This mudder won the Kentucky Derby in 2018 and also the Triple Crown. Who is it? Extra credit: Who’s the jockey?
The first Saturday in May – especially at Louisville’s Churchill Downs – rarely disappoints.
Sloppy though it may have been, May 5, 2018, proved to be the start of something special as Justify ran away from a muddied field to claim the Kentucky Derby and the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. The stallion went on to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes and secure the 13th – and most-recent – Triple Crown in the sport’s history. Justify’s jockey was Mike Smith who, at 52-years-old, became the oldest Triple Crown rider in history.
Jockey Mike Smith rides Justify toward the finish of the 2018 Kentucky Derby. Runner-up Good Magic was two-and-half lenghts off the pace. (Photo by Morry Gash/AP)
Here is the New York Times‘ account of that day’s race.
Later, there was controversy surrounding Justify. It was revealed over a year later that the horse had failed a drug test prior at the 2018 Santa Anita Derby but the ruling was not released by the California Horse Racing Board did not immediately announce the result and, later, dismissed it completely. Had the failed test disqualified Justify’s results from the Santa Anita it would not have had enough points to qualify to run for the roses.
Dr. Rick Arthur, the board's equine medical director, subsequently explained that their investigation suggested that the result was in fact due to feed contamination by jimson weed. One key factor was that horses from five different barns had high readings for scopalimine over the same period, though none of these were as high as Justify's. Arthur pointed out that Justify may well have ingested a seed, or his reading may have been inflated because of dehydration after the race. "Even though the level was relatively high in urine, the blood level was actually quite low", he said, explaining that this and the presence of another drug, atropine, found in jimson weed were consistent with feed contamination.
The 2018 Kentucky Derby.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser was the creation of former Ann Arbor News Sports Editor Geoff Larcom. Longtime friend and fellow Ann Arbor News alum, Pat Schutte, took it to heights previously unknown. We aim to keep it alive here at The Sports Fan Project. The cropped photo and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
Attempting to go Around the World in 80 Sporting Events means visiting some wonderful destinations and witnessing some monumental moments. Clockwise from upper left, the scoreboard at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews’ Old Course; Roberto Clemente’s jersey in the Baseball Hall of Fame; downtown Cooperstown, NY; the Swilcan Bridge at St. Andrews; the author and the Stanley Cup at the Hockey Hall of Fame; and the Hoosiers’ gym in Knightstown, IN.
As noted in the previous installment, once some foundational guardrails were in place, it was up to me to determine what Around the World in 80 Sporting Events would encompass. That is, what events/venues would rise to the level of iconic for inclusion?
Fortunately, by the time I’d arrived at this point in the planning stages I was well into the second season of hosting the podcast, “Conversations with Sports Fans,” so I knew what a lot of other folks felt were notable sporting events. Plus, many just nominate themselves because of the significance around the event.
What follows is a list by sport. The number in parentheses next to the sport are the total events in that category. At the bottom of each grouping is a brief explanation (where needed) of what’s included.
Baseball (17)
One hopes any trip to Wrigley Field ends with “Cubs Win!”
St. Louis Cardinals-Chicago Cubs Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL (Completed! Read about it here.)
New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox Game at Fenway Park in Boston, MA
San Francisco Giants-Los Angeles Dodgers Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA
MLB World Series Game in Toronto (Completed! Read about it here.)
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY (Completed! Read about it here.)
Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City, MO (Completed! Read about it here.)
Banana Ball in TBD
Men’s College World Series in Omaha, NE (Completed! Read about it here.)
Little League Boys World Series in South Williamsport, PA (Completed! Read about it here.)
“Field of Dreams” Film Site in Dyersville, IA (Completed! Read about it here.)
Midnight Sun Game in Fairbanks, AK (Completed! Read about it here.)
Nippon Baseball League Game in Japan (Completed! Read about it here.)
Korean Baseball Organization Game in South Korea (Completed! Read about it here.)
MLB Grapefruit League Game(s) in Florida
MLB Cactus League Game(s) in Arizona
World Baseball Classic Game(s) in TBD
Caribbean Series Game(s) in TBD
Baseball was the first sport I was really exposed to so it should come as no surprise it’s the one that has the most events. … The three longest standing and, perhaps, most fierce rivalries in the game are the three listed above. In a perfect world I’d attend a game in all six locations, but this world is neither perfect nor free so I had to make a difficult decision and chose the three oldest ballparks. … Cooperstown is as close to Valhalla for me as I’ll find and I’ve heard way too much about the Negro Leagues Museum to not include it. … As noted previously, I have history in Fairbanks so returning there for the Midnight Sun Game (game time, 10 p.m., no artificial lighting used) seems fitting. … The remainder are all opportunities for me to experience baseball through the lens of other cultures.
Basketball (16)
New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY (Completed! Read about it here.)
Duke University at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, NC
Kansas University at Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS (Completed! Read about it here.)
Butler University at Hinkle Field House in Indianapolis, IN (Completed! Read about it here.)
UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in Brentwood, CA
A Big 5 Game at the Palestra in Philadelphia, PA
Indiana High School Basketball (preferably an early-round tournament game) (Completed! Read about it here.)
“Hoosiers’ Gym in Knightstown, IN (Completed! Read about it here.)
Maui Classic Games in Lahaina, HI
Men’s NCAA Final Four Games in TBD
Women’s NCAA Final Four Games in TBD
Men’s NCAA Tournament Opening Week in Las Vegas, NV
Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers in TBD
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA
UConn Women’s Basketball Game at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT
Calvin vs. Hope Men’s Basketball in “The Rivalry” in Holland, MI
Growing up in basketball-mad Indiana, having 14 basketball events should not shock anyone either, I’d guess. … With a nod to my Hoosier roots, seeing the gym where “Hoosiers” was filmed is a must, as is a high school game, and a visit to Butler’s Hinkle Field House. … The five other venues I’d like to visit are, simply, those that captured my fascination through years of fandom. They are old-school gyms that anytime the networks have been there have tugged at me to pay homage someday. … The Maui Classic has been such a part of Thanksgiving week for me that I want to experience that environment in person. … Some might call the inclusion of the Women’s Final Four the Caitlin Clark effect, but I’ve been tuning into those games for the better part of a decade. Clark sucked me into some more early round action, but I love the current women’s college game and believe it’s time I see some in person, including a pilgrimage to Storrs, CT, to see UConn in Gampel Pavilion.
Football (16)
It’s long been a dream to see a Rose Bowl in person.
Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day Game (Completed! Read about it here.)
Ohio State-Michigan (The Game) in Ann Arbor, MI
Auburn-Alabama (The Iron Bowl) in Tuscaloosa, AL (Completed! Read about it here.)
Ole Miss-Mississippi (The Egg Bowl) in Oxford, MI (Completed! Read about it here.)
USC-Notre Dame in South Bend, IN (Completed! Read about it here.)
Army-Navy Game in TBD
Texas High School Football Game in Odessa, TX (Completed! Read about it here.)
Oklahoma-Texas at Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX (Completed! Read about it here.)
Dallas Cowboys Game in Arlington, TX (Completed! Read about it here.)
Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers in Green Bay, WI
The Rose Bowl and Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, CA (Completed! Read about it here.)
NCAA National Championship Game in TBD
Super Bowl in TBD
Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup in Winnipeg, MB (Completed! Read about it here.
A North Dakota State Bison (a FCS powerhouse) Game in the Fargodome (Completed! Read about it here.)
Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH (Completed! Read about it here.)
Of North America’s four major sports, football is probably the one I’m least likely to view from contest beginning to end. That said, Keith Jackson and John Madden made it enjoyable and Brent Musburger telling spectators “you’re looking live at (fill-in-the-blank)” made many games feel more significant than they actually were. … The Rose Bowl has been the quintesseential college football dream for this midwesterner and it needs to come with the Parade as a nod to my late mother who loved watching each year. … If I have my druthers, the Texas high school game will be at Permian in Odessa where “Friday Night Lights” was based. And, as fate has it this year, Permian’s home on a Friday, the Red River Rivalry is on Saturday, and the Cowboys host the Lions on Sunday. … Still to be determined is which rival I see the Packers host at Lambeau Field. What say you sports fan nation?
Hockey (11)
NHL Winter Classic in TBD
Montreal-Toronto Game in Toronto, ON (Completed! Read about it here.)
Calgary-Edmonton Game in Edmonton, AB
New York Rangers Game at Madison Square Garden in NY (Completed! Read about it here.)
2026 World Junior Tourament in St. Paul, MN
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, MN
Minnesota High School Hockey Game in TBD
Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, ON (Completed! Read about it here.)
Stanley Cup Trophy Presentation in TBD
Michigan State University-University of Michigan at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor
University of Maine-University of New Hampshire at Alfond Arena in Orono, ME
I may be a Hoosier native, but my most formative years were in metro-Detroit (aka Hockeytown) and I covered college hockey for the Ann Arbor News and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner so there’s some hockey love within. I’m not as enamored with the Winter Classic as I am the Rose Bowl, but some of the images from New Year’s Days past have been too cool. … Similar to the baseball rivalries above, there were the two I most wanted to see and a decision was needed for which city to see them. Edmonton was the Detroit Red Wings’ nemesis a few seasons in the 1980s so it’d be neat to see it in person and Toronto is drivable and that gives it the nod. … Every year during college hockey season, handful of players from U-M would head off the World Juniors. With the advent of streaming services it’s become more accessible and it comes to the U.S. in 2026. … Much like high school basketball in Indiana and football in Texas, hockey in Minnesota borders on a religion so it seems natural to want to check it out. … There’s only one trophy in sport I’d like to see presented and that’s the Stanley Cup. It might mean having to do multiple cross-continental flights and pay obscence resale ticket prices to do it, but I’m here for the challenge.
Golf (8)
The 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
The Masters in Augusta, GA
PGA Championship in Newtown Square, PA
U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina (Completed! Read about it here.)
The Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland (Completed! Read about it here.)
The Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in Long Island, NY (Completed! Read about it here.)
The President’s Cup at Royal Montreal in Montreal (Completed! Read about it here.)
The Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jonese Golf Club in Gainesville, VA (Completed! Read about it here.)
Pebble Beach Pro-Am in Pebble Beach, CA
My dad was and is an avid golf fan and that’s no doubt rubbed off on me, though my playing days are long behind me. That said, there are four Major Championships, so it follows that they all should be patronized. The men’s and women’s team competitions are captivating to me and the scenery at Pebble Beach is virtually unparalleled.
Tennis (4)
Australian Open
French Open
Wimbledon
U.S. Open
Four Grand Slam events = four tennis tournaments to visit.
Futbol/Soccer (5)
World Cup 2026 logo.
Men’s World Cup Match(es) in North America (2026)
English Premier League Match(es) in TBD
Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco (2025)
South American World Cup Qualifying in Argentina (Completed! Read about it here.)
European Soccer Match(es) [Champions League, Europa League, or Bundesliga/La Liga/Ligue 1/Serie A] in TBD
We’ll call it the “Ted Lasso” effect. I do enjoy my weekend mornings checking out soccer from across the pond, plus many of my friends have clubs they follow. … As far as the African and South American matches, we can’t very well call this project Around the World in 80 Sporting Events and not get to six of the seven contintents can we?
Motor Sports (6)
Daytona 500 in Daytona, FL
Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, IN (Completed! Read about it here.)
Formula 1 in TBD (preferably overseas)
NASCAR Bristol Night Race in Bristol, TN
NASCAR Cup Semifinal in Martinsville, VA (Completed! Read about it here.)
AMA Supercross in Detroit, MI
The first three were pretty straightfoward. The final two, I’m relying on my NASCAR friends Frank and Kevin to not steer me wrong (see what I did there;-)
Horse Racing (3)
Kentucky Derby in Louisville, KY
Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, MD
Belmont Stakes, in Saratoga, NY
I’m sure the Breeder’s Cup is a phenomenal event, but these are the three races that have piqued my curiosity through the years (typically in descending order as well).
Others (10)
The peloton from Stage 5 of the 2024 Tour de France (Video from Tim Parker)
Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy (2026)
Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska
Boston Marathon in Boston, MA
Championship Boxing Match(es) (Completed! Read about it here.)
Tour de France
Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, OK
Rodeo at Frontier Days in Cheyenne, WY (Completed! Read about it here.
NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament in Madison, WI
USBC Masters PBA Bowling in Allen Park, MI
NCAA Wrestling
The timebound nature of this quest (a goal of completing by 2027) prevents me from getting to a Summer Olympics (Los Angeles in 2028 is on my list of next things to do!) so the Winter will be enjoyable. … I’ve already referenced my Alaska history so seeing the start (or the finish) of the Iditarod beckons. … The Boston Marathon and Tour de France are both so noteworthy I believe they must be sampled in person. … I’ve long enjoyed the WCWS and welcome the opportunity to swelter in the blazing sun and occasional severe weather alerts around my birthday someday. … I’d not call myself a rodeo fan, but seeing an event such as this as part of Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming just seems right.
My math teaching friends have no doubt calculated there are actually 87 events listed. This is, in fact, accurate. I’m of the belief I need to overplan and cut (or swap out) as the process unfolds. Myriad things can occur between now and the proposed completion of this venture so it’s good to have options in the event something comes up.
Anyhow, let the gnashing of teeth begin. What am I missing? What am I overvaluing? Should it be Vikings-Packers or Bears-Packers at Lambeau? Do you want to attend any of these events with me? Let me know in the comments or by emailing me at hilldouglast@gmail.com.
No tease today, but this is a deep cut. This fella’s oneof the GOATs. Who is it?
Eddie Arcaro is the only jockey to have twice ridden horseracing Triple Crown winners.
The Hall of Fame jockey rode Whirlaway in 1941 and Citation in 1948 to wins in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Arcaro is also tied with Bill Hartack for the most Kentucky Derby-winning rides with five.
Jockey Eddie Arcaro.
Arcaro was known in the profession as “The Master” and won roughly 20% of the races he rode and amassed career earnings of over $30 million. You’re able to read about him here.
Arcaro died in 1997. Here is the New York Times‘ obituary.
Newsreel footage noting the retirement of jockey Eddie Arcaro in 1962.
Just to review, The Fan Teaser comes courtesy of longtime buddy, Pat Schutte. The cropped photo below and the accompanying clue give you an idea as to who or what the image is of. We invite you to use the Comment option to take a crack at solving the Teaser and, if you’re so inclined, participate in some good-spirited banter with your fellow sports fans. The Fan Teaser will appear each Friday morning with the reveal coming to you Sunday.
(About the Series: Based upon my Conversation with guest Derek Meinecke, I’m going back in time to be in the stands at 10 sporting events. This week, it’s #7. You’re able to find links to the previous installments below.)
In full candor, I do not consider myself a horse racing fan. I have never been to a horse race, I do not track early-season stakes events to familiarize myself with the that year’s best 3-year-olds to enhance my enjoyment of the annual Triple Crown Races, nor do I tune normally tune into the season-ending Breeder’s Cup (Programming Note: This year’s Breeder‘s is this Friday and Saturday at Santa Anita Park.)
Having said that, I will almost always find a way to tune into the Kentucky Derby if, for no other reason, to hear Dan Fogelberg‘s fabulous ode to the Derby, “Run for the Roses.” And, if I’m going back in time to experience seminal sports moments from yesteryear I’m sure as shootin’ going back to 1973 to see Secretariat’s 5-week utter domination of the sport.
Most casual sports fans (and even humans) have surely heard the name Secretariat before but, if you’re reading this and are thinking about a clerical temp service, please see this website. Yes, a racing equine which has been gone for nearly 35 years has its own website and its own annual festival (running November 10-12 this year)!
Kentucky Derby – May 5, 1973
The first Saturday in May finds the eyes of the horse racing world cast upon Churchill Downs in Louisville. This Cinco de Mayo was no different. While the odd Margarita may have been served, I’m sure the Mint Julep was still the beverage of choice for most.
Secretatriat went off as a 3-to-2 betting favorite, a touch better than Sham who went off at 5-to-2. While Sham ran near the front for much of the race, Secretariat methodically hunted every horse down, running each successive quarter mile faster than the previous meaning he was still accelerating near the end of the race. Ultimately, Big Red as he was known, won by a touch more than two lengths in a still-standing Derby record of 1:59.4.
The 1973 Kentucky Derby.
Preakness Stakes – May 19, 1973
It was more of the same for Secretariat in Baltimore as jockey Ron Turcotte allowed the rest of the field to go out and then picked his way through to win by two-and-a-half lengths over Sham, again. This race was not without controversy, however, as there were timing discrepancies. The infield teletimer had been damaged so its time of 1:55 was called into question and the Pimlico Race Course timer showed it at 1:54.4 and the Daily Racing Form at 1:53.4. It was not until 2012 when the Maryland Racing Commission was asked by Secretariat’s owner, Penny Chenery, to conduct a forensic review of all footage and determine the time. It was deemed to be 1:53 which set a new Preakness Stakes record (39 years after the race was run and 23 years after Secretariat had died).
The 1973 Preakness Stakes.
Belmont Stakes – June 9, 1973
I had turned 6-years-old the day before this race. If our family watched what became the coronation of Big Red it’s never been shared with me. Part of me hopes my parents brought me in from playing with my Hot Wheels in the dirt long enough to witness this history the same way they had my toddler self watching Neil Armstrong step on the surface of the moon four years earlier.
No matter, I suppose, because any memories of both events have long ago vanished for me. That said, if my wayback machine can only get me back to 1973 for one of these three races, this is the one. The complete and utter denomination that Secretariat showcased at Belmont Park is incredible even on grainy video 50 years later.
And he’d – for all intents and purposes – won the race before it even ran. Just four other horses entered (including 2-time bridesmaid Sham) and Secretariat went off as a 1-to-10 betting favorite. Yes, you’d need to wager $10 to win $1! That doesn’t even seem real.
And he did not disappoint: Secretariat pulled away from Sham (who later was diagnosed with an leg injury) near the end of the backstretch and just kept pulling away. The track announcer referred to him as a “tremendous machine” along the way and even had trouble estimating the margin of victory; announcing it at 25 lengths, but official reviews put it at 31 lengths (over 250 feet). And the time! The time of this race was 2:24 flat, which obliterated the world record for a mile-and-a-half dirt track by 2.6 seconds.
The 1973 Belmont Stakes.Secretariat jockey Ron Turcotte sneaks a peek at the field as he heads down the stretch at the Belmont Stakes.
Check out this wonderful retrospective from Sports Illustrated‘s Pat Forde in advance of this year’s Derby. And, as you read it, keep in mind that Secretariat’s winning times at each of these three races still stand … 50 years later! He was simply the best and for a scant five weeks in 1973 put it all together for the world to bear witness. How cool would it have been to be there?
In a nod to the recently deceased hip-hop artist, Coolio (whose biggest hit was Gangsta’s Paradise) this past Saturday, in retrospect, seems to have been a sports fan’s paradise – at least this sports fan’s.
Coolio
We entered the day knowing about the much-ballyhooed University of Tennessee at University of Georgia matchup in Athens. A meeting between a pair of Top 5 teams (heck, UT was No. 1 in the first playoff rankings and UGa was No. 1 in last week’s Associated Press rankings!), but it’s what else unfolded during the day that made it a rather remarkable day to be a sports fan.
What follows is how this sports fan experienced the day’s events. (It should be noted that my wife was out of town enjoying a girls weekend.)
Just as most Saturdays do in our household, this one began similarly: Laundry (Bonus: It was also bedding week!) and housecleaning took center stage in Chateau de Hill. Similarly, for background noise – and the occasional distraction – ESPN’s College GameDay airs on the family room television. This week the crew was in Athens for the lead up to the biggest regular-season game of the season.
As GameDay is want to do, this edition included a touching feature about a player/coach/fan. This week it was about University of Minnesota’s sixth-year senior quarterback Tanner Morgan. These pieces are always so well done, I’m often left searching for a tissue once they’re complete. The Morgan piece was no exception.
If I’m around and available, I do love checking out the picks near the end of each GameDay, especially Lee Corsodonning the headgear. Corso was still recovering from some medical issues this week, so I was comfortable flipping over to check out some English Premier League soccer, er, futbol action on USA Network as the morning wore on.
The featured match in the mid-morning window was Fulham at Manchester City. By the time I tuned in, the match was already in the 80th minute, deadlocked at a goal apiece. Close to the end of regular time, City’s all-everything forward, Erling Haaland, appeared to score on a header to break the tie. The Video Assistant Refereee (VAR), however, wiped it away noting Haaland was offside by a fraction.
Though only engaged with the match for a few moments, I was now an eager viewer to see if Fulham could get out of Manchester with a draw and the single point that comes with it. Adding to the intrigue, City was playing a man down the majority of the match following a red card in the game’s opening half.
Then, in the fifth minute of injury time, I noticed a player flailing on the pitch. It was City’s Kevin De Bruyne who was fouled in the penalty box (though there wasn’t much of a foul near as I could see).
The result was a penalty shot in the game’s waning moments. Unsurprisingly, Haaland took it and made it. City wins, 2-1, and for Haaland it was his 18th goal in 12 matches this season. He’s scored more goals than Nottingham Forest’s (currently in last place) entire time.
Once City’s victory was in the books, I flipped back over to GameDay in time to see country music superstar (and Georgia native), Luke Bryan, kissing the Bulldogs’ mascot, UGA.
UGA and Luke Bryan shared a moment on the set of ESPN’s College GameDay Saturday.
While I managed to keep the laundry cycling through, the housework was a slog this week. Way too much good stuff on the television. What’s this? Army vs. Air Force in the Commander’s Classic. What!?! It started at 10:30 a.m. local time in Arlington, TX. That’s preposterous! Sometime this year I’ll share how I feel about pre-noon and post-8 p.m. local time starts for college athletics (Hint: Not positively.)
As my son was due home anytime and we were going on a gastronomical expedition to someplace neither of us had tried, the Balkan House (full report coming Thursday here), I flipped on the Ohio State at Northwestern game and buckled down to get my work done.
Upon returning home, I flipped on the UT-UGa game and was unsurprised to see Georgia was in control early. How often do the game’s of the year fall flat? Regardless, I kept it on for background noise as I mopped and remade the bed.
Feeling the Vols were not going to rally, I went searching for an alternative. The Breeders’ Cup!?! How did I forget about this? With the hour nearing half-past 5, the horses were making their way to the post. The brunt of the horse racing season for the casual fan seems so long ago, I’d forgotten about Rich Strike‘s improbable win this year or the crazy story Hot Rod Charlie‘s runner-up finish a year ago.
Both were entered into the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but it was a horse named Flightline that was the overwhelming favorite. He did not disappoint! Winning in a literal runaway and retire to stud the following day. Six entries during his career, six victories.
No sooner had the horse begun a cool down, I found my way to the MLS Cup where the score was tied at 2-2 closing in on 110 minutes into the match. Full disclosure, I’d not watched a moment of MLS action this season prior to turning on the Philadelphia Union-Los Angeles FC title tilt.
Yet there I was, watching as a Union player got behind the LAFC defenders and beat the keeper to the ball for a sure goal had it not been for the keeper’s sliding tackle/penalty that apparently caused such a grusome injury to the keeper FOX did not share the replay. A red card ensued, the backup keeper entered (a Philadelphia native and former Union player), and LAFC played with only 10 players for the duration.
Union scored to take a 3-2 lead during stoppage time of the extratime period and, surely it was enough to seal the deal. Except a header by a LAFC player re-tied it before time officially expired.
LAFC wound up winning on penalty kicks, 3-0. The backup keeper, John McCarthy, wound up winning the MVP despite playing fewer than 15 minutes of actual game action.
A quick flip back to CBS found Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett being interviewed following the Bulldogs’ 27-13 victory. The Breeders’ Cup Classic/MLS Cup Combo was infinitely more exciting than whatever occurred the latter part of the UT-UGa game, I’d wager.
Phew, good thing I was still full from lunch. Now came the real work, juggling five events at once with one TV and one remote.
I had varying levels of interest in viewing each of the following: Alabama at LSU, Clemson at Notre Dame, Michigan at Rutgers, Miami and Florida State, and World Series Game 6. All began within an hour of each other.
The early start was the SEC game in Baton Rouge so that’s where I began. It was entertaining from the outset and, unlike the main event from earlier, it seemed destined to be competitive throughout.
Shortly after the other games started, I began cycling through the channels and, if a commercial aired, just kept cycling (I got no tie for commercials on this night!). If there was action, I’d linger and see what was transpiring. Before long, my son returned home with a buddy and I’m not sure either of them favored the way I was trying to keep abreast of the action but … my house … my TV … my remote … my rules.
The surprises of the night, at least early on, were the fact that Rutgers was hanging with Michigan and that Notre Dame had jumped out on Clemson (a blocked punt for a touchdown certainly helped).
Admittedly, I didn’t linger for too long at the FSU game. I was mainly looking for player Keyshawn Helton whose mother I chatted up at a Waffle House in Lousville, KY, a month ago (read about that, here).
I just missed seeing Kyle Schwarber give the Phillies a 1-0 lead over the Astros, but caught the replay.
Cycling back through the channels after that half of the inning, I saw that Rutgers saw its reflection in the mirror at halftime and realized it was Rutgers and Michigan turned the 17-14 halftime deficit into a 35-17 lead inside of 10 minutes of third quarter game action.
Back to the World Series where I saw Jose Altuve go from first to third on Alex Bregman‘s single and a pitching change, which meant commercial, which meant it was time to check in on ‘Bama-LSU. Back to the Series and it’s now 3-1? Say what!?! Yep, Yordan Alvarez greeted the relief pitcher with a B-O-M-B and the replays continued for quite a while.
Notre Dame continued to hold Clemson at bay so it was now down to ‘Bama-LSU.
I adjourned to the other TV and settled in for the overtime session, leaving my son and his friends to their own devices.
I’ve stated in this space before how I often find myself rooting against rather than for. I’m not particularly a fan of either Nick Saban or Brian Kelly, but new blood is always preferred to me so I was pleased to see Kelly decide to go for the 2-point conversion when given the opportunity following the first overtime session.
As though that wasn’t enough, I drifted off to sleep listening to the UCLA at Arizona State game from Tempe, thankful for the fact clocks fell back one hour before it was time to start my Sunday.
