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Bar Chat

05/18/2017

Boston's Double Win

[Posted Wed. a.m.]

PGA Tour Quiz: Name the top five in money thus far in the 2016-17 wraparound season, which also happens to be the top five in FedEx Cup points.  [One name on the list should be kind of a surprise...it was to me.]  Answer below.

NBA Playoffs

--In Game 7 Monday night of the Washington-Boston series, the Celtics pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 115-105 win behind the stellar play off the bench of forward Kelly Olynyk, who had 26 points on 10 of 14 shooting from the field in just 28 minutes, including 14 in the final 19 minutes when the Celts, down 55-53 at the half, went on an 18-3 run from the late third to early fourth.

Isaiah Thomas of Boston had 29 points and 12 assists, while for Washington, John Wall had 18 points on 8 of 23 shooting, with running mate Bradley Beal gunning for 38 in defeat.

Boston is now 19-4 in Game 7s at home all time, while for the city of Washington, a 19-year curse continues.  The Wizards joined the Capitals, who also lost a Game 7 last week, as the latest D.C. teams to come up short of a conference final.  For the Wizards, they haven’t been to one since 1979.

And here’s what makes it worse.  Superstar point guard Wall had zero points in the final 19 minutes, while Olynyk was doing his thing.  In fact Boston’s bench outscored Washington’s 48-5!

It was a strange season for the Wizards, who started off a miserable 2-8 but ended up 49-33 in the regular season.

For Boston, on to the Eastern Conference finals vs. LeBron... Game 1 tonight.

--San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich wasn’t as kind about Kawhi Leonard’s ankle injury as Leonard himself was after the superstar landed on Golden State’s Zaza Pachulia’s ankle after taking a jumper and reinjured it.  Leonard said after Game 1 on Sunday that he didn’t blame the Warriors’ forward, but Popovich did, calling Pachulia out for “dangerous” and “unsportsmanlike” play.

Popovich said on Monday that Pachulia “has a history with that kind of action.”

“The two-step lead with your foot closeout is not appropriate,” Popovich said.  “It’s dangerous, it’s unsportsmanlike, it’s just not what anybody does to anybody else.  And this particular individual has a history with that kind of action.”

Popovich was then asked if he thought Pachulia was trying to injure Leonard.

“This is crap,” he replied. “And because [he] has got this history, it can’t be, ‘oh, this was inadvertent, he didn’t have intent.’”

For his part, Pachulia said the criticism “doesn’t bother me.  I did whatever I had to do...I had to challenge the shot. I wish he didn’t land on my foot.”

So with Leonard out for Game 2 Tuesday night in Oakland, you can imagine it was going to be ugly. Golden State got off to a 72-44 halftime lead, there was no reason for your editor to stay up, and the Warriors rolled 136-100.  In the first half, Golden State was 28 of 43, 66.7%, from the field, while San Antonio was a putrid 17 of 47...game over.

--Steve Kerr stepped away from his sideline duties as coach of the Golden State Warriors due to intense back pain from a botched surgery two years ago, but he has stayed active as possible in delegating to his assistants.

But while Kerr wasn’t on the bench Sunday in Oakland (or Tuesday), he spoke to the team at halftime of Game 1 against San Antonio, the Warriors down 62-42.

Kerr implored his team to focus on defensive stops.  Calmly, he said, “We’ve got to find that balance between pace and discipline,” adding, “Settle in, and we’ll be all right.”

And so the Warriors rallied for a stirring 113-101 victory, though not without some controversy.

Kerr isn’t returning to the sidelines this playoffs, but as forward David West said, “His voice has never gone away. He’s still our head guy.  He’s still our leader.”

--Back to the Wizards (and Capitals), in defense of our nation’s capital and its sports teams, the Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg reminds us of the following.

“Here’s the list of cities that have won MLB, NHL, NBA and NFL division titles over the past two years: Washington.  Here’s a list of cities whose NHL and NBA teams both advanced to the second round this year: Washington.  Here’s a list of the cities whose MLB, NHL, NBA and NFL teams all had winning records in their most recent seasons: Washington and Boston....

“At any time of the year, you’ve been able to settle in after a horrible commute from your frustrating job and watch a relevant team play relevant games.  The eventual endings have been gruesome, and so there’s sadness in the sense of disappointment, and heartbreak, and agony. But let’s not confuse that with sad as in pathetic, or sad as in punchline, or sad as in...well, sad as in Buffalo.

“The Bills have missed the playoffs 17 straight seasons. The Sabres have missed the playoffs six straight seasons. That’s all those folks have.”

--As for the NBA Draft Lottery....

The Boston Celtics parlayed their brilliant 2013 trade with the Brooklyn Nets into the No. 1 overall pick, so they’ll take Washington guard Markelle Fultz, while the Los Angeles Lakers scooped up the second pick and will no doubt take Lonzo Ball.  No. 3 is Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, my Knicks fell a spot to No. 8 (vs. the odds of them being 7), and I believe this one drop will prevent us from getting Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox, who is going to be a truly special player.  Instead, the new mock drafts have the Knicks perhaps taking point guard Dennis Smith out of N.C. State, who I was totally unimpressed with this season.  Not because he had a lousy supporting cast, but because he disappeared a lot in key spots when he clearly should have been taking charge.  He has the tools, but.....

So back to the Celtics and GM Danny Ainge, it was 2013 when Boston traded washed up former stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn, along with another ancient player Jason Terry, for five players (Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Keith Bogans and Kris Joseph), and, most importantly, first-round picks, in 2014, 2016 and 2018. But, they also wrangled from the Nets the option to swap first-round picks in 2017, and with the godawful season the Nets had, voila!

The Nets were hoping that the addition of Pierce and Garnett to a solid trio of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, could bring a title to Brooklyn, but the Nets made it just to the second round in 2013-14, and Pierce and Garnett, 36 and 37, respectively, faded by the end of the year.  Pierce then left in free agency and Garnett was traded to Minnesota.

--Back to Lonzo and De’Aaron...Michael Rosenberg / Sports Illustrated:

“You might remember that when we last saw Lonzo Ball, he was outscored 39-10 by Kentucky freshman De’Aaron Fox in the NCAA tournament.  Ball left UCLA for the NBA immediately after the game, showing the same level of raw emotion I often see at the Sunoco pump.  Fox turned pro a few weeks later, and we can only hope that his first pair of signature shoes will be called the D-Fox Xtra Big  39-10 and sell for $495.01.

“LaVar Ball does not want a traditional marketing deal; he wants to own his brand, just as Fox owned his son. That night notwithstanding, Lonzo Ball is a terrific player. He should make some city’s NBA fans very happy, whether they buy his shoes or not.”

Stanley Cup Playoffs

--Monday night, Pittsburgh evened its Eastern Conference final with Ottawa, 1-1, as Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 23 shots for his second shutout of the playoffs, Pittsburgh winning at home 1-0 on a Phil Kessel goal 13 minutes into the third period.

Game 3 is Wednesday night in Ottawa.

--Tuesday, Nashville took a 2-1 series lead at home over Anaheim with a 2-1 victory, after trailing 1-0 in the third.

But the incredible Nashville crowd helped provide the support the Predators needed to rally.

The Predators are 10-3 in this postseason, and 6-0 at home.  As Roman Josi, who scored the game-winner put it, “It’s tough to put in words. You’ve got to be here to feel the energy.  It’s unbelievable.”

MLB

--For my Mets, first we need to go back to Sunday when a veteran, Neil Walker, failed to score on a double play ball, failing to cross the plate before the last out.  Of course he did the modern-day thing of just saying afterwards, “That’s on me.”  Well no ship, Neil.  This can’t possibly happen, especially when you’re being paid $17 million!

Reliever Andre Reed said after yielding his fifth home run in just 18 2/3 innings, “It’s frustrating but it’s baseball.”

As Kevin Kernan of the New York Post observed, “Yes, really bad baseball.”

And that bad baseball continued on Monday in Arizona, with reliever Hansel Robles giving up five earned in the eighth inning of what had been a 1-1 game, the Mets going on to lose 7-3.

Robles, who had been pitching great for the Metropolitans, has now given up 9 earned runs in just 1 2/3 in his last two appearances; his ERA ballooning from 1.42 to 5.23.

And then Tuesday, the Mets lost again, 5-4 to the Diamondbacks, their sixth straight loss, plus with starter Tommy Milone going just 5 2/3 (giving up 5 earned), it marked the 16th straight game that a Mets starter hadn’t gone more than six innings.

--OK, to appease my readers who are Yankee fans, this is the last I’ll write on Derek Jeter, aside from noting his unanimous enshrinement in Cooperstown in a few years.

Since I posted Sunday before I could note his jersey number retirement speech at Yankee Stadium, just a few notes on that evening.

Jeter’s manager, Joe Torre, said of his shortstop: “He was a dream for a manager to manage,” Torre recognizing that without Jeter, he doesn’t have his No. 6 uniform retired too.  Torre was nothing as a manager until Jeter showed up (and the other Core Four members).  The two would play in six World Series together and win four.

Jeter’s speech was short and simple, classic Derek.

“What do you say on a day like this?” he asked, to the roar of the fans, chanting, “DE-REK JE-TER!”

“There isn’t a person or a player I would have traded places with that’s playing now or ever,” Jeter said.  “I got a chance to play for a first-class organization and for the greatest fans in the history of sports.”

And, “Time flies, memories fade, but family is forever.  I’ll be eternally grateful to be a part of the Yankees family.”

Only the minimum from the captain, as always.  That’s OK.  Helluva ballplayer.

As for the current edition, I have to note that after posting Sunday, the Yanks lost their second game of the doubleheader to Houston 10-7 as ace Masahiro Tanaka was shelled, giving up 8 earned and 4 home runs in just 1 2/3, his ERA ballooning to 5.80 despite his 5-2 record.

And now the Yankees are dealing without closer Aroldis Chapman, who is currently slated to be out a month with inflammation in the rotator cuff of his left shoulder.  Hardly a good sign, like this is a scary situation for Yankees management, having just given Chapman a five-year, $86 million contract!

But Tuesday, the Yankees whipped the Royals in Kansas City, 7-1, as CC Sabathia threw 6 2/3 of scoreless ball.

--The Astros moved to a MLB best 28-12 (.700) with a 12-2 win last night over the Marlins, with Dallas Keuchel now 7-0, 1.84 ERA.

--I have to note the Rockies’ 9-6 win over the Dodgers Sunday night because Colorado rookie pitcher Antonio Senzatela is now 6-1, 3.31 ERA, after allowing 4 earned in 5 innings for the win.  The guy has hardly been overpowering this season, but, hey, 6-1 is 6-1. What a shot in the arm for the surprising Rockies.

--The Red Sox traded for White Sox lefty ace Chris Sale in the offseason and he has gotten off to the kind of start Boston fans dreamed of, a 2.15 ERA  in his first eight with a 4-2 mark.

But Sale, with his next start, could make it eight straight with at least 10 strikeouts, thus becoming just the third in history to do so, the others being Sale himself in 2015, and Pedro Martinez, who accomplished the feat while with Boston in 1999. 

Only three other times has a hurler had seven straight starts with at least 10 strikeouts; Randy Johnson (ARI, 2001), Martinez (Boston, 1999...separate streak...), and Nolan Ryan (CAL, 1977).  Source: Baseball-Reference.

Sale already has 85 strikeouts in 58 2/3 in 2017.  His next scheduled start is Thursday in Oakland.

--Speaking of Oakland, the A’s Yonder Alonso played 156 games last season and had 7 home runs and 56 RBIs, while batting .253. The now 30-year-old first baseman has been a serviceable lad, though his only other season as a full-time player was 2012, when he played 155 games for the Padres and had 9 homers and 62 RBIs, while hitting .273.  The 9 home runs is his career high.

That is until this year, as Mr. Alonso has 12 in his first 37 games.

Did I mention he was 30?  I did?  Did I mention he is a free agent at the end of the season?  Like he has a real incentive to post some big numbers and hope someone bites.

Interesting his sudden power outburst, isn’t it?  Hmmm....

Just look at the Marlins’ Dee Gordon, the last person you ever would have suspected of PED use, but he was caught, though not until he had signed a big long-term deal, money he’ll still get in the future if he stays clean.  He’s kind of the poster boy to me.  Gordon was an exciting player until 2015, but basically a .275 hitter, and then suddenly he busted out that season, hit .333, won a batting title, and got his money. Then he failed a test.  But, again, he got his cash.

Today? Gordon is hitting .255.

--College Baseball Rankings (Baseball America, May 15)

1. Oregon State....reminder, always have some Beaverwear handy as a hedge
2. Louisville...site of upcoming ACC tournament
3. North Carolina
4. Texas Tech
5. Florida
6. TCU
7. Long Beach State
8. Kentucky
9. Stanford
10. LSU

15. Wake Forest
21. St. John’s

Golf Balls

--I gave the Players Championship short shrift in Sunday’s chat, but 21-year-old Si Woo Kim’s win truly was pretty remarkable, especially considering the following.

Mark Cannizzaro / New York Post

“When Players Championship week began, any one of a number of star players figured to be hoisting the trophy as the Florida sun set on Sunday afternoon at the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course.

“Dustin Johnson entered the tournament as the hottest player on the planet with three wins and a runner-up finish in his last four starts. Sergio Garcia, a past Players champion, won the Masters just a few weeks ago.  Then there were the likes of Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Phil Mickelson.”

But Kim emerged victorious, the rest afterthoughts.

Or as NBC analyst David Feherty put it, “(Kim) has shown remarkable maturity while many older, supposedly wiser heads have fallen around him.”

--It really is also remarkable how 41-year-old Ian Poulter only got a full-year exemption on the Tour for the rest of 2017 because fellow tour member Brian Gay, in a similar situation having fallen just short on the money needed to qualify, given both were playing on a short-term medical exemption, found a loophole in the difference between how the tour calculated the money required based on a quirk in the FedEx Cup points.

So Poulter then found out he had qualified for the Players Championship and finished tied for second, thus racking up enough money and points to gain his Tour card for the 2017-18 season as well.

Poulter, who missed four months last year with a foot injury, necessitating the medical exemption, hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since 2012 but now you can imagine how pumped he is.  I picture him making some noise at The Open Championship in July, for one.

Premier League

--As we head into the final weekend of the season, with everyone playing Sunday, Arsenal is one point behind Liverpool for the final Champions League spot, after beating Sunderland 2-0 on Tuesday, while third-place Manchester City was defeating West Brom 3-1, to secure their CL berth.

But Arsenal, which has made the Champions League 19 straight seasons can’t count on Liverpool losing at home to lowly Middlesbrough, while Arsenal hosts Everton.  Ain’t gonna happen.

Being in the top four to qualify for the CL is huge for a club.  You earn $14 million minimum just for qualifying, while winning it is worth $63 million to a club.  That’s money that can be used to retain star players and keep you at the top.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has never finished outside the top four since taking over in 1996.

--So Ken P. writes your editor, explaining ‘I still think soccer is a bore and I’m not a huge fan of the Premier League’ but he wanted to know who was being promoted next season from the Championship League (the AAA), and how long they’ve been at that level.  [Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hull City being the three going down.]

Well, Ken, and the other two of you who care (I’m going to drag one reader a year into becoming a fan of the PL until I die), I can give you partial information and might have the full stuff by Sunday night.

As of now, Brighton and Hove Albion, along with Newcastle United, clinched the first two automatic berths for promotion.

Newcastle United has a rich history in the Premier League, having won four titles, but the last one was 1926-27.  However, it was runner-up as recently as 1996-97.  The club was in the PL in 2015-16 but relegated, so one year later it’s back.  [There are 24 teams in the Championship League...it ain’t easy finishing in the top three for the promotion to the big time.]

As for Brighton and Hove Albion, back in 1996-97, they barely escaped being booted from the Football League, which is below the Championship League, and have scrambled all the way back.  The “Seagulls” or “Albion,” as they are called, last played at the top level way back in 1983!  So a club to root for next season.

As for the third promotion, there is a playoff currently taking place between four teams; Reading, Fulham, Sheffield and Huddersfield. This is a two-leg semi, with the final after, and the semis will be wrapped up Thursday.  So more info to follow.  Boy, the final for the third slot would be one tension convention and worth watching.

Why do you want to play in the Premier League?  Think of the money, number one, if you’re both an owner and player.

Last year, in a Bar Chat around this time, I wrote:

“This was a big week on the relegation front. Aston Villa ensured its 28-year stay in the Premier League would come to an end with a 1-0 loss at Manchester United.  28 years, and these days it’s not easy just bouncing right back into the first tier from the second because of the money involved.  With the new TV contract, team are slated to receive from $142 million for the champion down to $92 million for finishing last, on a sliding scale.  But that’s next season.  It’s not like Aston Villa can take $92 million this year to sign players and get back to the Premier League for 2017-18.”  [AV finished 13th this season in the CL.]

I also wrote then, again, spring of last season, “Meanwhile, two others struggling to avoid being sent down, Sunderland and Newcastle, came up with solid 3-0 wins over Norwich and Swansea, respectively, which suddenly puts Norwich, who was elevated just last year, in a huge bind.”

Norwich ended up being relegated, ditto Newcastle and Aston Villa, while Sunderland barely survived, only to be sent down this season.  [Norwich finished 8th in the Championship League.]

Stuff

--On to the Preakness, Saturday.  It’s only about one horse, Always Dreaming.  I’ve said my piece.  The dude wins handily (two lengths plus).

But if you’re watching the coverage for two hours (I won’t be), you’ll no doubt hear the annual tale about the survival of ancient, dilapidated, Pimlico Race Course. Tuesday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan strongly hinted he was willing (the state was) to play a role in keeping the race in Baltimore and wanted to explore a deal if the price was right.

The 147-year-old fire trap is in need of a complete rebuild, according to chief operating officer of the racing division of the Stronach Group, which owns the track, which would cost $300 million to $500 million for the Preakness to stay at Pimlico.

But Stronach owns Maryland’s Laurel Park, which is said to be a viable alternative, and that complicates things.

Meanwhile, post positions for what seems to be an 11-horse field for Saturday’s big one come Wednesday.

--Two-time French Open champion Maria Sharapova was denied a wild-card entry for this year’s event.  French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli said in a live Facebook broadcast Tuesday:

“I decided not to give Maria Sharappova a wild card.  I’m very sorry for Maria, very sorry for her fans... But it’s my responsibility, it’s my mission to protect the game and protect the high standards of the game.”

Hey, maybe this guy could be our new FBI director.  Seems to have integrity.

Sharapova was the second favorite for the Open, behind Simona Halep.

--I was bummed to see the passing of Powers Boothe, 68, who died in his sleep.  I’ll never forget his stint on “Deadwood,” one of my favorite shows of the past 25 years, Boothe playing the ruthless saloon owner Cy Tolliver.

Boothe grew up in West Texas, where, he told the New York Times in 1979, “we didn’t have anything to do in my little town except drive fast cars, play pool and go to the bootlegger, the drive-in, and a lot of places I shouldn’t have been in.”

In his senior year in high school, he surprised people by quitting football to focus on acting.  “I decided I was not going to make my living beating my head against someone else.”

--Former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty has an annual motorcycle charity ride for his Victory Junction Camp and other children’s charities; Victory Junction having been established by the Petty family in memory of Kyle’s son, Adam, a fourth-generation driver killed in a practice crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in May 2000.

The camp is in Randleman, N.C., and provides experiences for children with chronic and life-threatening diseases.

So I frankly didn’t know about this motorcycle ride, though did know Kyle was a charitable guy, until reading a piece by Jim Holland in the Rapid City Journal  because this year’s event, that started in Portland, Ore., goes through my favorite spot in the country, the Black Hills of South Dakota this week.

Now get this, Kyle leads 200 motorcycle riders, but this is no ordinary group.  It includes former NASCAR drivers Harry Gant, Hershel McGriff and Donnie Allison, plus King Richard Petty himself.

Also scheduled to ride were current NASCAR driver David Ragan, and former football greats Herschel Walker and George Rogers.

That’s way cool.  The whole crew is overnighting in Deadwood (speaking of Powers Boothe), and then makes a stop at a local Harley dealership; both locations being available for fans to take photos and get autographs.

And of course they are going to Mount Rushmore and then the Badlands.  The ride ends at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee on Friday.

Man, I’d love to see King Richard and crew in Deadwood.

--‘Man’ drops further on the All-Species List for shooting a rare white wolf in Yellowstone National Park last month, which a necropsy just revealed.  A $5,000 reward has been put up for information leading to an arrest.

The female was one of three white wolves in the park and had 14 living pups, wildlife officials say.  “She was one of the most recognizable wolves and sought after by visitors to view and photograph,” the park said.

Yellowstone officials added that at 12 years old, the wolf had lived for more than twice the average lifespan of a wolf in the park.

The wolf was found by hikers April 11 and the necropsy showed she had been shot the day before.  She was actually still alive but officials were unable to save her.

Boy this sucks.  As of 2014, researchers documented at least 104 wolves in 11 packs within the park; having been reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995, after hunters had eradicated them.

But of course opponents of their presence, read mostly ranchers, say the wolves are a threat. 

--Jon Kamp had a story in the Wall Street Journal on the bear problem the Myrtle Beach, S.C., area has.  The coastal plain comprising Myrtle now has an estimated 300 bears.  Good lord.

The state has authorized bear hunting the past six years, but hunters haven’t been very successful, as in not successful at all, killing just 13 in that time, when South Carolina wildlife officials say they need to kill 30 a year to keep the population in check.

What Myrtle Beach officials need, however, is for bears to take up golf, as the sport declines in popularity and there are a zillion courses in the area, only a handful of which I imagine are doing well financially.

Nationwide these days, it is estimated there are 300,000 black bears.

--Brad K. passed along a piece from the Daily Mirror’s Warren Manger on the battle off the coast of South Africa between killer whales and great white sharks.

“For years scientists believed both...were utterly untouchable at the top of the food chain....

“But the bodies of three great whites have washed up on beaches already during May.

“That in itself is rare, but what really shocked scientists was that their livers had been removed with ‘surgical precision.’

“It was the unmistakable calling card of the killer whale, or orca.

“The whales are known as ‘wolves of the sea’ as they hunt in groups and gorge on 200kg of food a day.

“Some pods specialize in hunting one particular species, mastering unique techniques to catch their deadly prey.

“Ingrid Visser, who has studied killer whales for nearly 20 years, said orcas used their powerful tails to create strong underwater currents that forced the sharks to the surface, then stunned them.

“ ‘Once the shark is at the surface, the killer whale pivots and lifts its tail out of the water and comes down on top of it like a karate chop,’ she said.

“The shark’s fatty liver can weigh more than 60kg and is rich in organic chemicals that make it a perfect food source for orca.”

Holy Cape Town!

Alison Towner, a biologist, told the Mirror, “(The orcas) work together and are very coordinated.  Two take a pectoral fin in their mouth and pull open a shark together to extract the liver.”

Prior to this recent run of killings, Ms. Towner had seen only two examples of killer whales attacking great whites, and never before around South Africa.

It’s possible the whales are targeting great whites because their other food sources are disappearing.

The only two creatures bigger than killer whales are sperm whales and the giant squid.  The two of these are locked in their own battles.

Well, all this calls for a reordering of the All-Species List, which will be posted by Thursday on that link.  Killer Whale will be rewarded, though Great White not necessarily penalized owing to its overwhelming body of work, including its past refusal to work for Sea World.

Top 3 songs for the week 5/15/82: #1 “Ebony And Ivory” (Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder...I need my sword...one of the truly worst songs in the history of the planet, Sir Paul once again just looking for some cash...Stevie accepting same...)  #2 “Chariots Of Fire – Titles” (Vangelis...see #1...beyond hideous...)  #3 “Don’t Talk To Strangers” (Rick Springfield... whatever...I only talk to strangers in a bar...and then just to ask them if they mind if I turn off the Yankees for the Mets...)  #5 “867-5309/Jenny” (Tommy Tutone...I’m bleeding profusely from #1 and having trouble typing up the rest of this list...)  #6 “I’ve Never Been To Me” (Charlene... “I’ve been to paradise but I’ve never been to me”...huh?! ...)  #7 “ ’65 Love Affair” (Paul Davis...I perk up!   A musician with a real tune...)  #8 “Freeze-Frame” (The J. Geils Band...sorry, J. Geils fans...couldn’t stand this one...)  #9 “The Other Woman” (Ray Parker Jr.)  #10 “Did It In A Minute” (Daryl Hall & John Oates)

An anonymous reader (I’m protecting his identity), having perused last week’s Top Ten with the #1 “Bette Davis Eyes,” said he was forced to listen to this godawful tune on one of those Sunday Top 50 syndicated shows and this was #3 for the entire decade!  The reader pleaded for a “five-year BC suspension of the entire decade.”  Well, I can only issue a suspension for four months...but if I hear an ‘80s tune myself while driving during this time (save for Springsteen...and selected Hall and Oates), this adds another four months.

PGA Tour Quiz Answer: Top five on both the money and FedEx Cup points list.

1. Dustin Johnson*
2. Hideki Matsuyama
3. Justin Thomas*
4. Jon Rahm*
5. Pat Perez...if you got him, you’re good...I wouldn’t have.

*6 Top 10s

Next Bar Chat, Monday.  

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