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Bar Chat

04/14/2025

Rory McIlroy...Grand Slam Champion!

Add-on posted early Tues. a.m.

Final Thoughts on The Masters

After winning on the first hole of sudden death against his Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy said, “I will say it was 14 years in the making. A lot of pent-up emotion came out on the 18th green.  A moment like that makes all the years and all the close calls worth it.”

Having won the U.S. Open, The Open and two PGA Championships by the end of 2014, McIlroy completes the full set of major championships at the 11th attempt.  He is the first European to join the exclusive club of Sarazen, Hogan, Nicklaus, Woods and Player.

For Justin Rose it was another gut-wrenching Masters defeat, having also lost to Sergio Garcia in a playoff in 2017, but he’ll also be remembered for bouncing back from Saturday’s 75 to post 66 on Sunday and push McIlroy all the way.

Rory now will attempt to win a sixth major next month at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, a course where he has won four times.

After that you have the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, and then in July a return to home soil when The Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush.

And after the FedEx Cup playoffs, in September you have what promises to be an amazing Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Long Island.

Dan Wolken / USA TODAY

“At some point generations from now, after all of us are long gone, they will look back at the records and the numbers and the championships under Rory McIlroy’s name and think that all of it was inevitable, that one of the great players in the history of golf simply did what he was always destined to do.

“But sports don’t work that way.  Life doesn’t work that way....

“(Rory) feels, he emotes, he shares, he thinks, perhaps to his detriment. And he has taken all the fans of this game on a journey that shows us, perhaps more than any other athlete of his caliber, just how vulnerable, fragile and, yes, how mentally tough, he can be....

“We cannot rob McIlroy of what that journey has been like because seeing every dimension of his genius and his fallibility careening across Augusta National on Sunday until he finally delivered the wedge and the putt that beat Justin Rose in an improbable playoff is what his appeal is really all about.

“For all the millions of dollars, the four major championships he won as a young man, the adoration across the globe, McIlroy made it such that you never knew if this day would come until he knew. And you only needed to take one look at him walking off the 18th green, the tension on his face replaced by relief, to understand that he didn’t know either.

“This could only happen one way.  We had to get the full Rory: Frustrating, daring, exhilarating, exhausting and ultimately spellbinding.”

Eamon Lynch / Golfweek

“Three thousand nine hundred and twenty days is an awfully long time for stress to build up, for disappointment to coarsen the heart, for resilience to wither under sustained assault.  That’s how long it’s been since that summer evening in Liverpool when Rory McIlroy won the third leg of the career grand slam, an at times agonizing wait that finally ended on a beautiful springtime evening in Augusta when he slipped into a green jack and into history.

“By the time he collapsed into the arms of friends by the clubhouse, the accumulated emotion was spilling out.  When he finally emerged tearfully from the scrum, he ran his fingers through his hair and let out a guttural yelp of happiness.  Then he broke into a wide smile.

“ ‘Right,’ he said, ‘I have to go get a green jacket.’

“Golf has no more dramatic stage than Augusta National on a Masters Sunday, and none more intensely claustrophobic than the second nine holes.  The final round of this 89th Masters proved the truth in two cliches: that the tournament begins when competitors turn for home, and that major championship golf isn’t always a beauty pageant, that sometimes ugly wins the crown and garland.

“The few hundred acres of Augusta National are the prettiest mortuary slab in sport, a perfectly manicured table upon which the world’s finest golfers are pitilessly examined for weaknesses not readily apparent, things that don’t show up on spreadsheets, like faint hearts and jangly nerves.  Not even the man who left with the jacket was spared. A lengthy list of greats have been splayed and exposed here on the second Sunday in April, among them Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf.  All proven winners in the less demanding precincts of major championship golf, but perennially came up short at the business end of Magnolia Lane....

“Three summers ago he wept on his wife’s shoulder when the Open got away from him in St. Andrews.  Two summers ago it was the U.S. Open, owing to a poorly-timed error in the closing stretch in Los Angeles.  Last summer was a gut punch, a couple short misses costing him the same major at Pinehurst.  Which is to say there was plenty of scar tissue, but most was accumulated far from Augusta....

“What McIlroy accomplished ranks among the most impressive feats in the history of this sport. Sure, we’ve seen a calendar year slam, a Tiger slam, astonishing feats of scoring.  But no one in those moments achieved under the extraordinary pressure McIlroy withstood today – not just in the demands of navigating Augusta National, but in the merciless scrutiny of media (traditional and social), the weight of expectation (external and internal), the turning of the calendar barren year after barren year that left his apparent peak more distant in the rear view and his future seeming ever more limited.  Time and time again he put himself in position to have his heart broken, and it was.  But not today.  When he described himself as a more complete golfer after his win at The Players last month, this is what he meant.  More than the shots, the approach, the attitude, the determination, the discipline, the belief that his day would come....

“The final accounting...will show a many who weathered the storm to prove himself the best golfer of his generation without losing perspective on the world around him.

“He is everything the game needs, and finally this maddening, capricious, beautiful game gave him everything he needs, a jacket in 38 regular.”

--As for the television ratings, it was a blockbuster for CBS, with 12.7 on average watching the final round, up 33% over 2024’s final round.  But the total rose to 19.543 million fans tuning in from 7 to 7:15 p.m. ET, a figure higher than the NFL’s regular-season average last year.

Also, the coverage on Paramount+ was the largest for a non-NFL game ever.

NBA

--In the Western Conference late Sunday, several seeds were up grabs. The Nuggets, Clippers and Timberwolves avoided the Play-In.  Golden State and Memphis are relegated to the Play-In.  The No. 8 seed Grizzlies (48-34) finished just two games back of the No. 3 seed Lakers (50-32).

In the Eastern Conference, Miami, Chicago and Atlanta are all Play-In teams for the third straight season (four straight for Atlanta).

For the Play-In rounds, Tuesday, in the 7-8 matchups, the winner getting the No. 7 seed, we have Hawks vs. Magic, and Grizzlies vs. Warriors.

The losers of these games then take on the winner of Wednesday’s 9-10 games...Heat vs. Bulls, Mavericks vs. Kings...for the No. 8 seed.

I didn’t like this format when it first came out, but it’s actually a good one.

The Knicks host the Pistons Saturday night at the Garden in Game One of their best-of-seven series.

--The Jazz (17-65), Wizards (18-64) and Hornets (19-63) all have the best odds to win the No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg, in the upcoming lottery (May 12).

What was the biggest bust this season?  It has to be the Sixers, who added Paul George to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and finished 13th in the East, 24-58. The trio played just 15 games together, George looking like a shell of himself, Embiid’s MVP days probably well behind him.

But if you need a loan, try hitting these guys up.

--Or maybe the biggest bust this season was Phoenix.  After missing the playoffs and play-in tournament with the largest payroll in league history, the Suns fired head coach Mike Budenholzer, the team announced Monday.  Phoenix finished 36-46.

And the Suns became just the third team in NBA history to start a season 8-1 or better and miss the playoffs.

MLB

--Going back to Sunday night, the Cubs beat the Dodgers (11-6) 4-2, so L.A. was 3-6 after its 8-0 start.

The Dodgers then feasted on the Rockies (3-13) Monday night, 5-3.

--The Cubs (11-8) on Monday then fell to the scorching hot Padres (14-3), 10-4, as Fernando Tatis Jr. hit two home runs and former Demon Deacon Gavin Sheets continued his hot hitting with two hits and two RBIs.

--The Mets are 11-5, following a 5-1 win in Minnesota (5-12), Juan Soto finally hitting his second home run of the season.

--The Yankees (9-7) beat the Royals (8-9) at the Stadium, 4-1, with four solo home runs, none by Aaron Judge.

NASCAR

--Kyle Larson picked up his second win of the season, leading 411 of 500 laps on his way to winning the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, career win No. 31 for the 32-year-old.

Next Bar Chat Sunday p.m., after golf, which has a Signature Event at Harbour Town Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

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Add-on up top by noon, Tuesday.

Baseball Quiz: Name the ten active players with 300+ home runs.  Answer below.

The Masters

--After the first round at Augusta....

Justin Rose -7
Corey Conners -4
Scottie Scheffler -4
Ludvig Aberg -4
Tyrrell Hatton -3
Bryson DeChambeau -3

Rory McIlroy E

Rory had it to -4 heading to No. 15, and then he doubled 15 and 17, inexplicably.

All golf fans would love to see Rory finally close the deal on a career slam, but seven shots is the largest 18-hole deficit ever overcome to win the Masters, done by Tiger Woods in 2005 and Nick Faldo in 1990.

But the last Masters champion to have multiple double bogeys in a week – much less in the same round – was Craig Stadler in 1982.

McIlroy has been at least six shots back of the leader after the first round in seven straight Masters.

For Justin Rose, 44, he’s in a familiar position, the fifth time he has held the first-round lead, eighth time he has led or co-led after a round at the Masters, most by any player who has never donned the green jacket.

And then after the second round....

Rose still in the lead -8
DeChambeau -7
McIlroy -6...after a superb 66, showing his resilience
Conners -6
Matt McCarty -5
Shane Lowry -5
Scheffler -5
Hatton -5

--Among those missing the cut were five of the 12 LIV golfers...Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson.  Others included Adam Scott, Will Zalatoris, and Tony Finau.

But there was also Bernhard Langer, the 67-year-old all-time great, two-time Masters Champion (1985 and 1993), bidding farewell to his favorite spot and he missed the cut by a sickening single stroke.

Langer was handily inside the cut line heading to No. 15 on Friday, but he doubled it and then bogeyed 18.  Very sad for golf fans, Fred Couples also missing the cut by stumbling late on Friday.

--On to Saturday, moving day...and we started the third round with fireworks....

Rory went birdie, eagle, birdie to immediately get to -10.  He parred the fourth, then birdied the fifth...-11...and a hole later he had a four-shot lead over DeChambeau and others at -7.

But then Rory gave up shots on Nos. 8 and 10...and we had this....

McIlroy -9...thru 10
DeChambeau -8...thru 9
Conners -8...thru 10

Rory then goes on to eagle No. 15... -12
Conners -8...thru 15
DeChambeau -7...thru 14
Rose -7...thru 14
Lowry -7...thru 15

DeChambeau then birdies 15 and 16 to get to -9, while Rory pars the final three.

A key was going to be who played with Rory in the final pairing and DeChambeau desperately wanted to be there.

But Bryson hit his tee shot on 18 into a fairway bunker, while Corey Conners is getting a clutch par to finish -8.

Conners, who Rory was very comfortable with Saturday, would be paired with Rory if Bryson bogeyed 18.

But instead, Bryson’s second shot out of the bunker found the edge of the green, 48 feet away, and he drained an epic birdie putt to move to -10 and the pairing with Rory.  This is not what Rory needed.  For a moment, it seemed like McIlroy would also have a four-shot lead heading into Sunday and now it was just two.

It sets up a mammoth finale.  I’m not confident Rory can complete his mission. He hasn’t won a major in 11 years.  And there are all kinds of gremlins he has to overcome from his past at Augusta.

Heading into Sunday....

McIlroy -12
DeChambeau -10
Conners -8
Patrick Reed -6
Aberg -6

And to start out the fourth round, both Rory and Bryson hit poor tee shots on No. 1, but DeChambeau recovered to make par, Rory had an awful double-bogey, and just like that...the two were tied at -10.  Unreal.  The worst start imaginable for McIlroy and his demons.

Rory pars the par-5 second, to somewhat steady himself, but it’s a birdie hole, and Bryson birdies.

DeChambeau -11
McIlroy -10

Rory started his third round with six 3s...he’s already gone 6-5 today.  An immediate thought of mine is that this is like Clayton Kershaw in the playoffs.  [Kershaw with a 2.50 ERA in the regular season, but 4.49 in the postseason.]

Rory then gets a huge birdie on the par-4 third, Bryson bogeys it and it’s....

McIlroy -11
DeChambeau -10

And then on the par-3 fourth, Rory birdies, Bryson bogeys....

McIlroy -12
DeChambeau -9

Absolutely amazing.  Three two-shot swings in the first four holes.

And on the fifth, a par-4, Rory puts his drive deep in the woods, Bryson stripes it...

But Rory hits a great recovery shot, salvages par...and Bryson pars it.

They match pars on No. 6

On No. 7, a par-4, Rory hits a spectacular recovery shot out of the woods, leaving himself a birdie opportunity, but pars it. Bryson with a terrific up-and-down out of a greenside bunker.

No blood, three straight holes after that chaotic start.

On to the par-5 8th. And both par it.

And on the par-4 9th, Rory birdies it...Bryson pars it.

McIlroy -13 thru 9
DeChambeau -9 thru 9
Rose -9 thru 21
Aberg -9 thru 10

Who wudda thunk it after that awful start for Rory.  But a long ways to go. And how resilient is Justin Rose.  And how good is Ludvig Aberg.

Aberg terrific par on 11.  Rose birdies 13, after almost making eagle!

And Rory birdies No. 10! Bryson gets par.

McIlroy -14 thru 10
Rose -10 thru 13
Aberg -9 thru 11
DeChambeau -9 thru 10

Rory just needs to keep it in the fairway on his drives from here in, and keep it dry on 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16. It is likely he can weather a bogey or two.

But on the treacherous par-4 11th, Rory, in the woods with his drive, barely keeps it dry, off the green.  Bryson puts his second in the water...devastating.  Incredible given the start to the round.

Rose bogeys 14.  Bryson double-bogeys 11...Rory bogeys it....

McIlroy -13 thru 11
Rose -9 thru 14
Reed -8 thru 12
Aberg -8 thru 12
Scheffler -7 thru 13
Jason Day -7 thru 12
Conners -7 thru 12
DeChambeau -7 thru 11

Aberg birdies 13 to go to -9.  Rory two-putts No. 12. [Bryson bogeys 12...now -6.]

Rose birdies No. 15 to go to -10. Reed 3-putts 13 to fall back to -7.

Rory plays No. 13 conservatively, has a wedge for his third to the par-5, and puts it in the water!  Holy shit!

It’s why we watch The Masters...a tradition unlike any other...on CBS.  The back nine is simply the best in golf...it’s a Major...and we get to see it every year.  And it’s a tension convention.

And Rory doubles it!  And Rose birdies 16!

McIlroy -11 thru 13
Rose -11 thru 16
Aberg -9 thru 14

Aberg birdies 15... -10

Rory bogeys 14... -10

Rose -11 thru 16
McIlroy -10 thru 14
Aberg -10 thru 15

Rose bogeys 17... -10

Rory with a critical drive on 15.

McIlroy -10 thru 14
Aberg -10 thru 15
Rose -10 thru 17

Goodness gracious!

And Rory then hits a spectacular second on No. 15, about 7-8 feet for eagle!  You just picture his mindset... ‘F---it, we’re going for it!’  Rory with a miserable putt but secures birdie.  He’s one up.

Justin Rose on 18 has a chance to tie the lead...and he does!  -11.  Rose with a 66 today.

Rory’s tee shot on 16 is solid.  But he pars it.

McIlroy -11 thru 16
Rose -11 F
Aberg -9...after bogeying 17

Reed eagles 17 out of nowhere... -9 

Rory’s approach on 17....is spectacular! Three feet. He sinks it!  The approach could be a shot for the ages.

McIlroy -12 thru 17
Rose -11 F

All about the drive on 18.  And the second.

[Aberg triples the 18th to fall all the way back to -6.]

Rory’s drive on 18 is pure...needs to put it on the green...two putts...demons exorcised and he becomes the sixth in golf history to have the career grand slam. [Sarazen, Hogan, Nicklaus, Player, Woods]

Rory with 125 to the hole...and he puts it in the bunker!  Oh no....the lie is OK...and he sticks it to about four feet.  Can he make the putt for the win?  He misses it!!!

Rose and McIlroy for the playoff.  As Jim Nantz said...two freakin’ errant wedge shots. Rory should be puting the green jacket on now.

They play No. 18...both drives are in the fairway....

Rose hits a terrific approach...about 10 feet...and Rory sticks it to 2-3 feet!  Holy cow!

Rose misses his putt.  Rory can finally seal it.

And he does!  And he is incredibly emotional!  Justin Rose a super class act...they will be Ryder Cup partners late this year.

A great, great moment for the sport of golf!

If you’re a golf fan and didn’t shed a tear...I don’t know what to say.  A huge hug from Shane Lowry!  Tommy Fleetwood. 

I can’t imagine, despite the late hour, the partying in Ireland tonight. 

What a freakin’ Sunday finale!

Go Rory! Fantastic for the sport...a damn good one.

--After Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson fulfilled their role as “honorary starters” early Thursday morning, the three took some shots at LIV Golf.

Nicklaus, in particular, had a dismissive answer when asked about Phil Mickelson’s form at age 54.

“I don’t know what level Phil is competing at,” the six-time Masters champion said.  “I guess he’s still playing.  He’s playing the LIV tour, is he? I don’t know if he’s playing or not.  You never see him anymore.

“Phil has been competitive in an odd event here and there but not really in the last few years.”

Gary Player said: “They made their choice to play on their own tour, and that’s where they are right now.  I don’t see a real working mechanism for the two tours [PGA and LIV] to get back together.”

Dan Wolken / USA TODAY...on LIV Golf....

“At this point, it’s almost boring to talk about.  LIV does its thing, paying huge sums to Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson and a handful of others to play unserious golf while drawing pathetic television audiences.  (Even on the main Fox network last week, LIV Miami drew less than one-third of the 1.746 million viewers watching the final round of the Valero Texas Open.) ....

“Now in its fourth season, there’s enough of a sample size to make the following statement: Whatever you think about the concept of LIV or who’s paying its bills, the results over there simply do not matter to very many people.  Nothing has broken through. Nobody’s really watching.

“In fact, in four years, you can argue the only player-related LIV storyline that has been elevated to any relevance is a highly online argument between real people and social media trolls over whether four-time LIV winner Joaquin Niemann is one of the top-10 players in the world.  (Given that he’s never finished better than 16th at any major, I think we all know the answer to that one.)*

“Point being, for all the significant players who took the LIV payday, the Masters is when they come out of the mothballs.  Has Koepka or Rahm played well lately?  Who knows. Who cares. When Masters week begins, it’s like reuniting with a friend who spent the last year in western Mongolia without Internet or cell phone service. We’re just happy to see them again.”

*Niemann finished T-29.

NBA

--The Knicks took on the Nets in Brooklyn this afternoon* to close out the regular season, as they learned Friday night, despite a bad 108-102 loss at Cleveland, that they secured the third seed and will face 6-seed Detroit.

New York was up 86-78 after the third quarter against the Cavs, up 23 at one point, and then were outscored 30-16 in the fourth.

“We got to be honest with ourselves, look at what we did wrong,” Coach Tom Thibodeau said after.  “We got to get it fixed.  And we got to get it fixed fast.”

What needs to change?

“Everything,” Thibs responded.  “We got to play for 48 minutes.  Both sides of the ball.”

Knicks fans are not expecting anything out of our boys.  When you finish 0-10 against the three best NBA teams – Cleveland, Boston, Oklahoma City – you know you ain’t goin’ anywhere in the playoffs.  We will be lucky to beat the Pistons.

It also isn’t good the Knicks are 1-3 with Jalen Brunson back in the lineup, after going 9-6 with him out with his ankle sprain.  As Coach says, there is “no rhythm going into the playoffs.  So this has to be changed quickly.”

*With their playoff slot wrapped up, the Knicks rested all their starters, and Mitchell Robinson, but had Mikal Bridges play less than a minute to keep his consecutive games streak alive.

Cleveland and Boston did the same.

--In the Western Conference, you had four teams vying for the fourth through seventh spots, all within a game of each other, heading into Sunday’s finale; No. 7 in the play-in round.

At least Dallas fans, after the Luka Doncic disaster, made the play-in, though I don’t know what Dallas fans want these days.  They are still furious.  Doncic returned to Dallas this past week and many Mavericks fans were wearing Doncic Laker jerseys.

And in a shocking move, Denver fired head coach Michael Malone and GM Calvin Booth on Tuesday with just three games remaining in the regular season.  Assistant coach David Adelman was promoted to interim head coach.

Denver was 47-32 entering play Tuesday, in fourth place in the West.

But Malone, 53, led the Nuggets to their first and only championship two years ago. He’d been at the helm 10 seasons, 471-327 (.590).

Adelman and the Nuggets won their first two games with him at the helm.

--Denver’s Nikola Jokic clinched a triple-double for the season, 29.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, 10.3 assists, heading into the last game, making him just the third player in NBA history to pull off the feat.

Russell Westbrook did it four times, and Oscar Robertson did it in the 1961-62 season for Cincinnati.

--Memphis will be in the play-in round without the services of starter Jaylen Wells, the rookie breaking his wrist in a scary fall the other night, stretchered off after slamming his head on the court during a dunk attempt.

--For the record, the final AP College Basketball poll was released....

1. Florida
2. Houston
3. Duke
4. Auburn
5. Tennessee
6. Alabama
7. Michigan State
8. Texas Tech
9. Maryland
10. Michigan
11. St. John’s ...down 6
12. Kentucky...up 6
13. BYU...up 4
14. Purdue...up 8
15. Arizona...up 6

21. Louisville
22. Clemson

MLB

--With the Mets playing out west, I flipped the Yankees game on Friday night, assuming they would be postponing it due to the rain.

Understand, it was nasty Friday in these parts (and Saturday morning for that matter, as I worked an Easter Egg Hunt), and it was raining hard at the start of the Yanks game at the Stadium against the Giants.  I thought ‘this is nuts.’  It was also very cold.  The Yanks lost it 9-1, the game mercifully stopped after 5 ½ innings.

Aaron Judge, after six home runs and 17 RBIs in his first seven games, had zero homers and 3 RBIs his next six contests.

The Yanks then found out Friday night that they needed to place starter Marcus Stroman on the 15-day IL with left knee inflammation, after he had allowed five earned runs in the first inning, going just 2/3, 3 walks, 46 pitches.  Manager Aaron Boone said prior to the IL news that it was unclear if the wet and cold conditions may have led to Stroman’s bad start or injury.

Stroman has been a huge disappointment, as he finished last year with a 5.70 ERA in his final 18 appearances (17 starts) and begun this season with an 11.57 ERA in three starts.  He has a $18 million option kick in for 2026 if he pitches 140 innings this year.

The Yanks (8-6) played another one in dreary conditions Saturday afternoon and beat the Giants (10-4) 8-4, though Aaron Judge didn’t homer again. 

And they lose Sunday, 5-4.

In Sacramento, the Mets (9-5) split their first two at the minor league park against the A’s, winning Friday’s opener 7-6, Edwin Diaz struggling again in the ninth but managing to get a save, Pete Alonso 3-for-3, a home run and 4 RBIs, giving him 18 ribbies on the season.

New York lost 3-1, Saturday, the offense feeble, Pete 0-for-4, 3 strikeouts.

But they win today, 8-0, Kodai Senga with seven scoreless.

Meanwhile, after an 8-0 start, the Dodgers have gone just 3-5, including an embarrassing 16-0 loss at home to the Cubs (10-7) on Saturday.  It was the worst home shutout loss in franchise history.

But it was only 2-0 after six, Roki Sasaki having gone five strong for L.A., one earned, before Chicago scored a stupendous 14 runs the final three innings.

--I haven’t posted since the awful nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic last Tuesday night that killed 221 people and injured scores more after the roof collapsed during a big merengue concert.

Among the victims was longtime MLB reliever Octavio Dotel, who started his career with the Mets in 1999 as a starter, and then went on to become a highly effective, and sought after, reliever, eventually pitching for 13 teams in a 15-year career.

Dotel won a World Series ring with the 2011 Cardinals, pitching in 12 games over the playoffs with a 2.61 ERA.

He finished 59-50 lifetime, 3.78 ERA, much of it during the steroids era, with 109 saves. 

Other former MLB players like Nelson Cruz and Pedro Martinez lost family members in the disaster.

NHL

--The New York Rangers went from having the best record in the NHL last season to out of the playoffs this go ‘round.  Pathetic.

A 3-game losing streak doomed their wild-card hopes, and then they went out and massacred the Islanders 9-2 on Thursday.  Us fans were like ‘WTF?’

The power play is a huge reason why the Rangers have failed dramatically this season.  Last year they were third in the league at 26.4 percent.  This year they are 27th out of 32 teams.

New York was officially eliminated Saturday, falling at Carolina, 7-3.

NFL

--The NFL Draft is April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

One of the questions going in is what will Cleveland do at No. 2, after Tennessee takes quarterback Cam Ward first.

But Cleveland signed Joe Flacco to a one-year, $4 million deal, Friday, that can be worth up to $13 million with incentives.

So the Browns now have Flacco, offseason acquisition Kenny Pickett and rehabbing incumbent starter Deshaun Watson.

Which means, experts believe, Cleveland will select receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter at No. 2.

The Giants, with the third pick will select edge rusher Abdul Carter (Penn State), according to a lot of folks.

College Football

--Matt Hayes of USA TODAY had a piece this weekend on Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who “is holding the Volunteers program hostage.

“And now it’s time to cut him loose.

“It’s time for Tennessee athletic director Danny White, one of the nation’s most proactive thinkers, to give coach Josh Heupel a contract extension to cut ties” with Iamaleava, “who missed practice Friday while his representatives reportedly are trying to renegotiate his NIL deal.

“Less than a week before the opening of the spring transfer portal.

“Less than four months before the beginning of the 2025 season.

“In other words, guess who has leverage?  Guess who knows it, and is trying to force Tennessee to pay top dollar for a quarterback who in 2024 was barely among the upper half of the quarterbacks in the best conference in college football.”

Iamaleava had 19 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, but his other metrics were hardly outstanding.

And consider this.  The Athletic reported he made $2.2 million last season (other reports have it at $2.4 million), but his representatives want his contract reworked to close to $4 million, which his now the going rate.

Yup, the new world order is insane.

I wrote the above early Saturday.  Hours later, Iamaleava submitted paperwork to enter the transfer portal and is expected to leave Rocky Top.

“Today’s landscape of college football is different than what it has been,” Vols coach Heupel told reporters Saturday afternoon.  “It’s unfortunate, just the situation and where we’re at with Nico.  I want to thank him for everything that he’s done since he’s gotten here – that’s as a recruit, to who he was as a player and how he competed inside of the building – and so a great appreciation for that side of it. Obviously, we’re moving forward as a program without him.”

Premier League

--The Premier League was guaranteed a fifth Champions League slot for 2025-26 by virtue of Arsenal’s stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid in a CL quarterfinal the other day.  A new line has been drawn.  The PL could yet get a sixth slot depending on further action in the Champions and Europa League playoffs.

In Saturday’s Premier League play....

Manchester City whipped Crystal Palace 5-2, Nottingham Forest lost at home to Everton 1-0, Aston Villa beat Southampton 3-0, and Arsenal played to a 1-1 draw with Brentford.

Sunday, Chelsea and Ipswich tied 2-2 (embarrassing for the Blues at home against a team being relegated), Liverpool defeated West Ham 2-1, and Newcastle whipped Manchester United 4-1.

The Table (31/32 played of 38)....played – points

1. Liverpool 32 – 76
2. Arsenal 32 – 63
3. Nottingham 32 – 57
4. Newcastle 31 – 56
5. Man City 32 – 55
6. Chelsea 32 – 54  
7. Aston Villa 32 – 54

Amazing to see Nottingham’s progression from 17th last season.

--Mohamed Salah signed a new contract to remain at Liverpool, ending months of uncertainty over his future.  Manager Arne Slot said it was for two years.

Salah has played eight seasons in Liverpool, with lots of trophies, including the Premier League title in 2020 and the Champions League in 2019.

He has been either tied or alone as the Premier League’s top scorer in three seasons and he’s been voted as the league’s player of the year twice.  He has a league-leading 27 goals this campaign heading into the weekend, as Liverpool has a virtually insurmountable lead for another English top-flight title.

Stuff

--In the Frozen, Men’s Division I Hockey Championship....Thursday, Western Michigan defeated Denver, 3-2 in double overtime in one semifinal, while Boston University beat Penn State 3-1 in the other.

So it was Western Michigan vs. Boston University in Saturday night’s final in St. Louis....

And the Broncos won it 6-2, Western Michigan’s first national title in hockey, and first natty in any sport since men’s cross country in 1965. I watched the third period and it was a great atmosphere in the arena...the best of college sports.

--In Formula 1, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri picked up his second win of the season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in the fourth race of the 2025 campaign, beating Mercedes’ George Russell and teammate Landon Norris. [Russell may have incurred a penalty for a rule infringement.]

Top 3 songs for the week 4/18/81: #1 “Kiss On My List” (Daryl Hall & John Oates)  #2 “Rapture” (Blondie)  #3 “Morning Train (Nine to Five)” (Sheena Easton)...and...#4 Just The Two Of Us” (Grover Washington, Jr. (with Bill Withers)  #5 “Woman” (John Lennon)  #6 “Angel Of The Morning” (Juice Newton)  #7 “While You See A Chance” (Steve Winwood)  #8 “Being With You” (Smokey Robinson)  #9 “The Best Of Times” (Styx)  #10 “Don’t Stand So Close To Me” (The Police...B- week...)

Baseball Quiz Answer: Ten active players with 300+ home runs....

Giancarlo Stanton 429
Mike Trout 384
Paul Goldschmidt 362
Freddie Freeman 345
Manny Machado 343
Nolan Arenado 342
Bryce Harper 338
Carlos Santana 326
Aaron Judge 321
Andrew McCutchen 320

Kyle Schwarber 290

Brief Bar Chat up top by noon, Tuesday. 

 

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