Tradition's Finest Episode 143 - "The Pop'a Big Perk Episode"

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Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 143 - "The Pop'a Big Perk Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Basketball: The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its' Class of 2026, honoring three (3) legendary players and three (3) iconic coaches whose collegiate careers represent the highest levels of achievement in the history of the game: The class includes national championship coaches Jay Wright (led Villanova to two national titles in 2016 & 2018) and Tubby Smith (led Kentucky to a national title in 1998), longtime Kansas HC Ted Owens (1964-1983), BYU superstar Danny Ainge, Michigan scoring ace Glen Rice and the late UCLA legend Walt Hazzard - - Each induction class is selected by the Blue Ribbon Selection Committee, comprised of college basketball executives & respected leaders around the country, and administered by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Foundation - - The Class of 2026 will be formally enshrined during the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Celebration, presented by UMB Private Wealth Management on Oct. 22 at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City, Missouri - - **NOTE: This year marks the 20th class to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, as it started in 2006 with a historic group of honorees, featuring John Wooden, Dean Smith, Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026?. . .NCAA College Football: Florida State is hiring former Texas, Houston & Florida Atlantic (FAU) HC Tom Herman to its coaching staff for the upcoming 2026 season, a source confirmed to ESPN on Monday, whereas a second source later informed the network, that Herman will serve as an assistant to Seminoles' HC Mike Norvell [and so, basically, it appears the "Gus Malzahn" experiment didn't work out, so they have selected Tom Herman to potentially become FSU's interim coach if the wheels fall off the Florida State football program this season under Norvell] - - Herman, 51, coached in 2024 with Florida Atlantic, when he was fired shortly before the end of his second season - - He went 54-20 with Houston and then Texas, recording top-10 finishes in 2015 (Houston) and 2017 (Texas), and went 6-16 at FAU - - Herman spent 2021 as an offensive analyst with the Chicago Bears in the NFL, but he hasn't served as a college assistant since a three-year run as Ohio State's OC from 2012 to 2014 under HC Urban Meyer: Herman built his profile as an offensive play-caller, holding coordinator roles with such programs as Texas State, Rice and Iowa State, prior to his arrival in Columbus, where he won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant in 2014, when the Buckeyes went on to win the national championship with a third-string QB (i.e., Cardale Jones) - - While Tim Harris Jr. was promoted to the OC role following Malzahn's departure; HC Mike Norvell is set to reclaim his offensive play-calling duties this season. . .Q: Could Tom Herman be FSU's "coach-in-waiting" (aka, an interim coach) in the event that Mike Norvell and the Seminoles do not have a successful 2026-27 College Football season?. . . - MLB - - Regardless of how his name is pronounced, Roch Cholowsky has a new title: No.1 pick — Cholowsky, the standout UCLA shortstop, was selected by the Chicago White Sox with the top overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, and was expected to sign a record-setting bonus - - While the White Sox debated between Cholowsky and Texas high school SS Grady Emerson - who was selected with the No.2 pick by the Tampa Bay Rays - they opted for a player who by next season could join their suddenly ascendant major league franchise - - Cholowsky has agreed to a contract with the Chicago White Sox that includes a record-breaking $10.35 million signing bonus after being selected with the No.1 overall pick in last weekend's amateur draft, sources confirmed to ESPN amid multiple reports, whereas the slot value for the top pick this year was $11.35 million — Cholowsky's record-setting signing bonus tops the previous mark of $9.25 million for the amateur draft that belonged to Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns and Colorado Rockies prospect Charlie Condon, two of the top three (3) selections in the 2024 MLB Draft - - Cholowsky, a 6-foot-2 SS, who turned 21 in April, hit .320 with 21 HRs, 60 RBIs, and a 1.088 OPS in 60 games this season for UCLA: **NOTE: Cholowsky played for the Bruins for three (3) seasons, batting .329 with 52 homers, 167 RBIs and a 1.072 OPS in 178 games played - as he ranks among the school's career leaders in homers, runs scored, on-base percentage and RBIs - - Meanwhile and despite losing a major-league record 121 games in 2024, the White Sox didn't pick until No.10 overall last year because of anti-tanking rules, however, they won the draft lottery in December, and the pick of Cholowsky was viewed as something of a foregone conclusion until he put up numbers below expectations in Big Ten play, with an OPS nearly 275 points lower than in non-conference games - - Regardless, Cholowsky's .320/.452/.636 line with 21 HRs and 60 RBIs followed a sophomore season in which he hit .353/.480/.710 with 23 HRs and 74 RBIs, which was plenty impressive enough for the White Sox to make him their first No.1 overall pick since Hall of Famer Harold Barnes in 1977. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Chicago White Sox selecting Roch Cholowsky with the No.1 overall pick in this year's MLB Draft?. . .2026 Home Run Derby: St. Louis Cardinals OF Jordan Walker staged a dramatic finish on Monday night, hitting six (6) consecutive HRs in the final round to stun the Phillies faithful, becoming the first player in Cardinals' franchise history to take the Derby crown: Walker hit 12 HRs in the final round to Kyle Schwarber's 11, and won it with a 407-foot blast to left field [where his parents were seated in the stands] - - The 2026 Home Run Derby made its Netflix debut on Monday night, and delivered in a big way thanks to St. Louis Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker, who completed an epic comeback on his final swing, blasting four (4) homers to spoil the hometown favorite, Schwarber, and Phillies' fans at Citizens Bank Park - - Not only did Walker become the first Cardinals player in MLB history to win the Derby, he is also the second-youngest player of all time to claim the crown (24) - - He also got to take home a cool $1 million for his efforts, while Schwarber earned $500,000 as the runner-up -- **NOTE: Interestingly, Walker's HR Derby prize of $1 million is more than his 2026 MLB salary of $799.4k - - Schwarber beat Willson Contreras in the semifinal round to advance, while Walker outlasted Junior Caminero - - Another Philadelphia hopeful, 1st baseman Bryce Harper, was eliminated in the first round when he hit only eight (8) HRs - and joined Jac Caglianone (8), Munetaka Murakami (9), and Ben Rice (7) on the sideline - - Players seemed to like the new format, however, which allowed for 20 untimed swings in the first round, 15 in the semifinals and 15 more in the final: Walker hit a total of 31 HRs, which was the same number than Kyle Schwarber, the runner-up, hit under this new Derby format. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Jordan Walker being crowned the 2026 Home Run Derby Champion, and the first St. Louis Cardinals' player ever to achieve this particular feat?. . .2026 MLB All-Star Game: In a year when MLB pitchers throwing unhittable 100 mph fastballs have generated many of baseball's headlines, the story of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game was that there are many ways to dominate the 60 feet, 6 inches between the pitcher's rubber & homeplate: Eleven (11) American League (AL) pitchers combined to allow three (3) hits and strike out 15 National League (NL) batters in a 4-0 victory Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, the AL's fourth shutout in All-Star play - - This was arguably the most impressive team pitching performance in All-Star Game history, with the 15 K's being one short of the nine-inning record and the three (3) hits allowed tying for the second fewest - in fact, there was only one triple-digit pitch thrown the entire game for the American League - - New York Yankees teammates Cody Bellinger & Ben Rice, both left-handed batters, delivered RBIs to give the AL a quick 3-0 lead before Phillies fans could finish their Philly Cheesesteaks - which was a bit of a rarity for hometown/Philadelphia (or NL) pitcher Cristopher Sanchez, who allowed a .137 average to lefty's in the first half - - **NOTE: Bellinger earned MVP honors for his two-out, two-run single, whereas Rice followed with an RBI single, the first time since 1962 that two Yankees had an RBI in an MLB All-Star Game. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the AL's dominant pitching performance, and 4-0 shutout victory over the NL in Tuesday night's MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia?. . - NFL - - RB Alvin Kamara will play for the New Orleans Saints in 2026 on a reworked contract, his agent confirmed to the NFL Network on Wednesday afternoon - - Kamara's restructured deal will pay him a base salary of $6 million this season with a chance to make up to $8.5 million with incentives, per Ian Rapoport - - Kamara had been set to make up to $11.5 million in base salary this season, although the Saints re-negotiated his contract for salary cap purposes in early March - in addition, $3 million of that salary became guaranteed last year - - Kamara's future was a point of speculation before the Saints signed former Jacksonville Jaguars RB, Travis Etienne Jr. to a four-year, $12 million per year contract, and questions began to circulate as to whether the Saints would be willing to retain both RBs - as Kamara addressed rumors of a potential trade last October by saying that he would not want to play anywhere but New Orleans - - Kamara's age [he turns 31 before the start of NFL training camp, which begins later this month] has been one reason for the speculation, but he also is coming off a season in which he had career lows in rushing yards (471), receiving yards (186) and total TDs (1) - and he has finished the past two seasons on the IR list. . .Q: What do you think about the New Orleans Saints' restructured deal with veteran RB Alvin Kamara? Was it a smart move for the franchise to was it time for the Saints to move on?. . . - NBA - - "Heat's Ablazing:" Former Miami Heat teammates Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro got into a physical altercation in Las Vegas last Friday morning, during which Adebayo struck Herro in the head area, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania - - The altercation occurred at a practice court in a Las Vegas hotel, according to sources - and it reportedly started when Adebayo approached Herro about comments the guard has previously made, critiquing the center on social media after their seven-year run as teammates in Miami ended when Herro was traded to Milwaukee - - Herro was seated courtside at the Thomas & Mack Center for last Friday's Summer League game between the Heat and Bucks - and he was interviewed during the game on the Prime broadcast prior to the news of the altercation with Adebayo broke - - After Herro was traded to Milwaukee, there were screenshots shared online of an Instagram direct message with a fan in which Herro appeared to question Adebayo's defensive prowess, with many speculating that this was in reaction to Adebayo signing a three-year, $166 million extension with Miami back in June 2024 - as the alleged comments by Herro in the DM questioned whether Adebayo's effort on defense on a nightly basis was worthy of someone who makes $60 million annually - - Bucks guard Tyler Herro said he wants to "move on" from his physical altercation with former teammate Bam Adebayo last week in Vegas and is "focused on the next chapter in Milwaukee.". . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Tyler Herro-Bam Adebayo physical altercation that occurred last week shortly after the Heat-Bucks trade that sent Giannis to Miami and Herro back to his hometown of Milwaukee? - - **UPDATE: The NBA will not punish the Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo for striking former teammate Tyler Herro at a Las Vegas gym last Friday, a league spokesperson told ESPN's Shams Charania on Thursday. . . - Miscellaneous - - 2026 FIFA World Cup Recap: In this particular segment, JD & Spencer review & analyze the semifinal round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in particular the outcome for the matches between France-Spain and Argentina-England, preview the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, discuss the viral photograph (2007) depicting the first time Lionel Messi & Lamine Yamal crossed paths, and finally, provide their individual prediction for the final match of this year's World Cup. . .UFC 329: The long-awaited return of Conor McGregor ended with a whimper as the UFC superstar injured his right leg in the opening seconds of his fight with Max Holloway and was forced to retire in the first round of their main event bout at UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena - and after which point, Holloway was awarded an underwhelming TKO victory after the welterweight fight was waved off at 1 minute & 9 seconds - - It was a stunning development in the highly anticipated rematch nearly 13 years after their first meeting, which McGregor won despite tearing his ACL - but he wouldn't be so lucky this time around - as McGregor appeared to be injured when he charged toward Holloway and landed awkwardly on his right leg after attempting a jump kick right as the fight started - as McGregor fell to his back and absorbed some ground & pound from Holloway - - The Irish fighter would make it to his feet, but fell to the canvas again moments later, favoring his right leg - and he would get to his feet again but was clearly compromised, forcing the referee to call the fight off, as Holloway said he urged the referee to stop the fight - - A disheveled McGregor immediately exited the ring, skipping his post-fight Octagon interview to discuss the nature of his injury - as he took to social media later Saturday and denied speculation he was injured prior to the onset of the fight: It was an unfortunate conclusion to the return of UFC's biggest star, as McGregor, 37, had spent five (5) years away from the Octagon, as he was recovering from a broken leg and fighting off lawsuits. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the unfortunate ending of UFC 329? How pissed/upset would be if you had paid a significant amount of money to either attend or access this fight just for this outcome?. . . - Tradition's Finest Annual College Football Preview & Prediction Showcase: PAC-12 Conference: In this year's 'Tradition's Finest College Football Season Preview & Prediction Showcase,' JD & Spencer discuss the history of the PAC-12 Conference, analyze a full breakdown & season outlook for the league, discuss a few of the potential breakout players in the Conference - as well as to provide their individual predictions regarding a potential "dark horse" contender in the Conference and which member they predict to win the 2026-27 PAC-12 Conference title/championship. . . Thanks for Listening!

Tradition's Finest Episode 140 - The "Reign Man" Episode

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 140 - The "Reign Man" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: "The Saga Continues:" The Big 12 on Monday morning made it clear it did not want to be pushed around in court in the case surrounding Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby. .and it seems to have worked: Hours before sources told ESPN Monday night that Sorsby plans to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, a decision later confirmed by a university statement, the Red Raiders' conference filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas seeking both a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to allow the league the authority to use its bylaws to potentially punish Sorsby, who admitted to betting on college sports - - Sorsby's and TTU's decision to “mutually part ways” should quell the conference's concerns for the time being. . .Q: What are your thoughts on QB Brendan Sorsby & Texas Tech University mutually parting ways following this media spectacle? - - The Big 12, a league won by Texas Tech last season, was chief among those critics, as Monday's move by the conference was a legal counter to a letter from Texas attorney general last week, which warned that any sanctions imposed by the Big 12 would be “unlawful” and countered by legal action, with the Texas AG, Kenneth Paxton, listed as a defendant, along with the chancellor, president and AD of Texas Tech - - This all played out in the wake of a judge granting Sorsby a temporary injunction on June 8 that essentially cleared the way for him to play for Texas Tech in 2026 - that came after Sorsby admitted that he broke NCAA rules by betting thousands of times, including 40 times on Indiana football while he was on that team's roster - - Before Sorsby's decision to leave the Red Raiders, the Big 12's presidents met Monday to discuss potential punishments with no definitive outcome - - The Big 12's federal suit included a request for an injunction to allow the league to enforce its own rules - and at the heart of this was Big 12 Bylaw 3:6, which allows the league via a supermajority vote to decide whether Texas Tech's conduct warrants sanctions: The suit sought to bar Texas Tech from “seeking to deter, coerce, prevent, or punish the Big 12 for exercising its rights under its Bylaws to sanction TTU related to its handling of the sports betting activity discussed in this Complaint, including if TTU fields a student-athlete in Big 12 competitions who has engaged in collegiate sports betting activity.” - - The measures discussed by the Big 12 executive committee last week in a call included both financial penalties to the school and penalties related to eligibility, as the Big 12's filing alludes to barring the school from the conference championship game as a potential sanction – The suit also acknowledged the near unanimity in the college athletics industry that Sorsby should not be allowed to play and mentioned bans on playing Texas Tech by the athletic departments at Georgia and Nebraska - as the suit was a highly unusual action from a conference and it came amid a volatile situation: Big 12 ADs were outspoken, both publicly and in meetings, in saying they don't want to Sorsby to play - - For the first time since 2019, the NFL supplemental draft is interesting!. . .Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby has announced his intention to enter the supplemental draft, which will be held sometime in July once the league approves his application: The supplemental draft allows all 32 teams to bid blindly against one another for the rights to a player – Any team wishing to add Sorsby must submit a bid for the round in which it would be willing to draft him, as the team that submits the most valuable bid wins the rights to the player, but its pick in that specific round is forfeited in the upcoming 2027 NFL Draft - - As such, NFL teams are now doing all of their due diligence on Sorsby: A much-larger-than-normal piece of that diligence will consider his serious sports gambling transgressions, but it's still the job of scouts and coaches to watch the tape and grade his current play and NFL potential - as league evaluators were excited to see Sorsby play another season at Texas Tech; even if he had declared for the 2026 draft, before the sports gambling was exposed, he was considered a high-ceiling prospect worthy of a solid pick. . .Q: Do you think that an NFL franchise will use their draft pick to select QB Brendan Sorsby in this year's Supplemental Draft? If so, which NFL franchise or franchises might take the risk & draft Sorsby?. . .NCAA College Baseball: Bracket #1: Men's College World Series Game #11/Semifinals: No.5 North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0) vs. No.16 West Virginia Mountaineers (1-1) - - The Tar Heels exploded for 12 runs, jumping out to a 12-1 lead and holding off No.16 West Virginia, 12-7, to advance to the championship series of the College World Series on Wednesday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field - - **NOTE: With the victory, their fifth in a row, the Tar Heels advanced to the CWS championship series for the third time and the first time in 19 seasons, joining the 2006 and 2007 squads -- They improved to 3-0 in games to send themselves to the championship finals, as the final, best-of-three (3) series for the NCAA championship will begin in Omaha on Saturday on ESPN - - **NOTE: UNC has started 3-0 in the CWS for the first time since beginning 4-0 in 2006 and is a scorching 8-1 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament - - Carolina scored eight (8) runs in the first four (4) innings to take control early and allowed only run through 6.2 innings, whereas WVU scored five (5) in the bottom of the 7th and added another in the 8th, but Caden Glauber slammed the door by striking out three (3) and allowing just one run in 2.1 innings of relief to finish the game - - **NOTE: Carolina's 12 runs were its most since scoring 13 against Pitt on May 23 in the ACC Tournament - - as the Mountaineers had allowed only a combined 10 runs in their first three (3) games in Omaha prior to Wednesday - - UNC improved to 53-12-1 with the victory and has won 17 of its last 20 games, whereas the Mountaineers saw their season come to an abrupt end at 47-17 - - Owen Hull went 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles and two RBIs to set the tone for the Tar Heels. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the No.5 North Carolina Tar Heels advancing to the Men's College World Series best-of-three championship series?. . .. . .Bracket #2: Men's College World Series #12/Semifinals: No.3 Georgia Bulldogs (1-1) vs. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) - - Freshman pitcher shutting down maybe the nation's most potent lineup. . .Check!. . .HRs by the record-setting handful?. . .Check!. . .Otherworldly defensive genius with the leather?. . .Check! - - Oklahoma's unlikely run at the College World Series continued on Wednesday night at Charles Schwab Field as the Sooners emphatically eliminate No.3 national seed Georgia 11-4 - - OU (41-22) hit five (5) HRs, got another startingly precocious performance on the hill and layered in plenty of fabulous defense to shut down the Bulldogs (53-14) and advance to the CWS Championship Series for the second time in a five-year stretch - as Oklahoma will play No.5 North Carolina (53-12-1) in a best-of-three (3) series starting Saturday - - Oklahoma won its eighth game in a row - and barely gave the crowd of 24,446 time to catch their breath before another Sooner smacked a ball over the fence - - But it was fellow freshman pitcher Nick Wesloski, who was up to the challenge of taking down the Bulldogs despite the lack of starting experience this season - as his only other start on the college level was two weeks ago in the Atlanta regional against The Citadel, when he threw 105 pitches over seven (7) innings and gave up five (5) runs on six (6) hits and a pair of walks - and picked up his first collegiate win - - When the red-hot OU hitters staked him to a four-run lead early, Wesloski was able to relax, settle in and find the strike zone without much trouble - - Jason Walk enjoyed his first career two-HR game, Dasan Harris had his second, and Trey Gambill homered as well, his 11th - as Walk & Harris had hit just four (4) HRs all season, but they lived beyond the wall against Georgia's pitching. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the College World Series best-of-three (3) championship series between No.5 UNC and Oklahoma? Who do you predict to win this series?. . . - NFL - - Former NFL DL Aldon Smith has died in the Bay Area at the age of 36, the San Francisco 49ers announced and confirmed on Saturday afternoon, however, there was no cause of death given - - Smith played six (6) seasons in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, as the Niners selected him with the No.7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft: Once viewed as one of the NFL's top young players, Smith's star-crossed career ended in 2020 after one season with the Cowboys - - As a rookie, Smith burst on the scene with 14 sacks and 27 QB hits on his way to finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting - - He followed with his best NFL season in 2012, posting 19.5 sacks and 29 QB hits as he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors - as those 19.5 sacks still stand as a 49ers' franchise record for a single season - - Smith's rapid ascent to NFL stardom was slowed by a series of off-field issues that included 10 arrests in nine (9) years, as the NFL eventually suspended Smith for nine (9) games in 2014 for violation of the league's personal conduct and substance abuse policies - - Amid suspensions that kept him out of football from 2016 to 2019, Smith appeared in nine (9) games for the Oakland Raiders in 2015 and was conditionally reinstated by the NFL in May 2020: he appeared in 16 contests for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, for which he had 3.5 sacks for the Raiders and five (5) for the Cowboys, with his last one coming against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 1, 2020 - - Smith attempted one more comeback with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 but was arrested on a second-degree battery charge in Louisiana soon after signing with Seattle, after which point, the Seahawks waived him on Aug. 11, 2021 - - On the "I Am Athlete" podcast in 2023, Smith announced he was retiring from the game, saying "I'm done with ball." - - Smith, who was born on Sept. 25, 1989, in Kansas City, Missouri, played collegiately at Missouri - - The family of Aldon Smith has decided to send his brain to medical experts at the Boston University CTE Center to see whether chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) played a role in the former NFL DL's death - - Smith passed away on Saturday at age 36, hours after he had delivered pizzas to a homeless charity in the San Francisco Bay area - and while no cause of death has been given, Smith's family has hired attorneys to help investigate his death - - CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in athletes in contact sports, combat veterans and others exposed to repetitive head trauma - as it has been know to cause violent mood swings, impulsive behavior & depression - but it can only be diagnosed after death - - According to the family, Smith suffered numerous concussions during his NFL career. . .Q: What are your thoughts on former NFL DL Aldon Smith's untimely passing? What do you think the results of Boston University's assessment of Aldon Smith's brain is going to determine: he did or did not have CTE?. . . - MLB - - Chicago Cubs CF Pete Crow-Armstrong on Monday night became the first player in the MLB to hit for the cycle this season: Crow-Armstrong homered to lead off the game against the Colorado Rockies, then hit a triple in the 3rd inning, a double in the 5th and a single in the 7th inning - - Crow-Armstrong's first three (3) hits came off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen, and the final one was off reliever Antonio Senzatela - - **NOTE: Crow-Armstrong is the first player to accomplish the feat since Twins CF Byron Buxton last July and the first Cubs player since teammate Carson Kelly last March - - **NOTE2: Crow-Armstrong is the 13th player in franchise history to hit for the cycle and the youngest since Randy Hundley in 1966 - - Crow-Armstrong has been hot lately, collecting 13 hits in his past six (6) games, including the four (4) Monday - - Of those 13, eight (8) have gone for extra bases - as his OPS rose to .845 after his cycle -- The Cubs erased a 4-3 deficit in the 9th inning as Matt Shaw scored the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk, as it was Chicago's ninth walk-off win, the most in the majors - with no other team having more than six (6) walk-off victories - - However, the Cubs have been struggling to consistently win for well over a month, and lost a series to Colorado last week, as their last three (3) wins at Wrigley Field have all been walk-offs - - This was the second time in three (3) games that Crow-Armstrong had a chance at a cycle after singling, doubling and homering Saturday against the San Francisco Giants: **NOTE: He became the fourth player in the divisional era (since 1969) to complete the cycle in reverse order: HR, triple, double and single. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Chicago Cubs CF Pete Crow-Armstrong batting performance on Monday night against the Colorado Rockies, becoming the first player in the majors to hit for the cycle this season?. . . - NBA - - 2026 NBA Playoffs Review: NBA Finals: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs [NYK leads series 3-1] - Game 5: Jalen Brunson and the "Comeback Knicks" did it again. .And now, they're the "Champion Knicks." - - For the first time in 53 years, New York rules the NBA: Brunson scored 45 points, including 13 straight for New York in the 4th QTR, and the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night - - The Knicks won the series 4-1, rallying from double-digit deficits in all four (4) of those victories, as the deficit was 16 on Saturday night, but Brunson and the Knicks were never fazed - - **NOTE: Brunson set a Knicks record for points in a finals game: it had been 38 by Willis Reed against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the 1970 series - but now it belongs to the left-handed PG who changed the franchise's fortunes when he arrived four (4) years ago - - Knicks coach Mike Brown, who was hired a year ago - making him the franchise's 24th coach since the franchise's last championship in 1973, said of his team winning the championship "It's surreal." - - Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart - the other two parts of the "Nova Knicks" trip that also includes Brunson, three (3) players who were NCAA champions at Villanova and teamed up in New York to try to do the same - combined to score 27 points, as Bridges had 14, Hart 13 - - New York got to the brink of this title by rallying from 29 points down in Game 4 to win 107-106 on OG Anunoby's tip-in with 1.2 seconds left on Wednesday night, as it was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history and the biggest comeback in any game this season, regular season or playoffs - and by comparison, then, a 16-point raly in this one seemed relatively simple, whereas San Antonio had to shuffle off into the offseason following their Game 5 collapse - - Rookie Dylan Harper scored 25 for the Spurs, who got 19 points, 14 rebounds & five (5) blocked shots from Victor Wembanyama - as the Knicks improved to 4-0 in closeout opportunities this season, winning them all on the road, but it didn't feel like the road, though - not with thousands of New York faithful having made the trip to Texas to witness a moment 53 years in the making - - And back home, on the streets of the Big Apple, celebrations broke out everywhere: Jubilant Knicks fans flooded the streets of New York on Saturday night, crowding into intersections and climbing light poles and buses as they celebrated the team's first NBA championship in over 50 years - but the celebration turned chaotic as the night wore on, with five (5) school buses set ablaze in Times Square, five (5) police cars damaged on Sixth Avenue and a 17-year-old boy shot in the foot near the heart of the festivities - - A total of 63 people were arrested overnight in connection with the Knicks game, the NYPD said, as charges include assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration, police said - - Police also reported four (4) stabbings overnight. . .Q: How many more championships do you think the NYPD are prepared for in New York City? What are your thoughts on the New York Knicks becoming the 2026 NBA Champions after a 53-year drought? - - "Bing Bong, No Respect:" It seems the oddsmakers didn't learn their lesson after underestimating the New York Knicks throughout their NBA championship run: **NOTE: The Knicks entered the NBA playoffs with the eighth-shortest offs (+2200) to win the title - and even after they steamrolled their way through the East, they were heavily doubted against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, with oddsmakers giving +180 odds to end their 53-year NBA championship drought. .The disrespect continues: Entering next season, the Knicks have the fourth-shortest odds to repeat as NBA champions, trailing the San Antonio Spurs (+250), Oklahoma City Thunder (+250) and Boston Celtics (+550) - as the odds are shocking since the Knicks handily beat the Celtics and Spurs in the last two playoffs and are expected to return with the same roster next year. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the 2026-27 NBA titles odds as the Knicks will enter the season with the fourth-highest chance to win next year's title?. . .Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden was arrested early Saturday morning in Houston and has been charged with a misdemeanor unlawful carrying of a weapon - - According to Harris County court records, Harden was taken into custody at 3:41 a.m. when a handgun was observed on the seat of a car he owns: The gun was not holstered and was in plain view, according to the records - Harden was booked at 4:57 a.m. and later released after paying a $100 bond, and his arraignment is scheduled for June 22 - - Harden is potentially going to be a free agent at the end of the month, as he had a $42 million player option decision he must make by June 29, but only $13.3 million is guaranteed - - It has been expected that Harden would opt out of the contract and sign a new multiyear deal to remain in Cleveland, where he was traded in February, as he helped lead the Cavaliers reach the Eastern Conference Finals. . .Q: What do you make of Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden's arrest in Houston early Saturday morning? Will his arrest have any type of negative effect on his upcoming contract negotiations with Cleveland?. . ."Master Splitter:" The Chicago Bulls are finalizing the hiring of Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter as the franchise's new head coach, sources told ESPN on Monday - - Splitter succeeds Billy Donovan as the Bulls' HC after stepping into the head coach job in Portland last season and excelling: Splitter, 41, guided the Trail Blazers to a 42-40 record and a postseason berth as the No.7 seed in the Western Conference amid adversity stemming from Chauncey Billups' federal charges - - **NOTE: Splitter became the first Trail Blazers head coach to have a winning record in his first season with the team since Maurice Cheeks in 2001-02 and the first to win a playoff game in his debut season in Portland since Mike Dunleavy in 1997-98 - - Splitter led the Trail Blazers to a top-10 defense in their final 51 regular-season games, with a 30-21 record during that span, as Portland also led the NBA in second-chance points per game under Splitter last season - - The Bulls conducted a search that spanned a double-digit number of candidates before narrowing the process: they landed on Splitter due to his ability to lead the team's player development, organizational alignment on the franchise's direction & vision, and his leadership and knowledge base as a coach who has risen through the ranks since 2018 and played in the NBA for seven (7) years with one championship with the San Antonio Spurs - - Splitter played overseas before the Spurs choses him with the No.28 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft - - He played in San Antonio, Atlanta and Philadelphia across his NBA career - - After retiring, Splitter joined the Brooklyn Nets as a scout and player development staff member in 2018, whereas he spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant for the Houston Rockets under Ime Udoka, and then he took a job as HC of Paris Basketball for the 2024-25 EuroLeague campaign before returning of the NBA as Billups' lead assistant in Portland, as the Trail Blazers will now have to hire a new coach after Splitter, one of their finalists, has accepted the Chicago job: Nori and Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook are the two candidates remaining to become the new Portland head coach. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Chicago Bulls' hire of Portland Trail Blazers' interim coach Tiago Splitter as the franchise's new HC?. . . - Miscellaneous - - 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final [CAR leads series 3-2] - Game 6: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes - - Carolina spent the first part of the Stanley Cup Final surviving, finding ways to overcome deficits and play a high-scoring game that didn't fit the Hurricanes' typical style - but when it came down to doing what it takes to win the Cup, the Hurricanes' defense put its stamp on this series, shutting down the Vegas Golden Knights and not letting up: The Hurricanes held Vegas to five (5) total goals in Games 4 and 5 and used a suffocating defense in a 3-0 shutout in Sunday night's clinching Game 6 to win their first NHL championship in 20 years - - Jordan Staal was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs, becoming the oldest player to ever win the award at the ripe age of 37 - - Brandon Bussi, whose entrance late into Game 3 helped turn around the series for Carolina, recorded his first career playoff shutout in stopping 22 shots, while Jackson Blake had a goal & assist, Taylor Hall scored just 3:47 into the game to set the tone, and Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-net goal - - The Golden Knights, who made an unlikely run just to reach the final, struggled badly to muster in any kind of offense in Game 6 and went 18:37 between shots on goal in the second and third periods - - **NOTE: This was the first time that the Golden Knights have been shut out, after playing in their third Cup final - - This clinching game was what many observers expected the series to be like between the defensive-minded teams, but each side watched leads of two-plus goals disappear in the first three (3) games - - Now, the Cup belongs to the Hurricanes, led by coach Rod Brind'Amour, who also captained Carolina to its 2006 title. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Carolina Hurricanes winning their first NHL championship in 20 years? - - **UPDATE: John Tortorella, who guided the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final, will not return as head coach next season, the team announced Tuesday, less than 48 hours after losing the final series, 4-2, to the Carolina Hurricanes - - Tortorella, who was a surprise hire when he was brought in with eight (8) games remaining in the NHL regular season, after the Golden Knights had fired Bruce Cassidy, who had one year remaining on his contract, while the team was in playoff position - - Tortorella's deal with the Golden Knights was only through June 30, the end of the league calendar - - Tortorella, who went 21-8-1 with Vegas (including playoffs), indicated that he would like to coach next season, sources told ESPN. . .Q: What was your immediate response to the news that Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella would not be returning for the NHL franchise following their Stanley Cup Final run this season?. . .2026 FIFA World Cup Recap: That's 24 games featuring 48 teams in the books - Or, as FIFA would put it: the biggest first matchday ever, at the biggest World Cup ever - - And despite FIFA's best efforts, the opening slate of matches was about as good as it gets, as we had hosts showing up, favorites falling off, players speaking out, stars stepping up, puppies pooping on platforms, and much, much more! - - Of course, soccer is more random than any of the major American sports: favorites win way less often, as there are barely any shots, let alone goals - but regardless, the World Cup occurs only once every four (4) years, so we decided to discuss a few of the most notable games of the Group stage from the first week of action; In this particular segment, JD & Spencer discuss the following World Cup matches from the opening week of the Group stage: Thursday, June 11th: Group A: Mexico vs. South Africa Friday, June 12th: Group D: United States vs. Paraguay Sunday, June 14th: Group E: Germany vs. Curacao Monday, June 15th: Group H: Spain vs. Cape Verde Tuesday, June 16th: Group I: France vs. Senegal Group J: Argentina vs. Algeria Thanks for Listening!

19. juni 20261 h 24 min

Tradition's Finest Episode 139 - The "oster-Tag, you're it!" Episode

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 139 - The "oster-Tag, you're it!" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - Women's College World Series (WCWS) Finals: Game 2: No.2 Texas Longhorns vs. No.11 Texas Tech Red Raiders - - Teagan Kavan struck out five (5) in the final two innings to back a strong start from Citlaly Gutierrez, and Kayden Henry homered to lead Texas to a 4-1 victory over Texas Tech last Thursday night at the Women's College World Series (WCWS) for a second straight national championship - - Kavan earned the Most Outstanding Player award after becoming the first pitcher with two shutout & two saves in one WCWS - - Henry homered off Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady - in what was her final game at the collegiate level - to begin the 7th inning and Leighann Goode singled to drive in the final run - - Meanwhile, Texas Tech did put up a fight, as the Red Raiders jumped in front in the 3rd inning on an RBI single by Lauren Allred, as Canady retired 11 in a row after Henry singled to begin the game before disaster struck in the 5th - - Kaiah Altmeyer and Ashton Maloney led off with singles before Logan Halleman made a leaping catch in left field with one out to save at least one run, and Canady walked slugger Katie Stewart to load the bases and appeared to escape the jam before Toney's error - - Halleman also robbed Altmeyer of an extra-base with a runner on 1st base in the 6th to keep the score at 2-1 - - Gutierrez (11-3) allowed one run on three (3) hits in 4 1/3 innings, while freshman Hannah Davis got two outs in the 5th inning prior to Gutierrez re-entering the game with the bases loaded to get the final out - - Kavan fanned Mihyi Davis to wrap up her fifth save of the season, whereas Canady (29-7) went the distance, allowing just four (4) runs - two earned - on eight (8) hits with three (3) walks - - **NOTE: Coach Mike White led Texas to the program's second title in his eighth season, meanwhile, second-year Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco has led the Red Raiders to their only two, but consecutive nonetheless, WCWS appearances: Texas Tech fell 7-3 in this year's WCWS finals series opener the prior Wednesday. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Texas Longhorns earning back-to-back WCWS national championships under HC Mike White?. . .NCAA College Football: The West Virginia Mountaineers are set to honor a college football legend this upcoming fall: On Friday, the program announced plans to retire Pat White's No.5 jersey at a home game that will be determined later this summer - - White, who played at WVU from 2004-08, is widely considered to be the greatest football player in program history and one of the most electric players in college football's modern era - - White is also currently on the Mountaineers' coaching staff, serving as the assistant QBs coach and assistant to the head coach, Rich Rodriguez, whom he played for throughout his playing career in Morgantown - - White finished his West Virginia career with more than 6,000 passing yards and 4,480 rushing yards, and he recorded 103 total TDs in his three (3) seasons with the Mountaineers: A three-time First Team All-Big East selection & two-time Big East Offensive Player of the Year, White led WVU to its' best season in program history in 2007, as the Mountaineers were ranked as high as No.2 in the BCS rankings and were just one win away from a guaranteed spot in the BCS National Championship Game, and now, White - originally from Daphne, Alabama - is being immortalized in Morgantown for the legend that he is - - There is but one caveat, here. . .Q: Did West Virginia miss an ideal opportunity to retire White's running mate - and arguably the best RB in Mountaineers' program history - Steve Slaton's No.10 jersey? What are your thoughts on West Virginia's announcement that the program will retire former star QB Pat White's No.5 jersey this summer?. . ."A Disgusting Day for the NCAA:" A judge in district court in Lubbock County, Texas, has granted the temporary injunction requested by Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby, and in result, he is now eligible to play for the Red Raiders next season, according to the temporary injunction filed against the NCAA, granted Monday morning by visiting District Court Judge (*and Texas Tech alum) Ken Curry - - The NCAA had earlier ruled Sorsby ineligible, after he acknowledged that he gambled on sports, which included placing approximately 9,000+ bets estimated at a value of $90,000, some of which were placed on Indiana University, while Sorsby was on the program's football team as a redshirt (RS) freshman - - The request was approved after Sorsby completed a 35-day gambling rehabilitation program in late May - - Judge Curry ruled in Sorsby's favor, stating that the transfer QB "has demonstrated [that] he will suffer a probable, imminent, or irreparable injury," if the court did not grant and/or issue his request for a temporary injunction, primarily because he would not be eligible to play for the Red Raiders throughout the 2026 college football season - - The injunction is effective immediately and will remain in effect until a final judgment is signed or until there is another order on behalf of the court: The order states that the NCAA may not prevent Brendan Sorsby from practicing, playing or otherwise participating on the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team in 2026, however, Judge Curry couldn't allow Sorsby to obtain a "Get Out of Jail-" free card, so he decided to proverbially slap him on the wrist by granting his attorney's penalty that was suggested at the initial hearing: Sorsby is barred from playing and/or participating in game day activities for the program's first two games of the 2026-27 season, which includes a home game versus Abilene Christian on September 5th and a trip to Corvallis in Week 2 to face off against Oregon State on September 12th - - Background: According to court documents filed by the NCAA, Sorsby placed thousands of sports bets from 2022 to 2026 while at Indiana, Cincinnati & Texas Tech - as the NCAA's filing states that Sorsby placed bets on college sports, including on Indiana football, for which he attended, as well as bets on the performance of his teammates - - The NCAA says that Sorsby later moved to other people's accounts and apps to place bets, including after his transfer to Texas Tech, where online sports betting is illegal under Texas law — Defense attorney Jeffrey Kessler said at the June 1 hearing that the temporary injunction should be granted because the NCAA failed to uphold its' reinstatement process, as he cited the NCAA Constitution & bylaws, including Article 1 Section D, which states ' student-athlete well-being is designed to protect their physical and mental health,' while the NCAA's representative/attorney Taylor Askew rejected Kessler's claims that the NCAA does not care about the mental health of student-athletes, as their legal team described this as a "Hail Mary" attempt to be reinstated - - Askew said even if Sorsby would have placed just one singular bet on Indiana football back in 2022, he would still be in violation, and he also said that Sorsby should've never been allowed to transfer from Cincinnati to Texas Tech because he was already breaking the NCAA's "cardinal rule," - - A few days ago, prior to Judge Ken Curry's ruling, the NCAA rejected Texas Tech's appeal to reinstate Sorsby, however, this particular action was separate from Sorsby's lawsuit filed against the NCAA - - **UPDATE: A trial date has been set for Sorsby's injunction against the NCAA, and according to ESPN, the trial is set to take place on Feb. 8 in the 99th District Court in Lubbock County, Texas, the same court that granted Sorsby a temporary injunction on Monday - with the scheduled date being two weeks after the 2026-27 College Football Playoff National Championship Game - meaning Sorsby seems likely to play the entire season without at least intervention from the courts - - Reactions to the Ruling: The judge's decision to rule QB Brendan Sorsby eligible on Monday morning roiled college sports, with reactions ranging from doomsday predictions to informal chatter about Big 12 schools attempting to not play the Red Raiders this upcoming season: The reaction around college sports was nearly unanimous, with the idea of Sorsby playing in 2026 after admitting to placing thousands of bets on sports - including 40 of which were placed on his own team/program - representing the latest crossroads for an industry that has faced a dizzying number of them in recent years — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormak released the following statement Monday afternoon following the ruling: "The ramifications of today's ruling are significant and could have broad impacts across college athletics, creating great concern amongst our membership. I've been consulting with our key stakeholders and have scheduled a meeting with our Conference ADs and our Executive Board this week. We are also in touch with [NCAA President] Charlie Baker and anticipate the NCAA to appeal the order in the next 24-48 hours. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation." - - ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told ESPN the ruling represents a "horrendous pattern," that is "eroding the integrity of our process." - - A Big 12 AD told ESPN that they were "disgusted" by the ruling and added "We officially lost our soul." - - TCU HC Sonny Dykes inquired with ESPN as to "How is anyone ever going to trust the outcome of a game again?" - - Nebraska AD Troy Dannen told ESPN that his school's teams are, similar to what has been reported for Big Ten programs, not allowed to schedule the Red Raiders for any type of sports contest - - University of Florida AD Scott Stricklin told ESPN that he was "stunned," by the ruling, even comparing it to the MLB's 1919 'Black Sox scandal,' when eight (8) professional baseball players from the Chicago White Sox took bribes to lose the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the district court judge out of Lubbock County (TX) granting Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby's request for a temporary injunction against the NCAA, allowing him to become eligible for the 2026-27 college football season? Thoughts on the two-game suspension penalty imposed? Is there a legitimate possibility that, because of this particular ruling, that the NCAA forbids its' collegiate programs and/or universities from playing or participating in games/contests against Texas Tech athletics (i.e, football, softball, baseball, etc.)?. . . - NFL - - Da "Indiana Bears:" The Chicago Bears announced last Friday that their board of directors has voted to advance their stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with a specific site to be determined, and thus, pushing the franchise closer to leaving the state it's called home for more than 100 years - - Hammond is roughly 25 miles from the Bears' current home, Soldier Field, and sits just next to the Indiana/Illinois border, as a departure from the state itself and a move to a state that already has an NFL team, the Indianapolis Colts, is a development that's somehow stunning yet surprising - - Friday's news dropped after the Illinois House adjourned on the last day of the state's spring legislative session last week without taking up a measure that would have cleared the way for Arlington Heights and Chicago to create local stadium authorities, creating a pathway for the Bears to avoid paying property taxes on a new stadium in the state of Illinois - - The Bears said at the time that they were finalizing their evaluation of possible stadium sites in Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana - - The twists & turns during the final days of Illinois' spring legislative session were consistent with what has been a laborious stadium process for the Bears, a charter NFL franchise - - Amid lingering efforts to secure tax incentives in Illinois, along with as much as $855 million in public money for infrastructure at the Arlington Heights site, in May 2025, the Bears began to take a closer look at possible options in Northwest Indiana - - More recently, the Bears said on May 21 that Hammond and Arlington Heights were the only sites under consideration, but some Illinois state lawmakers kept pushing for a plan that they hoped would make Chicago part of the conversation once again - - **NOTE: The Bears have played their home games in the state of Illinois since the team's founding in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys - - Since moving to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned their stadium, whether playing at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 or Soldier Field since. . .Q: What do you think about the possibility of the Chicago Bears, a historic NFL franchise, possibly relocating to Hammond, Indiana, thus becoming the "Indiana Bears?". . . - NBA - - 2025-26 NBA Playoffs Recap: In this particular segment, JD & Spencer discuss, review & provide a detailed analysis on each of the NBA Finals games from the previous week; this includes the following games as listed below: 2026 NBA Finals: Game 2: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks [NYK leads series 1-0] Game 3: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks [NYK leads series 2-0] Game 4: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks [NYK leads series 2-1] - Miscellaneous - - 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes [VGK leads series 1-0] – Game 2: The 2026 Stanley Cup Finals has been marked by wild swings, so it's probably appropriate that the two teams, the Vegas Golden Knights & Carolina Hurricanes, have split the first two games in Carolina, but if history is a guide, the winner of the following Saturday's Game 3 would have an enormous edge, but this series has been, if anything, unpredictable: **NOTE: NHL teams that took a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final went on to win 46 of 57 times (or 80.7% of the time) - - Mini-Recap: The Hurricanes couldn't have gotten off to a better start in the series opener, as Nikolaj Ehlers scored just 25 seconds into the game and soon afterwards, he added a second goal to take a 2-0 lead early - but unfortunately for Carolina, the Golden Knights rallied with three (3) consecutive goals to begin a back-and-forth finish, as Vegas ultimately won Game 1, 5-4, as Tomas Hertl scored with 3:24 remaining off a sensational backhand pass from Colton Sissons - - Back in Game 2, the Golden Knights appeared to take full control of the series, taking a 2-0 lead deep into the third period - but Carolina scored three (3) goals beginning with 9:40 left before Mark Stone forced OT with a six-on-five goal with 1:21 remaining - but it was Seth Jarvis' power-play goal 3:56 into OT that gave the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory and evened the series at 1-1. . .2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes [Series tied 1-1] – Game 3: What was largely expected to be a high-checking, low-scoring championship round has been wide open at times, with each team capitalizing on the other's mistakes: **NOTE: The teams have combined to score 25 goals, the highest total through three (3) games in the Stanley Cup Final since the New York Islanders and the Minnesota North Stars had 30 in 1981- - There have been blown leads of at least two such goals in each game, as Vegas rallied from such a deficit in Game 1 and Carolina did it in Game 2 - - Then came the real doozy in Saturday night's Game 3 when the Golden Knights led 4-0 well into the third period before the Hurricanes scored three (3) goals in a record 39 seconds, as Carolina eventually forced OT, but the Golden Knights won it in double OT when Shea Theodore bounced a puck off the boards that caromed off goalie Brandon Bussi's skate - - Bussi, who hadn't played in two months, entered in the third period after coach Rod Brind'Amour had seen enough of Frederik Andersen - and the Golden Knights couldn't figure out Bussi until that final wacky shot - - After Vegas took a 2-1 series lead, there was plenty at stake for Game 4: Should the Golden Knights have won and took a 3-1 series lead, they would have been almost an unbeatable position: **NOTE: Teams with such an advantage (i.e., leading a series 3-1) in the Stanley Cup Final are 38-1, with the one defeat occurring 84 years ago when Detroit lost a 3-0 lead and fell to Toronto - - On the other hand, a Carolina victory would not only have evened the best-of-seven (7) series, but the Hurricanes would have regained home-ice advantage with potentially two of the three (3) remaining games scheduled to occur in Carolina. . .2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes [VGK leads series 2-1] – Game 4: Another two-goal lead went the way of the landline on Tuesday night, the go-ahead shot came from a 37-year-old player on his stomach on one of the great runs in Stanley Cup Finals history, and the winning goalie made his first start in two months and doesn't know if that will be his last one this postseason: None of it makes sense and yet it all somehow does in this series that is now even at 2-2 through four (4) games - probably aptly so - because of Jordan Staal's second goal at 6:32 of the third period that come while sprawled on the ice in what became a 5-3 Hurricanes victory over the Golden Knights - - Next, the series would head back to Carolina for Game 5 the following Thursday night, where the Hurricanes would have two games on home ice to win their first Cup in two decades, for which their coach, Rod Brind'Amour, captained that team - - The same applies at the other end, where the 9-year-old Golden Knights chase their second championship in four (4) years - - Whichever team loses the series can point to a number of costly mistakes and moments that could have drastically changed the outcome of the series, as each game - until Game 4 - was decided by just one goal — A two-goal lead has disappeared in all four (4) games in what has been a remarkable series in which momentum often changes at a moment's notice - as each team has led by at least that many twice - - **NOTE: Through the first four (4) games, the 33 combined goals are tied for the third highest in a Cup final with the Islanders-Flyers' series in 1980 - - **NOTE2: Jordan Staal became the first player in 44 years to score at least one goal in each of the first four (4) games of the Stanley Cup Final and the ninth overall, as Mike Bossy in 1982 with the New York Islanders against the Vancouver Canucks, was the last player to score in the first four (4) games of a final - - Brandon Bussi started in place of Frederick Andersen in goal for the Hurricanes and made 18 saves, and including his work in relief in Game 2, Bussi has 36 saves on 40 shots - - Mark Stone, William Karlsson, and Brett Howden scored goals for the Golden Knights, and Carter Hart made 23 saves, but the Hurricanes came out blazing in Game 4, taking a 3-1 lead in the first period, and while Vegas nearly cut it to one, but Brayden McNabb's goal came right after the period ended, and thus, didn't count. . .Q: While neither of us are "Hockey Bros," we are both fans, and have respect for anyone who will toss their gloves, mask & hockey stick, and throw a punch, we like that shit, but what are your thoughts on the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals through the first four games?. . .2026 FIFA World Cup/Soccer: The 2026 FIFA World Cup has finally arrived and the opening match of competition was set to get under way on Thursday (6/11), as Mexico hosted South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, in the first of a total of 104 matches at this expanded World Cup in what is also, a repeat of the 2018 curtain raiser - There was also the first of three opening ceremonies that took place in the Mexican capital on Thursday, and in the early hours of the morning UK time on Saturday, the United States will get their World Cup campaign up & running in Los Angeles, as Maurice Pochettino's team hosts Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium and in the third and final opening ceremony, where Katy Perry is the headline act - - Per major sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel, Spain (+450) and France (+475) enter the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the consensus tournament favorites, with the outright champion odds for the top contenders being highlighted by a tiered field (listed below). . .Q: Which nation(s) do you think have the best overall shot at winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup?. . . Top Tier Favorites: Spain (+450) France (+475) England (+650 to +700) Leading Contenders: Portugal (+800) Brazil (+800 to +950) Argentina (the reigning World Cup champions; +800 to +1000) Dark Horses & Co-Hosts: Germany (+1400) Netherlands (+2000) United States (+5000) Japan (+5000) Mexico (+6000 to +6600) Canada (+17500) Thanks for Listening!

12. juni 20261 h 5 min

Tradition's Finest Episode 143 - "The Pop'a Big Perk Episode"

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1 month for 9 kr.

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