Knicks tell the truth?? = BAD
Knicks tell a lie?? = WORSE
Also, Coco Gauff is getting paid, why can’t NCAA Athletes????
Congratulations to the U.S. Men and Women’s Teams for reaching their respective Championship Games on the same day.
And lastly, do not, I repeat, DO NOT mess with the Los Angeles Dodgers!!!!
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports
Follow me on Twitter: @DaveEttinger2
Like my Facebook Page: facebook.com/DaveTalksSports
I have everything a man could ever want: Amazing wife, beautiful children (including my son on the way and my son with four legs; Jordan), awesome parents, great friends, health, and happiness.
But the sports world….thought I could use more:
Kawhi Wants Out
Kawhi Leonard leaking that he wants out of San Antonio Friday was my early Father’s Day gift. Kawhi, allegedly disgruntled, requested a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. While Kawhi can request whatever he’d like, he’s under contract for two more seasons, so the Spurs are in no rush to ship their best player out of town. At the same time, a disgruntled employee makes the Christmas Party awkward.
It’s eerily similar to Kyrie Irving asking out of Cleveland. Many were confused why Kyrie would throw annual trips to the NBA Finals alongside the world’s best player in the toilet for his own spotlight. And now, we should remain confused why Kawhi doesn’t want to play under the tutelage of the world’s best coach. Rather than try to understand an NBA star’s mindset, we’ll simply understand the NBA is ruled by its stars.
So, Kawhi will get traded.
Sooner, rather than later.
Mexico Takes Down Germany
There was no better gift than what Sunday morning brought DaveTalksSports; a Mexico victory over Germany!!!!
While the entire world, besides Mexico (and my house), thought Mexico had no chance in Sunday’s World Cup match against Germany, Mexico overcame. They outplayed the defending World Cup Champions, capturing a 1-0 victory. The lone goal came from Hirving Lozano in the 35th minute:
If you weren’t sure if Mexicans get excited for their futbol team, just ask the earthquake sensors in Mexico City. Just seven seconds after Lozano’s goal, not one, but two earthquake sensors registered tremors. Experts are calling it an “artificial earthquake”.
THAT IS FREAKIN’ AWESOME!!!!
And Then, There Was Golf
The U.S. Open was a great tournament. Tommy Fleetwood gave the field all they could handle with his 63 on Sunday. Brooks Koepka became the 1st golfer since Curtis Strange in 1989 to win back-to-back U.S. Opens. But the story here is Phil Mickelson….
Watch first, then we’ll talk:
Uhhh, Phil, what the hell are you doing?!
The answer would be CHEATING!! Last time I checked, you can’t hit the ball while it’s still rolling. I know that. You know that. But most importantly, Phil knows that. Phil made the conscious decision to break this rule, figuring he’d be better off with a two-stroke penalty than playing the ball from wherever it stopped rolling.
Some would call that smart, clever, or practical. Some would be a**holes.
Phil Mickelson should be ashamed of himself.
The USGA should be ashamed of themselves. This inane rule needs to be changed, as Phil should have been disqualified from this tournament immediately.
How was your Father’s Day?? Was it possibly as good as mine?? Use that comment section people.
You can find me on the Radio as well. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’m on live, every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. Each show is also broadcast on Facebook Live via: http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports.
Since you LOVE my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! NOW GO TELL ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!
A boxing match can unify the world. That isn’t hyperbole. I truly believe (potentially) 36 minutes of battle, across the vast, 256 square feet of real estate inside the ropes, can unite people all over the world. Sports, tend to, and can hold a common ground for people of different race, culture, religion, and gender. Saturday night’s boxing match is a prime example of an opportunity for the farthest corners of the world to intersect.
When else can you find a man of Russian and Korean parents, raised in Kazakhstan, engage in competition with a man from Mexico, on Mexican Independence Day, in the United States?? The answer would be, um, never.
On Saturday, September 16th, Gennady Golovkin will square off with Canelo Alvarez in the middleweight division (160 pounds). Golovkin will put all 4 of his title belts on the line:
The fight will take place at T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas, and will be available on Pay-Per-View. Before we get to the main course, let’s taste test the appetizers. Here are the 3 undercards prior to the Main Event:
*There is at least 1 Mexican boxer in each match. I can only assume this is intentional due to it being Mexican Independence Day. The 2nd match consists of Golden Boy Promoter and famed boxer, Oscar De La Hoya’s cousin.
Now that we got the salad and crab cakes out of the way, bring on the sirloin steak.
Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin, the champion, aka “GGG”, is 37-0, with 33 wins coming by way of knockout. He is 36 years old and stands at 5’10”. He is a hard hitting, orthodox (right-handed) fighter, who has never been knocked out. Hell, he’s never been knocked down. He brings tremendous power to the ring in the highest profile fight of his career.
Santos Saul Alvarez Barragan, the challenger, formally known as Canelo Alvarez, is 49-1-1, with 34 wins coming by way of knockout. He is 27 years old and stands at 5’9″. He is also a hard-hitting, orthodox (right-handed) fighter. Canelo has never been knocked out, as his only loss came at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr., by Majority Decision in 2013. While Canelo is technically the challenger, he is the bigger draw in this bout.
Dessert time!!
With the state of boxing in steady decline, in terms of popularity (not $$), I am genuinely excited for this fight. This championship bout brings 2 intense, tough, hard-hitting fighters together. Expect fireworks, early and often. They are similar in fighting style, and although Canelo has the slight age in the defense department, don’t expect any running and hiding. Both fighters are going to plant themselves in front of each other and exchange blows for (hopefully) 36 minutes.
This is going to be fantastic!!
While both fighters carry legitimate knockout power, both fighters have outstanding chins. Golvkin does hold an advantage in power, while Canelo has advantages in speed and endurance. Golovkin may be vulnerable if he looks for an early knockout. That could be Golovkin’s game plan, since he’s only gone the 12-round distance once in his career.
The ultimate question is, will Canelo’s unique combination of youth AND experience be enough to take down the older, undefeated Golovkin??
Prediction:
Canelo wins a Split Decision.
A Split Decision means the fight can go either way. No, I’m not hedging my bet, I just know how closely contested this fight is going to be. Sit back, or sit on the edge of your seat, and enjoy!!
Who do you think will win?? And how?? Post your prediction in the comment section below.
You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page.
Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!
USA!! USA!! USA!! This will echo throughout the country today. The U.S. Men’s Soccer Team did something they hadn’t done in 4 years. They won the Gold Cup!! Yes, you heard that right. The U.S. actually won something that has to do with soccer. The Gold Cup is a North American tournament held every 2 years. A tournament usually dominated by Mexico or the United States, saw Mexico fall one match short of the finals. They were upset by Jamaica in the semi-finals after a stunning 1-0 defeat.
The last time a team not named USA or Mexico won the Gold Cup was back in 2000, when Canada won.
The U.S. took on Jamaica in the Finals Wednesday night in a thrilling match. The drama revved up in the 23rd minute, when Jamaican goalkeeper, Andre Blake, suffered a gruesome finger injury and was forced to leave the match. No update has been given on the status of his finger. Backup goalkeeper, Dwayne Miller, played the rest of the match in place of Blake. Despite losing, Miller played pretty well.
The United States would strike first, as U.S. forward, Jozy Altidore, drove home a wonderful free kick just prior to halftime (in the 45th minute). I like Altidore man. This guy is big, strong, and he always erupts with raw emotion after a goal. He is a very solid, physical player, and I believe he is an x-factor for this U.S. team. It is also nice to see him bounce back after multiple injuries over the past few years. Right after halftime, Jamaica UNFORTUNATELY evened the score, when Je-Vaughn Watson drove home a beautiful one-timer off a corner kick in the 50th minute. The U.S., however, showed their true colors.
We fast forward to the 88th minute. This was the moment the U.S. team would seal their fate. U.S. forward, Jordan Morris, was standing at the right place at the right time. He put a right-footed shot past Miller from just inside the box. And let the celebration begin!!
This is the U.S.’s 6th Gold Cup Championship. Under coach, Bruce Arena, they are playing very well. Hopefully they can carry this momentum all the way through the World Cup. The World Cup is coming our way in less than a year. It will be hosted by Russia (yes that Russia), and it commences on June 14th, 2018. Oh the world — will be watching.
For now, we get to call the U.S. Champions!!
I know you don’t care about soccer, but tell me if you watched this match in the comment section below….
You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page.
Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!
STUPID PEOPLE
Yesterday, Thursday, July 20th, was a really STUPID DAY!! I’m mad at myself for mentioning this story, but it infuriates me that it dominated SPORTS headlines ALL day (and this morning too). A criminal, who did heinous things, was approved for parole. And because this criminal happened to be a famous athlete 45 years ago, ESPN decided it would be appropriate to air their parole hearing. And then, they thought it would be a good idea to talk about this, and only this, for the next 18 hours and counting….
Talk about a pathetic money grab!!
And the part that pisses me off the most is Sports Talk Radio Hosts continue to pronounce that “WE were ALL watching. WE are ALL contributing to the relevancy of this story.” SPEAK FOR YOURSELF!! I did not and will not watch a single second of this garbage. I won’t lend a hand in allowing this criminal to prosper financially. Upon release, this individual will most likely sign a book deal or star in a reality TV show. And the IDIOTS in this world, who are sporting an IQ of 84, will tune in and be glued to the TV screen like hamsters on a freakin’ wheel. NOT ME!! NOT NOW!! NOT EVER!!
I’D RATHER BE GOLFING
The 1st round of the Open Championship was really fun to watch. Following Thursday’s action, the top of the leaderboard was being shared by 3 men, Jordan Spieth (my pick to win), Brooks Koepka, and Matt Kuchar. Kuchar is currently playing his 2nd round, and is even on the day thru 13 holes. Spieth will tee-off at 9:48 a.m., and Koepka will tee-off at 10:10 a.m. The rest of this tournament could get VERY interesting, because the forecast is calling for heavy rain and strong wind for Friday – Sunday. Having played an entire round of golf, in Scotland, through torrential downpour and 30 mph winds, it is challenging to say the least.
Now that, is good TV….
MEXICANS IN RUSSIA??
Mexicans must have so many questions for Russia. I know I do. That must be why they are playing so well in this year’s Gold Cup. See, the winner of the Gold Cup, along with the 2nd and 3rd place finishers, automatically qualify to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Mexico beat Honduras 1-0 in the Gold Cup Quarterfinal on Thursday in convincing fashion. Yes, a convincing 1-0 win. Mexico’s Rodolfo Pizarro scored in the 4th minute, and then Mexico coasted to victory. As for the United States, they will be in action this Saturday @ 10:00 p.m. against Costa Rica.
This is usually the part where the United States screws something up….
IT’S ABOUT TIME!!
The New York Jets’ 1st round pick, Jamal Adams, finally signed his rookie contract. Thursday night, the former LSU safety put pen to paper, reportedly signing a 4-year, $22.2 million contract (fully guaranteed). Adams will report to training camp on July 28th and will look to become the leader of a young, rebuilding franchise. As bad as the Jets are going to be this year, I’m really excited to watch Adams play. Everything about him screams NFL stud. As long as he can avoid the circus that is the Jets, and keep his mind focused on football, he should be a staple in the Jets’ secondary for the next decade.
Man..I’m excited for football!!
What were you watching on Thursday?? Tell me all about it in the comment section below.
You can now find me on the Radio too. Download the TuneIn Radio App and search OWWR. I’ll be on live every Wednesday from 6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M EST. I also broadcast every show on Facebook Live via my DaveTalksSports.com Facebook Page.
Since you enjoy my writing, follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like my page on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. You can also Subscribe to my YouTube Channel called DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading!! Now go tell all your friends!!
When it’s 95 degrees outside, you can either go to the beach or do what I did. Yup. I sat in an air conditioned living room and watched sports all weekend. As my Boston people would say, “That was wicked smart.” It was a good weekend to reacquaint yourself with the special a** groove in your couch, because the sports world was busy. Let’s start with the most important (but probably least watched) sporting event of the weekend:
STANLEY CUP FINALS
Following a bad loss in Game 5, the Nashville Predators were happy to head home. Prior to Game 6, the Predators stood an impressive 9-1 in their home arena in the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Predators, the Pittsburgh Penguins handed them their 2nd home loss. The Penguins broke a scoreless tie 58 minutes and 35 seconds into the game, scoring what would be the game winning goal. They would add an empty-net goal 1 minute and 21 seconds later, securing a 2-0 victory. And just like that, the Pittsburgh Penguins became the first team in 20 years to win back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships. Sidney Crosby (duh) won the Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP of the Playoffs) for the 2nd straight year. I don’t normally talk about shoulda, woulda, couldas..but ah..what the hell. The Predators actually scored in this game. Just 1 minute and 7 seconds into the 2nd period, Colton Sissons had a goal erased by a quick whistle. The goal shoulda counted, but we can’t go back in time. Also, Sissons and fellow Predator, Filip Forsberg, both hit the post in the 3rd period. That sucks! I feel for the Predators, as their run through the playoffs was fun to watch. Better luck next year!
NBA FINALS
No sweep. No history. Well, history was still made, just not by the Golden State Warriors. The Cleveland Cavaliers finally won a game (137-116), and they did it in historic fashion. When so many changes are made to the record books, a list is necessary:
Heading into Game 4, the Golden State Warriors were looking to become the 1st team in NBA history to sweep through the playoffs at 16-0. If they win Game 5 they will still be in rarified air. They will join the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers and the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers as the only 1-loss teams to win a championship.
All you Lebron fanatics can pump the brakes. Don’t expect the Cavaliers to hit 24 3-pointers and score 137 points again. You can also expect Lebron, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love not to combine for 94 points again. The Cavaliers are David Wells. They are capable of throwing a Perfect Game, but they aren’t bringing home a Cy Young Award anytime soon. Expect the Warriors to roll in Game 5. 124-111. Warriors win another title. Book it.
U.S.A. VS. MEXICO
Soccer?! Yes. We are going to talk about soccer. Have you ever seen anyone happier to end in a draw before?? That is the question to ask following a draw between U.S.A. and Mexico on Sunday night. You’d think U.S.A. had just won the World Cup. The two nations squared off in a CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match. The match was played in front of 87,000 screaming fans in Estadio Azteca, the famed stadium in the heart of Mexico City. Michael Bradley of U.S.A. scored a shocking goal (from about 40 yards out) just 6 minutes into the match. But, thanks to incredibly poor defense by U.S.A, Mexico tied the match in the 23rd minute when Carlos Vela ran untouched for what seemed like 8 miles before putting home a left-footed strike from just outside the box. The match would end in a 1-1 draw. Maybe there is reason to celebrate, as the U.S.A earned just their 3rd win or draw in 22 tries playing in Mexico City. Pop the champagne……?
AARON JUDGE FOR MVP
Before you laugh, check out the numbers. If the MLB season ended today, Aaron Judge would be the Rookie of the Year and MVP. That hasn’t been done since Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. Aaron Judge is hitting .344 with 21 home runs and 47 r.bi.’s. Yup, that would give Judge the lead in the Triple Crown. Plus, Judge’s Yankees are in 1st place in the American League East with a record of 37-23. PLUS, Aaron Judge hits baseballs really, really FAR. Yes, that baseball really travelled 496 feet. That would be the longest home run since ESPN began tracking distance in 2009. The Yankees are now riding a 5-game winning streak. In their last 5 games, the Yankees have scored a total of 57 runs. That is insane!! This offensive outburst is still being done without future 1st baseman Greg Bird. As good as the offense has been, it is the pitching that has the Yankees in 1st place on June 12th. C.C. Sabathia’s resurgence has been the untold storyline of the Yankees’ season. Let’s hope it continues.
RAFAEL NADAL
And last but not least….words you’ve heard many times before. 10 times now to be exact. Yes. Rafael Nadal won his 10th French Open title. What words could I possibly find to explain the greatness that is Rafael Nadal?? I don’t know, but I’ll try. He is the best clay-court tennis player ever. We have never seen a player this dominant at anything..ever. Not Wayne Gretzky on ice. Not Bill Russell on the hardwood. And no, not Tom Brady on the gridiron. Rafael Nadal dominates clay like nothing we’ve ever seen. Think about this. Nadal just won the French Open without dropping a set in the ENTIRE TOURNAMENT!! The finals was about as anti-climatic as they come. He defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1. At age 31, Nadal is finally healthy again, and that means only one thing..the sky is the limit.
With all these fantastic sporting events on TV this weekend, what did you watch?? Tell me what was on your TV in the comment section below.
Since you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. You can also follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!
Tuesday night’s soccer match of the United States vs. Mexico was a harsh reminder as to why I don’t watch soccer. Even avid soccer fans can’t honestly tell me they enjoyed watching that match. For those of you who missed it, the United States and Mexico played to a 0-0 tie last night. No that’s not a typo, this game showcased 0 goals. This match was the third of 10 total World Cup qualifying matches these teams will play. With the tie, The United States fell to 3rd in the CONCACAF standings (1-1-1), while Mexico remains in 5th in the same standings (0-0-3). The top 3 teams will qualify for the World Cup. Mexico is highly regarded as the best team in this group, and barring a major injury or meltdown they will represent their country in the 2014 World Cup. The United States will most likely find themselves in the 2014 World Cup as well, but it won’t be because they break any goal scoring records. And that brings me to my thoughts on last nights game.
I continue to hear all the commentators say, well this was a solid performance by the United States, and their fans should feel great about what transpired on Tuesday night. To that I say, are you kidding me? Mexico dominated every aspect of this soccer match except for the final score. Yes, it is a fact that Mexico did not score a goal in this match. However, that doesn’t mean that United States played really well. Their defense was very good, but it was not without some luck and some questionable non-calls. Let me throw out some statistics to support my position before I continue on my rant. Mexico outshot the United States 19 to 1. 1?!?!?! 1 stinking shot is all you could muster up in a 90 minute match? If you didn’t watch this match, let me be the first to tell you that that shot wasn’t even a real shot. It was from about 8 miles away from the goal, and it didn’t even end up on net! Mexico literally could have played without a goalie and this match would have ended with the same final score. Mexico possessed the ball for 58% of the match, and found themselves with a clear advantage in corner kicks as well (15-2). Now, everyone can keep telling me that the U.S.’s defense was spectacular, and that’s all well and good, but that style of play is not going to cut it against good teams. You are also not going to allow 19 shots and 15 corners and expect to come away with a shutout on a consistent basis. Now, I must give The United States credit for the final result of last nights match. Azteca is one of the most difficult venues to play in, but the U.S. hung tough. Regardless of what it looked like they still came away with a point IN Mexico. That is a rare feat, as it is only the 2nd time in the history of World Cup qualifiers that they didn’t leave Mexico empty handed. Now just like any close match, it wasn’t free of controversy. Mexico’s players did their fair share of complaining during and after the match. Early on in the game, “Chicharito” was positioning himself inside the box to await a pass. As he entered the box he flew forward away from a U.S. defender (Michael Bradley) as if he were shot out of a canon. There was no whistle blown, no penalty shot awarded, and to that I applaud the referee. In a sport filled with “talented” flop artists it is difficult to differentiate a penalty from an acting job. It is the hardest sport to officiate, and the referee got that call right. Now, a play that was far more controversial came in the 76th minute. Javier Aquino of Mexico was feet away from the goal and was gearing up for a shot on net. Freddy Edu of the U.S. snuck up behind Aquino and disrupted the shot attempt. It appeared that Edu caught Aquino’s foot and that he tripped him up. Play continued without a call and the United States pulled out their violins to give the Mexican squad some background music for their crying and complaining. In sports there are missed calls everyday. Unfortunately it is part of the game. Personally I thought it was a penalty, and Mexico should have been awarded a penalty shot. Fortunately for the United States the referee was checking out a cute girl in the stands instead of doing his job, and the call was blown.
All in all the end result of the match was great for the United States, but my standards it was pretty ugly. Next time, I think I’ll go to sleep at 10 instead of 1230 in the morning. At least I know I won’t miss anything important.
If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!
Dave Talks Sports 