If I ran the world (or the world’s game), I would instruct referees at the Euro ’24 and Copa America soccer tournaments to refrain from automatically stopping action for an injured player on the very good suspicion that the athletes writhing on the ground are milking the moment or outright faking injury to help their team regroup. The embellishments from some of these guys would embarrass pro wrasslers.
Sacre bleu: Three French players going in the top six picks of the NBA draft is proof again that the Euros are better at our roundball game than we are at theirs.
Age gauge: Of the first seven NBA players selected Wednesday night, six are 18 or 19.
Goliath: At 7-feet-4, with a retro game rooted in the paint, Memphis Grizzlies pick Zach Edey is the draft’s most intriguing prospect.
Up to date: Now that an indelible line has been drawn between the four great revenue-generating college football conferences and the “other 28” leagues representing universities hewing closer to the tradition of educational institutions with extracurricular activities, even the most naïve fans might be coming around to the idea that the big-time schools are commercial enterprises.
Anticipation: The Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese competitive dynamic will take an intriguing twist if, as anticipated, they team up for the WNBA All-Star Game on July 20.
Future watch: When attrition to their pitching staff requires the Orioles to make a move this summer — and they might want to hurry up with that — outfielder Heston Kjerstad, currently being showcased with Baltimore after another call-up from the Tides, could be good trade bait.
Sarcasm ahead: I don’t know how I ever managed to enjoy a baseball game on TV before the introduction of exit velocity.
Maybe this time: Twenty-four years after the incandescent Michael Johnson followed up his 200- and 400-meter gold-medal performances at the ’96 Atlanta Olympics with another 400 gold at the 2000 Sydney Games, U.S. track and field is still looking for its next mainstream, household name.
Fair play: The case of baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle, who led Texas A&M to the final round of the College World Series, then jumped to Texas, serves as a rebuttal to complaints about players hopping between schools. Good for the goose, good for the gander.
Feuds: Georgetown and Maryland are resuming their basketball series decades after the stubborn reluctance of John Thompson and Lefty Driesell to meet left behind only the coolest embers of a rivalry.
Numbers game: The sportsbooks make Alabama, without Nick Saban, 16-1 to win the national title. It’s the longest odds since 2008, Saban’s second year in Tuscaloosa.
Well-handled: New Lakers coach JJ Redick didn’t dodge the question when asked his thoughts on the team’s pursuit of Dan Hurley. “Dan Hurley,” he said, “is a two-time national champion at UConn. I understood.”
Picked up piece: At 19, LeBron James, the 2003 No. 1 pick, averaged 20 points, five assists and five rebounds. At 39, he averaged 26/8/7. Does this not speak to a unique greatness?
Bob Molinaro is a former Virginian-Pilot sports columnist. His Weekly Briefing runs Fridays in The Pilot and Daily Press. He can be reached at [email protected] and via Twitter@BobMolinaro.
