka goes on an extended heater, taking 10 of the next 12 games...not easily at all, mind.  Osaka took the first 3 games of the 3rd, but Swiatek had 10 game points in them.  Swiatek regathers, gets the break back, and forces a tie breaker...which she takes.

 

But this was still the best match from Osaka in several years...and on clay.  She's got a hard court game...and Swiatek is a clay courter...but Osaka darn near still pulled it off.

[Cygnia]

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40250257/french-police-arrest-man-olympic-soccer-attack-plan