We begin today with a moment of silence for Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, who was Michael Jordaned to death by Evan "Michael Jordan" Turner in last night's Game 3 of the Boston Celtics–Atlanta Hawks series:
The Celtics won, 111-103, to put the series at 2-1. The Villain finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds and one assist that I'm sure was a mistake. Afterwards I'm also sure Turner, always the humble fella, asked Teague's teammates for his mother's address so he could send the proper flower arrangements.
LOOKING GOOD, OHIO STATE. ESPN put Todd McShay and Mel Kiper into a room and they did one of those fake computer football drafts, but it's Buckeye heavy so we're leading with it:
Loving everything about that draft other than the Browns pick, which is the natural state of affairs for us hope fiends.
And yes, I've already braced myself for when the Steelers take Vonn Bell or Eli Apple, whichever one is higher on the board and/or available. I've already penciled in "drunk and angry" into next Thursday's schedule too, which again as a Cleveland fan doesn't separate it from any other Thursday of the last 11 years.
YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE, AT THE FUTURE OF NFL ATHLETICS. Go back in time and tell the average sports fan football will one day dwarf baseball in popularity and they'd probably spit in your face.
Now imagine a world in which football and basketball have both been tossed aside in favor of something called "eSports." Feel free to laugh now or cry later, but there are two things I know for certain: I'll be the first 11W eSports reporter, and ain't no Sparty juju working on Ohio State's League of Legends team:
That's right, Ohio State won the first ever BTN Invitational. (Somebody put the plaque up in the Horseshoe!)
I can hear a lot of people out there hollering, "But D.J.! You didn't tell me about this on Friday! Am I screwed or is there a way to watch these Buckeye heroics?"
To which I say, "My B, y'all. But of course, BTN will replay the tournament at 7 p.m. Monday."
URBAN MEYER JIM TRESSEL: PONY PICKER. Amari Cooper could've avoided that 2015 Sugar Bowl loss if he chose better:
Five years ago today Ohio State offered a class of 2012 receiver who had two Power 5 offers -- WVU and Wake Forest pic.twitter.com/r1OYyE7sQV
— Ryan Ginn (@RyanGinnBSB) April 22, 2016
Who knew Urban Meyer Jim Tressel gets his stock tips from Dana Holgorsen and whomever Wake Forest tricked into coaching its football team? Not this hardworking blogger.
CHRIS ASH: STILL A PROBLEM. You might laugh at me self-identifying as a Rutgers truther, but I ask you to read this and see if it doesn't sound familiar:
From nj.com:
PISCATAWAY — If Rutgers' pass defense is going to get torched again this season, at least it will go down swinging. Rutgers died by a thousand cuts — and 15-yard passes to the soft spots in its zone — last season when it ranked 118th nationally in pass defense.
"I felt like last year we were in zone too much and we were getting hit in the holes in between us and the 'backers," safety Kiy Hester said. "We were just playing deep. I feel like now we can play more aggressive and faster. I really like the man, the quarters and the Cover 3. I love playing this defense."
Rutgers will mix its looks this season, but head coach Chris Ash's prefers a quarters coverage scheme with cornerbacks pressing at the line and safeties playing man-to-man on vertical routes by inside receivers.
And when was the last time Rutgers had swag? I don't remember the Scarlet Knights ever having swag:
The Ring of Honor... Gone wrong! pic.twitter.com/PI9Vi0c7HS
— Chris Ash (@CoachChrisAsh) April 22, 2016
All Rutgers jokes are hereby cancelled until at least the first weekend in September.
DAMN, THAT LOOKS FUN. I move to make this a new form of Olympic diving as it would become the only Olympic diving I care about:
The Ohio State dive team turned the high dive into an epic Slip N' Slide.https://t.co/dnLwwQ0FjM
— NBCSN (@NBCSN) April 22, 2016
College: It's not a bad time.
THOSE WMDs. Pakistan's obstinately humble hero... Watch the Titanic sink in real time... Meth, murder, and the DEA's deal with the most dangerous man in the world... $80 million hack blamed on $10 routers... Prince: Not a fan of Michael Jackson's ping-pong ability... The curious case of 29 Harley Street... Yasiel Puig says no... Is empty nose syndrome real?
