Verlander To IL? Chapman's Tattoo, J-Rod's Huge Payday & Pennant Races Headline MLB. Serena's Last Hurrah As US Open Begins. Not So Good NFL News As Preseason Ends. Key NBA Injuries
Into the homestretch of this Sports Dead Zone as September is on the horizon. I've got all of the latest news and storylines that the sports world has to offer as the latest edition of the pod is ready for consumption. On deck:
(5:19) Some interesting storylines have taken place in baseball over the past few days. Astros ace Justin Verlander suffered a calf injury as he had to leave his start early in yesterday afternoon's game vs. Baltimore. Without a prognosis as of this recording, could this be a serious blow for a team trying to get back to another World Series? Or is this a minor speed bump en route to the Division Series where he'll be raring to go come Game 1? Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman had to be put on the IL for an infection on his leg stemming from a tattoo. How this'll fare as he regains his confidence in himself and the manager as they gear up for September and beyond? Mariners prized rookie Julio Rodriguez secures a fat contract as he can make up to $470 million dollars over the next 14 years, with $210 million guaranteed. Baseball continues its trajectory of giving the young talent (i.e. Fernando Tatis, Jr. & Wander Franco) big time money without hesitation. I'll see where we're at as far as the wild card and division races are concerned, including a possible NLCS preview as the Dodgers will visit the Mets at Citi Field this week. I'll also share my thoughts on the Mets Old Timers Day festivities on Saturday, which was executed beautifully. Why wasn't this done sooner? The connection (or lack thereof, by the previous ownership) and the retirement of #24 in honor of Willie Mays.
(34:47) The final Grand Slam of the tennis year begins today at Flushing Meadow where the big headlines heading into this tournament is Serena Williams's last hurrah. Will she be able to win a round? Two? Get to next week? Who'll win on the women's side? What about the men's side? Can Nick Kyrgios get to and win his first major championship? Can Rafael Nadal win his 23rd Grand Slam? Where is Novak Djokovic? Lots of questions to be answered and I'll handicap what to expect here over the next two weeks.
(43:30) The NFL preseason has concluded, but some news off the field has garnered attention (Rams-Bengals scrimmage melee and the Bills releasing punter Matt Araiza on implications of a civil lawsuit stemming from a gang rape of an underage women with two other men) as we get ready for the new season to kick off in ten days.
(46:48) In the NBA, Chet Holmgren will be out for the year with a foot injury suffered in a Pro-Am game over the weekend. Then Danilo Gallinari came up lame while on a fast break as he tore his meniscus in a FIBA World Cup qualifying game. How big are these injuries in the grand scheme of things?
(49:32) Rory McIlroy wins his third FedEx Cup, but did anyone watch? Did anyone really care? Was it important for the sport considering it's not a major tournament? And what does this mean for golfers who may jump over to the LIV Golf League?
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Intro/outro music by Cyklonus.