Here's 20 thoughts from the weekend:
1. Hideki Matsuyama didn't ruin your Sunday with his win. He just played better than everyone else. He brought them back into the tournament after his mistake at 15 but then everyone else played their way out of it. Matsuyama's win is a treasured moment in Japan. He played in his first Masters in 2011 and was low amatuer. Ten years later he has a green jacket as Masters champion.
2. Love it or hate it, UCF Football did it again. They made headlines with players wearing their Twitter handles on the back of their jerseys for their spring game. Pics and posts went viral and social media reacted. Most sensible people realized UCF's move was brilliant because it generated so much coverage. For those who hated it, you are not the audience they are targeting. Either way, the football program made headlines on a day where most highlights of a spring game get little to no reaction.
3. Speaking of the UCF Spring Game, Gus Malzahn is large and in-charge of the Knights but when it comes to players, Dillon Gabriel is the face of the team. Starting his third season as UCF's quarterback, Gabriel looked great and confident. His deep ball is among the best in the country and Malzahn will add some wrinkles to Gabriel's game and you may see him roll out more. He is must-watch football.
4. McKenzie Milton has his moments at FSU's Spring Game. It's been an up-and-down camp but if healthy, he gives Mike Norvell the best chance to win. I still wonder about the Seminoles' offensive line and Milton has to run a lot out of pressure, it bodes well for no one.
5. Chuma Okeke sat out the Magic's game against Milwaukee last night with a sore hip. Every game, someone is out for something. Steve Clifford must feel like the guy who shows up to play the final round of a major golf tournament and someone says: "Let me see you bag there so I can take out your driver, 5, 6, 7 iron and your wedge and that putter. Here you go. Enjoy your round."
6. Does any NBA team wear their original jersey? I truly have no idea who is playing without a scoreboard graphic.
7. NFL source I trust says of all the quarterbacks projected to be taken in the first round, only Trevor Lawrence is inside most teams' top 20 of overall rankings. Zach Wilson is expected to be picked second and the same source said most teams would rank him in the mid-to-late 20's when ranking all players.
8. ARod is going to be a part-owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves. I fully expect the team to use a DH in 2023.
9. Tom Brady has started his own NFT company. (If you don't know what an NFT is, look it up) Per trademark attorney Josh Gerben, the company is called LFG NFTS, Corp. If you don't know what LFG stands for, look it up.
10. Bradley Beal is averaging 30.9 points per game. He averaged 30.5 last season. A decade ago, Beale averaged 14.8 points per game in his only season at Florida.
11. I watched a lot of the Yankees-Rays series this weekend and can't tell you how many calls ump missed on pitches in or out of the strike zone and pitches that were strikes but because of where the catcher caught the ball, it was ruled a ball. In 25 years, people will look back and wonder why humans called balls and strikes.
12. European soccer is a beautiful game and where the best players in the world play. It's also a place where the worst fans in the world exist and story after story of racial comments at players is disgusting and no matter what leaders of these leagues do, it doesn't appear to be eliminating these ugly moments.
13. Gardner Minshew...look it up.
14. I was wrong in thinking people would watch FCS Football this spring. Despite games appearing on television, fans struggled to find them because most major sports outlets didn't carry games. And it only solidified my view that people love brands. North Dakota State has built a dynasty at the FCS level but they make headlines when they beat a FBS school more than when they win a national title at their level.
15. Nick Van Exel and Kenyon Martin are interested in the vacant head coaching position for Cincinnati's basketball program.
16. ESPN's Jason Benetti, who also calls Chicago White Sox games, is one of the best play-by-play talents in the country.
17. My daughter and her boyfriend attended Wrestlemania in Tampa this weekend and tells me people had no problem handing over $600 for replica championship belts and grown men were wearing ReyMysterio masks. Never change WWE, never change.
18. Kyrie Irving is out for the Nets game on Monday for a personal reason. Many, including myself, have questioned him about missing games in the past. I'm not in that group any more. I do think players today don't have the same drive to play in every game but I also I am not comfortable criticizing people who might have real issues going on in their life and maybe Irving is one of those people.
19. I read and learned that 70 years ago, in 1951, General Douglas MacArthur was unanimously chosen by baseball owners to be commissioner and replace Happy Chandler. But MacArthur turned it down and gave no reason. The owners hired Ford Frick who stayed in that role until 1965.
20. My mom is 83. I haven't been able to hug her in over a year because of what has happened to the world. Very soon, I get to hug my mom. Life is precious. Appreciate every day you get.
Final thought: The Twinkie is named after a shoe. Twinkie inventor James Dewar saw a billboard for Twinkle Toe Shoes and thought the perfect name for his sweet snack would be Twinkie
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