The Big Story: Golf’s U.S. Open is always a huge story, especially when it’s played at Long Island’s famed Shinnecock Hills.
But USA’s surprisingly quick advance to the World Cup knockout round tops that. They got there with impressive wins over Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0), whose shocking 2-0 win over Turkey earlier opened the door to Round 2 for the U.S.
Sports 101: Which NBA team has had the most first overall picks in the draft with six? And how many of them can you name?
News Item – U.S. Open: Wyndham Clark became the ninth wire-to-wire winner of the Open Sunday at Shinnecock Hills. But, despite setting a 36-hole low score record, it wasn’t easy, as he let all but one stroke of his six-shot lead to start Sunday get away before claiming his second Open title.
News Item – Red Sox Update: They start the week 14.5 back, last in the AL East at 31-43 and six behind for the last Wild Card spot.
News Item – World Cup Notables:
Paraguay somehow beat Turkey 1-0 despite playing the entire second half with 10 guys because a player got ejected for some rule that doesn’t let you cover your mouth and yell at an opponent. What’s next — tell their mommies after yellow cards?
Tough run for Germany beating (7-1) a Caribbean country no one ever heard of besides maybe Club Med staffers, and Ivory Coast, who hasn’t been in the World Cup since 2014.
Draw your own conclusions whether it’s good or bad that 15 of the first 27 World Cup games have ended with 0-0, 1-0 and 1-1 scores.
The Numbers:
33 – million viewers tuned in to watch Game 5 to be the largest numbers of viewers for an NBA Finals game since 1998 during the Michael Jordan era.
47 – record number of times Milwaukee hurler Jacob Misiorowski hit 101-plus on the gun in Friday’s 3-2 loss to Atlanta.
10,000 – incredible number of police officers deployed to work crowd control for the Knicks victory parade in NYC.
… Of the Week Awards
Thumbs Up – JayWright:When you get it right you get it Wright. Hats off to ex-Villanova head coach for the recruiting judgment to first put the three Nova Knicks, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, together to become the first college trio to play together on NCAA and NBA championship teams. With the kicker being historically ending New York’s 53-year title drought.
Numbers Don’t Lie Award: Boy, that Raffy Devers was a real game-changer in SF. We just passed the one-year anniversary of SF getting him in the controversial trade. Contrary to all the yacking here about how great he was, the G-Men were 63-91 with him on the anniversary date
Alumni News – Braden Montgomery: If you’re interested, the Red Sox’ switch-hitting 2024 first-round pick, who went to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet deal, just got called up to the big club. His combined 2026 numbers in 73 AA/AAA games before the promotion projected over a full season to 30 homers, 123 RBI, .315.
Sports 101 Answer: Cleveland – Austin Carr, Brad Daugherty, Lebron James, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins.
Final Thought – Pre-Draft NBA Rumors and Other Stories:
I’m filing this on Monday morning before the draft.
The Celtics have the 27th and 40th picks, so real immediate help is likely not coming there.
The Jaylen Brown and Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors are still swirling. Though I’m betting Brown isn’t traded there. Two interesting names bandied about in Celtics trade rumors are New Orleans wing Trey Murphy and T-Wolves back-up center Naz Reid.
Speaking of dumb. After looking stupid all through the last two playoffs for letting Finals MVP Brunson walk for less money than it cost to re-sign Irving instead, now word is Irving is on the block after not even playing a full season there to go young. Minnesota is rumored as the next team dumb enough to bring him there to mess up their team.
Earth to NBA media — Golden State is not only done, but they have been since 2023. You’re doing what the golf media does making a big deal any time Tiger enters a major when it’s been 15 years since he was Tiger! It’s over for GS’s admirable four-championship run just as it is for Tiger.
If he wants to win, the best place for Giannas is San Antonio to lead that young, talented but too small team and mentor Wemby, who needs it. It’s also great for Milwaukee because they have much available young talent and nine first-round picks or pick swaps available through 2030 to rebuild around. Except GA supposedly wants to live in Miami, whose offer is awful.
A Celtics trade I’d prefer is Brown to Houston for wing Amen Thompson and big Jabari Smith. And if Brad Stevens can somehow get a first-round pick thrown in, I’ll take that too.
Email Dave Long at dlong@hippopress.com.