TV

My Weekend Sports Viewing Veers Away from the Traditional

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I didn’t devote a lot of time to sports viewing this holiday weekend, but when the television was on, it was not tuned to America’s so-called big four sports (baseball, basketball, football, or hockey).

Nope, I didn’t see the Boston Celtics’ Derrick White putback with a tenth of a second left Saturday night to force an improbable Game 7 tonight. The same with that Dallas Stars-Vegas Golden Knights game.

Nope, when the TV was on Saturday I was checking out – rather inexplicably – the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Semifinals (Duke vs. Penn State and Virginia vs. Notre Dame), Game 2 of the Oklahoma-Clemson Softball Super Regional, the Detroit FC-Birmingham Legion USL Championship match, and the conclusion of the Indianapolis 500.

Lacrosse

Though I only watched the final minutes of regulation and overtime of each match … whoa! Fun stuff! I understand why it’s growing in popularity across the U.S. Gotta say, though, if you’re going to use Instant Replay, then it probably needs to include more than just time-related issues as was noted on the telecast. The Duke player clearly had a foot inside the goal crease on that overtime game-winner. Nonetheless, a wildly entertaining match as was Notre Dame storming back against the Cavaliers, scoring four of the final five goals.

Lacrosse
The Duke player’s right foot appears to be well over the line of the goal crease. (ESPN telecast screenshot)
Softball

I’d stopped by earlier in the game and Oklahoma was up a couple runs and I figured its 48th straight win was in the bag. By the time I came back, the score was tied and headed to extra innings. No surprise, the Sooners Tiare Jennings blasted a massive home run in the top of the eighth and, as fast as you can say “Boomer Sooner” Oklahoma was on its way to the Women’s College World Series.

Soccer

A goal of mine (get it;-) this summer is to make it out to Hamtramck’s Keyworth Stadium to see Detroit FC in person. The vibe seems fun and the club is coming on, as evidenced by its 1-0 victory over Legion. As seemed to be my fortune this weekend, I only saw the conclusion of the match so no goal scoring and, aside from a couple of pushes on the part of Legion, it seemed to be a rather workmanlike effort earning the victory.

Auto Racing

A kid from Indiana has to tune in to the Indy 500 at some point, right? It was on in the background for a bit early in the race before I turned it off for a good bit. By the time I flipped the TV back on it was in the first of what became three red flags in the final 15 or so laps. What a crazy finish. It felt like I was watching the end of a NASCAR race at times. I’m unsure how I feel about going with the Green/White – Checkered finish, but that’s what was decided and props to Josef Newgarden for making the move and pass that led to his first victory at the Brickyard. His celebration was an all-timer, as well: Heading into the stands to be with the fans, which is where you used to watch the race not terribly long ago.

Josef Newgarden
Josef Newgarden celebrates with the fans after winning the Indy 500. (Photo Jenna Watson/Indy Star)

Stephen A … nd I’m Gone

DouglasTHillLeave a comment
Alfred E. Neuman

I was doing some computer work Sunday afternoon after the weather turned ugly outside and decided to turn on the Los Angeles Lakers at Memphis Grizzlies game for a bit of background noise.

Shortly after I turned the game on, Lakers’s big man Anthony Davis got tangled up in the paint and seemed to tweak a shoulder. The announcers indicated he’d headed to the lockerroom early for the half and I thought nothing more of it. To me, it appeared as though he might have had his shoulder pop out of its socket and go right back it. It’s disconcerting, to say the least, and everything sort of goes numb. It’s happened to me a few times and, I’d imagine, it happens to professional athletes fairly regularly as well.

Following the obligatory commericial break, ABC studio host Mike Greenberg welcomed us to the proceedings and then vocalized the concern over the Davis injury. Then, he did something I cannot comprehend. Rather than throw it to the only former professional basketball player on the set, Jalen Rose – whom one could reasonably deduce may have suffered a similar injury or, at the very least, been in the presence of one prior – Greenberg chose instead to throw it to Stephen A. Smith.

Smith proceeded to bloviate, as he is want to do, about how Davis must return and if he does not the Lakers will be doomed and what a travesty it was that he could be lost less-than 24 minutes of the post-season. Blah, blah, blah.

I could not shut the television off fast enough.

It reminded me of why, nearly a decade, ago I gave up sports talk radio for Lent.

I’ve never returned.

I’m also happy to say that, as a general rule, I avoid all things Stephen A. Smith: print, radio, TV, Internet, doesn’t matter. I neither have the time nor the desire to listen to folks create tension in order to “debate” about a topic under the guise of providing information.

Life’s too short to take on unnecessary stress that can be spewed from the talking heads.

I’ll happily subscribe to my man Alfred E. Neuman‘s motto, “What, me worry?”