morning win – Page 23 – Syndication Server

The rules that led to Novak Djokovic U.S. Open default completely justify his disqualification

It more than makes sense.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Charles Curtis is filling in for Andy Nesbitt.

I would hope there aren’t too many arguments being made regarding whether what Novak Djokovic did on Sunday at the 2020 U.S. Open should have resulted in him being disqualified.

But if there are, let’s put them all to rest and examine the rulebook.

The No. 1 seeded Djokovic was frustrated in the first set of his match against Pablo Carreño Busta, hitting a ball off the wall that then struck a line judge in the neck. Djokovic apologized on Instagram and said that his actions were unintentional.

The ITF rulebook spells out what led to his disqualification: under the “physical abuse” section, players are penalized if the violation happens during a match.

“In circumstances that are flagrant and particularly injurious to
the success of a tournament, or are singularly egregious,” it reads, “a single violation of this Section shall also constitute the Major Offence of ‘Aggravated Behaviour’ and shall be subject to the additional penalties hereinafter set forth.”

A default can be for a “single violation.”

It’s pretty clear-cut. Even if Djokovic didn’t intend to hit the line judge, his behavior was egregious and dangerous, and did end up with someone getting injured. On a court filled with officials and others, you can’t start smacking around tennis balls out of anger, and when it ends up with someone getting injured, the punishment is absolutely justified.

The weekend’s biggest winner: Jadeveon Clowney

The defensive end signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans and could earn a big contract after this season. Reportedly, the NFL shut down a wild sign-and-trade move with the Saints that would have melted Twitter if it had happened.

Quick hits: Some potential Steelers drama involving a “Bachelor” contestant… A pitch nearly hit a butterfly… Jimmie Johnson dressed like Dale Earnhardt… And more!

– The Steelers signed QB Josh Dobbs, who was dating Bachelor finalist Hannah Ann Sluss … who is now dating Steelers QB Mason Rudolph.

– Cameras captured Patrick Corbin coming thisclose to nailing a butterfly with a pitch.

– Jimmie Johnson honored Dale Earnhardt before the Southern 500.

T.J. Warren, the Spurs and 5 other huge surprises from the NBA bubble

Warren for bubble MVP!

What the heck has gotten into T.J. Warren?

I’m really asking! I have no idea.

The Indiana Pacers forward has been a good scorer in the past few years, including in 2019-20. But ever since NBA action has kicked off in the bubble, he’s EXPLODED. He’s averaging 39.7 ppg in the Pacers’ three wins (that includes 53 against the Sixers), and that’s with Victor Oladipo playing too. Whatever it is, Indy is going to keep feeding him until he slows down, and it’s made the Pacers a suddenly-intriguing squad in the East.

He’s not the only surprise from Disney World. Let’s review some others:

1. The Spurs’ four-guard lineup: I just declared San Antonio was suddenly the team who could grab the No. 8 seed in the West, and our Mike Sykes put them at the top of his power rankings of the teams vying for the last Western spot in the postseason. Coach Pop has once again figured out how to adjust with what he’s got. With no LaMarcus Aldridge, he’s gone with a small lineup surrounding shot-blocker Jakob Poeltl, while upping the pace too. It’s working!

2. The Grizzlies’ struggles: Maybe this isn’t a huge surprise to everyone given their inexperience and the fact that the bubble is like a playoff scenario. But they’re 0-3 and just lost Jaren Jackson Jr. for the season.

3. The Nets’ win over the Bucks: Let’s not read too much into Milwaukee’s play against an extremely decimated Brooklyn squad. But the Nets pulled off the biggest upset from a betting perspective on Tuesday. You can’t get more surprising than that.

4. The Rockets’ small ball experiment is mostly working: I had my doubts, but as long as James Harden and Russell Westbrook don’t have bad games like they did in the loss to the Blazers on Tuesday, they’ve got a shot in the West. The only problem, as we keep seeing in the bubble, is they keep getting outrebounded BADLY (on Tuesday, they grabbed 39 boards to the Blazers’ 64). Something to watch going forward.

5. The robot sideline cam is awesome: Who knew we needed a camera angle on the floor of an NBA game that isn’t under the basket?

Tuesday’s biggest winner: J. Cole.

The rapper might be training in an attempt to make it to the NBA, and the Pistons said on Twitter they’d give him a tryout.

Quick hits: Kelly Stafford, Indy 500, Chicago Sky

– Kelly Stafford called out the NFL about its COVID-19 testing system after Matthew Stafford had a false-positive.

– As our Michelle Martinelli wrote, the Indy 500 made the right call to exclude fans.

– Chicago Sky players wore shirts that took a shot at Atlanta Dream owner Kelly Loeffler, calling for people to vote for her opponent in a U.S. Senate race.

With Anthony Davis playing like this, the Lakers are unbeatable

Look out, NBA.

I will be the first to admit it: I had my doubts about the Los Angeles Lakers heading into the restart.

I figured the Clippers had better depth and defensive stars. I thought the Bucks would steamroll through the East with the Greek Freak taking a big step forward AFTER he won MVP last year. Heck, there was a moment there — it was Sunday, to be honest! — when I dreamed the small-ball Rockets had the chance to pull off an upset, or that the Nuggets had a chance. I told anyone who would listen they should worry about the Blazers who are now at full strength and could grab the No. 8 seed.

I worried about the Lakers’ bench with two new members — JR Smith, known for the 2018 NBA Finals Game 1 epic gaffe, and Dion Waiters — fitting in. I wondered if the time off had stopped their momentum.

Nope. I’m convinced now. And it’s because of Antonio Davis.

It’s not that we’re forgetting LeBron James here. We know what to expect from him every night — nearly triple-double numbers night to night — and as we saw in that close win over the Clips, no one is more dominant or dependable these days in the final minute.

Davis scored 34 against the Clippers and dropped 42 against the Jazz on Monday night, including a game-clinching step-back three-and-the-foul in Rudy Gobert’s face. He’s my pick for defensive player of the year because of what he does both in the paint and guarding smaller players on switches.

When’s the last time James played with a star of that caliber? It’s probably Kyrie Irving when they won as Cavs, but Davis’s defense inside and out brings an entirely different dimension that gives James a break on both ends of the floor.

The Lakers, now the No. 1 seed in the West, are no-doubt favorites. And it’s all because of The Brow.

Monday’s biggest winner: Katie Ledecky

If you haven’t watched the five-time Olympic gold medalist swim the length of a pool with a cup of chocolate milk on top of her head, you need to. She didn’t spill a drop. It’s incredible.

Quick hits: NHL players kneel, Simone Biles, Doris Burke

– Players from the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights — including Ryan Reaves, Jason Dickinson, Tyler Seguin and Robin Lehner — took a knee before their game on Monday.

– Simone Biles is now Instagram official with Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens.

– Doris Burke roasted her ex-husband during Monday’s Pelicans-Grizzlies game.

It continues to be the worst to be a Mets fan

Ugh.

The New York Mets continue to be a laughingstock, and it feels never-ending.

Which makes being a fan — full disclosure, I’ve been a die-hard since birth — the worst.

You always feel like if just this one or two or ten things turn around, maybe they’ll FINALLY get on track to a really good season. That’s the hope that keeps us all afloat.

But then it feels like luck is never on the franchise’s side, and stuff like what happened on Sunday happens.

Slugger Yoenis Cespedes — who signed a huge deal with the franchise in 2017 and then battled injuries until he returned as a DH in 2020 — opted out of the season, which of course is his right and understandable. But it was the way in which it all went down that was just so Mets: he was reportedly nowhere to be found, didn’t report to the ballpark and apparently left without telling anyone he was done.

And if, as reports say, that his frustration could be contract-related? In the first time he’s been healthy in years (even though he was off to a somewhat slow start)? It’s another situation that could have everyone else laughing once again at the Mets.

On top of that, a team with some potential is once again in the basement of the NL East standings. Behind a two-time Cy Young-winner Jacob deGrom (who, as Mets fans always note, seems like never gets run support in his dazzling starts), the pitching depth isn’t great, especially with Noah Syndergaard out for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. A lineup that actually looked really solid is mostly off to a slow start (maybe they’ll get that Tim Tebow guy in at DH?)

And, on top of that, there’s that team across town. The Yankees have lost just one game in this season, have Aaron Judge hitting practically everything he sees over the wall and have free-agent signing Gerrit Cole pitching well as usual.

What’s going to happen with the upcoming sale? Instead of that being a bright spot for Mets fans, we’re all nervous about it being a disaster. And that’s what life is like as a die-hard for a franchise that just can’t get it right.

Sunday’s biggest winner: Everybody who thinks a tomato looks like Larry Bird.

Seriously. Someone took a photo of a tomato that looks like the Boston Celtics legend and it REALLY does. We all win. It’s amazing.

Quick hits: Trevor Lawrence, Jack Flaherty, the Raptors

– Trevor Lawrence threw his support behind Pac-12 players who are threatening to boycott the season.

– Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty turned his hotel room into a bullpen. That’s innovative!

– The Raptors keep proving they don’t need Kawhi Leonard.

The Chicago Bears were the biggest losers of Patrick Mahomes’ record-breaking deal

Monday was a rough day for Bears fans.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Patrick Mahomes became a very, very, very, very rich man on Monday when he signed a 10-year extension with the Kansas City Chiefs that could earn him $503 million bucks when all is said and done.

Yup, you read that right. He could make HALF A BILLION dollars with the Chiefs. This deal is the biggest in SPORTS history, which is just insane. But you know what? Mahomes is definitely worth all that cash.

The QB was ecstatic about the deal but there doesn’t seem to be an ounce of complacency in the QB’s body because he tweeted a great hype video on Monday in which he thanked the Chiefs fans and told them the goal now is to become a dynasty.

While all of this is great news for Chiefs fans, it was hurtful news for another big fanbase, one that had to watch their team pass up Mahomes in 2017 for a very mediocre quarterback instead.

I’m talking, of course, about the Chicago Bears.

The Bears made one of the worst moves in sports history in the 2017 NFL Draft when they traded up(!) a spot so they could take Mitch Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick. Mitch. Trubisky.

The Chiefs, as we all know, were more than happy to take Mahomes with the 10th pick of that very same draft.

Mahomes now has the biggest deal in sports history and is coming off a Super Bowl victory in which he was named the MVP.

Trubisky, meanwhile, didn’t have the fifth year option of his rookie contract picked up by the Bears this offseason and will now have to compete with Nick Foles for the starting job in Chicago.

Ouch.

Monday was another rough day for Bears fans, as this history got brought up once again on Monday, as Trubisky was trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons.

Bears fans just had to sit there and take it on Monday, knowing their team traded up for a guy who likely won’t be with the team much longer and never lived up to the hype of a No. 2 pick. I mean, trading up one spot to get Trubisky should be a fireable offense and be something that fans of football should be encouraged to laugh at for years to come.

The Chiefs, meanwhile. couldn’t be happier about how things played out in 2017. Mahomes has all the talents to be the best to ever play the game and now they have him locked in for the next 12 years. You gotta think Mahomes will be playing in many more Super Bowls during that time while the Bears will still be trying to find a QB that can just win a playoff game.

Monday was a great day for Chiefs fans.

And it was a terrible day for Bears fans.

Monday’s biggest winner: Chiefs fans!

Seriously, this video that Mahomes shared on Monday after he signed the biggest deal in sports history is probably going to be watched a billion times by Chiefs fans. Mahomes wants to build a dynasty and now he’s locked in for 12 years to do just that. I like his chances.

Quick hits: Donald Trump’s incredibly dumb and wrong tweet… Bubba Wallace’s perfect response to that incredibly dumb tweet… Name suggestions for the Cleveland Indians… And more.

– Donald Trump tweeted something dumb and wrong about Bubba Wallace.

– Bubba Wallace had a really smart and thoughtful reply to that dumb tweet by Trump.

– The Cleveland Indians need a new nickname and here are seven fan suggestions.

– My pals Chris Korman and Steven Ruiz are back with another great episode of their NFL podcast “The Counter” and this week they have a good talk about a Tom Brady story that is so Tom Brady.

MLB owners are running an old negotiating playbook, and fans shouldn’t fall for it this time

The latest ploy by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was called out as such in about three hours. The owners aren’t understanding the moment.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Major League Baseball is currently locked in an ugly battle over the delayed start of the season, with players and owners disagreeing on just about everything. Length of season, salary, safety procedures … you name it, they disagree.

I won’t go into the whole history of all this, because I’d need about 5,000 words to do so, but the main gist is: The owners want a shortened season to help cut costs, and they want to pay the players as little as possible. The players, health concerns aside, want to play, and want to get paid to do so.

Anyway, it looked like the two sides were headed finally toward an agreement this week, when on Monday MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred (who I’ll remind you works for the owners) said he wasn’t sure they’d get a season in.

He said this just five days after saying he was “100 percent” certain they’d get the season in.

It was a stunning statement, one that called into question all the reporting from the last week. Maybe the two sides wouldn’t get a deal done. Maybe they weren’t that close.

Though, just as quickly as Manfred said what he did, players (including Trevor Bauer, notably) took to social media and explained pretty bluntly what was going on here — The owners were trying to run the clock.

See: The owners want to play as few games as possible to fulfill TV contracts and season obligations before getting to the money-making playoffs. But with the two sides closing in on a deal too early, Bauer explained, Manfred needed to buy time. So Manfred gave an ominous interview implying the sides were far apart.

Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

It took a couple hours, but anyone closely following the negotiations saw Manfred’s statement in a new light. Twenty years ago, this doesn’t happen, but right now? Of course it does.

If a factor in these negotiations is trying to win over the public, MLB team owners are running an outdated playbook, and they’re getting worked right now.

Owners can’t just use cheap negotiating tactics, then leak stuff to reporters and get their story out there. Well, they can, but now players have a direct line to the fans in a way they never did before.

Years ago, Manfred would say the season was at risk of being called off. The newspapers would run the story the next day. A day later, an agent would leak it to a reporter that Manfred was using this as a negotiating tactic. Maybe the paper would run it in a column, and a day later some other reporters follow up. Manfred then had to be given the chance to respond.

Now it would have been a full week, and the public would be either uninformed of the entire thing or confused, and the owners had successfully run a week off negotiating time.

Now? It doesn’t work like that. Manfred says what he says. Two hours later players are on social media spreading a new narrative. It’s aggregated and parsed. By the time people are in bed, the story is shifted and they’re right back to where they were. No time bought at all, or at most, a few hours.

MLB owners have the money, so they have the power. Always. But young MLB players have a deeper understanding of this moment, and they’re using it to their advantage in these negotiations. They might not win, but they’re dominating in public opinion.

Tuesday’s Big Winners: Oklahoma State football players

Hours after a photo of head coach Mike Gundy appeared showing him wearing an OAN t-shirt — a far-right “news” website favored by the president — OSU players threatened a mass boycott, speaking up quickly and forcefully against the coach. It might spell the end of his tenure there, and shows that players, when binding together, can enact real change.

Quick hits: Ezekiel Elliott, Vanessa Bryant, Star Wars

– Ezekiel Elliott reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. He floated out a one-word tweet that’s VERY interesting, and our own Hemal Jhaveri explained why it’s a harbinger of things to come.

– Vanessa Bryant had to block Kobe Bryant fan accounts and the reasoning is extremely sad.

– There’s a new Star War. It has some cameos of some kind.

MLB owners are showing everyone just how disgusting they are

MLB owners aren’t afraid to use sketchy tactics, it seems.

In case you haven’t noticed, Major League Baseball, which is run by the worst commissioner in sports (which is saying a lot because Roger Goodell is a thing, though he might actually be getting a little better), is a total mess right now as the struggles to get a plan in place for a season in 2020 continue to be an absolute embarrassment.

Well, things took another ugly turn on Monday and one thing has become quite clear – the owners are quite fine with deploying sketchy tactics to try to make it look like the players are the bad guys in this whole thing, which they aren’t.

The billionaire owners are the bad guys and none of us should lose sight of that. Ever.

On Monday a story was leaked to ESPN’s Karl Ravech who tweeted out the details: “MLB has made proposal to Players. 75 percent Prorated salary. 76 game season. Playoff pool money. No draft pick compensation for signing player. Season finishes September 27th. Post season ends at end of October. Significant move towards players demands and effort to play more.”

That all looks pretty great, right? Well that’s because it was designed to look pretty great with that specific language. It was also designed to make the players look greedy and dumb if they even thought of saying no to that deal.

Because here’s the thing – that 75 percent prorated salary isn’t for their entire yearly salary but rather for their prorated salary for an 82-game season.

This is something Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer laid out on Twitter shortly after that story came out: “It’s actually 75% of prorated amount, which works out to be about 35% of our full salary to play for 47% of the games.”

And yeah, that’s not so cool, is it?

I get that players make millions of millions of dollars to play a game and there are lots of people out there who think because of that they should just agree to whatever the owners pitch and do it for the good of America.

But here’s something else I get: these billionaire owners are pieces of you know what for trying to make their players look bad. Pieces. Of. You. Know. What.

Players shouldn’t have to give up that much of their salaries in the prime of their careers so some old billionaire can try to cut some of the losses from their pile of money that is virtually endless.

Players shouldn’t have to be painted in a bad light by a bunch of greedy owners who continue to show their behinds to the world with these terrible offers.

There’s a good chance baseball doesn’t happen this year and if that’s the case don’t blame the players. They want to play. But they want to be treated better than these offensive offers from their bosses and they deserve that.

If baseball doesn’t happen, which maybe some of these owners want because they’re afraid of losing more money from games played without fans, this will hurt the game for years to come and will hit those endless piles of money even more than it would if the owners threw out a little more cash this year.

If baseball doesn’t happen it’s because of the greedy, no good owners who should be bending over backward to give the men who make their money the money they deserve.

This ain’t on the players. At all.

Quick hits: Kingsbury will support anthem protests… UFC has serious issues… NHL’s relationship with law enforcement… And more.

– Kliff Kingsbury said he would support Cardinals players if they protested during the anthem.

– Dana White and the UFC have some serious issues thanks to some big-name fighters.

– The NHL says it will continue its relationships with law enforcement “artfully and carefully.”

– NASCAR star Brad Keselowski says he doesn’t respect the confederate flag but won’t tell fans “to get rid of it.”

– Lane Kiffin delivered a strong message at a unity rally at Ole Miss.

Joe Buck says Fox will pipe in crowd noise for empty NFL games, which is a bad idea

This would be weird, right?

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

The NFL is moving along as if the 2020 schedule will go on as planned, which I hope happens because we all need sports in our lives and hopefully by next fall there is more normality in our lives.

But here’s where things might not be normal at all when and if the NFL returns – chances are there will be no fans allowed at the games as we continue to social distance and fight off the coronavirus.

Empty stadiums are going to be weird, as the crowd adds so much to the game for both the teams on the field and the fans watching at home.

Well, it appears Fox Sports and other networks have a plan to deal with that – piped in crowd noise and virtual fans in the stands.

For real.

Joe Buck, who I think is the GOAT, told Andy Cohen of E! and SiriusXM Radio on Wednesday that piping in crowd noise is a “done deal” if stadiums are empty:

“In fact I know they will do it,” Buck said of the fake crowd noise. “It’s pretty much a done deal. I think whoever is gonna be at that control of that will have to be really good at their job and be realistic with how the crowd would react depending on what just happened on the field so it’s really important.”

There are no easy answers for anything going on in the world today but I gotta think it’s gonna be really awkward and awful to hear fake crowd noise at big moments of a football game. In this day and age anything fake is easy to spot and takes away from enjoyment of the event – do you remember how Martin Scorsese tried to make Robert De Niro and Al Pacino look young in “The Irishman”? It was rough as a viewer.

I gotta think football fans are not going to like hearing fake cheers at big moments, too. If you’ve ever heard a laugh track in a sitcom then you know how much fake enthusiasm stinks – a few minutes of “The Big Bang Theory” is enough to destroy any good feelings in your soul.

I also know the idea of empty football stadiums with no atmospheres is really rough, too. So it’s a tough spot, for sure.

The UFC has held two events since last Saturday that have been held in an empty arena in Florida and it hasn’t been too distracting, though focusing on two fighters fighting in an Octagon is a lot easier than focusing on a football game that’s being played in a huge stadium with nobody in it. The strangest parts of the UFC events have been when Bruce Buffer is done announcing the fighter introductions – usually the arena explodes in anticipation but now it just goes right to complete silence, which has been jarring.

Buck also said networks would likely put in virtual fans in the stands so when they do a wide shot of the stadium it will look like there are people there. That will make it feel like we’re watching a video game, which is becoming more popular these days but is is going to be a tough adjustment for most football fans, I think.

Listen, this is all difficult stuff to figure out and people are trying their best to bring our sports back safely, while also making sure we’re entertained the way we’re used to by watching sports, which is great.

But we may have to get used to our sports looking and sounding a lot different. Which stinks.

Wednesday’s biggest winner: NFL fans who roasted the Rams.

The Rams have had a tough offseason as their new logo has been getting roasted ever since it leaked on the internet back in March. On Wednesday they revealed their new uniforms and a lot of NFL fans made jokes about the Rams looking like the now work at Best Buy. Now that is pretty funny.

Quick hits: McGregor’s classy gesture… LeSean McCoy’s biggest mistake… Cuban thinks Shaq is wrong… And more!

– Conor McGregor shared a classy message to Khabib Nurmagomedov, whose dad is reportedly in a coma.

– LeSean McCoy admitted that tweeting an Avengers spoiler was “the worst decision of my life.” Don’t tweet spoilers, people.

– Mark Cuban thinks Shaquille O’Neal is wrong about scrapping the NBA season.

– Hemal Jhaveri writes on how an NHL player’s comments on Pride Tape exposed the deep-rooted problems with the sport.

– This knockout from Wednesday night’s UFC event was really sweet.

– A bettor won a cool $25K on a wild table tennis parlay.

MLB should make every season an 82-game season

This will never happen… but it should!

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

On Monday, Major League Baseball owners approved a historic plan that could have baseball coming back around the Fourth of July. This plan includes a number of different looks for the league – including 14 playoff teams, three divisions, and just an 82-game schedule.

Will this plan actually work and become a thing? It’s far too early to tell as the players’ union will have to get a look at it and see if its something they feel good about. Health and safety will top any financial concerns as the country tries to figure out the safest ways to get back to work while the coronavirus still rages on.

But yeah, that 82-game season part of the plan sounds really, really, really good to me. In fact, they should make every year an 82-game season.

I know this would never happen because cash rules everyone, but 162 games just feels like way too many games. Having just 82 games makes baseball way more exciting, with every game actually meaning something. No longer will you have throwaway games in April or May (or really in any month of the lengthy season).

With 82 games in a “regular” year in which we’re not trying to battle a global pandemic, you could eliminate interleague play, because it’s dumb anyways. Have divisional play be the majority of the focus and make it again so great when a NL team only plays an AL team in the World Series.

I know people who are in love with the record books would have a problem with all of this but let’s be honest – record books are silly and given way too much importance by people who still want this game to be like it was when they were kids during the 50s and 60s.

These days we like things quick and convenient. 162 games is not that. The season drags on, things get boring, playoff races aren’t always what we want them to be. 82 games would be like a coffee with 8 shots of espresso in it. Who wouldn’t enjoy that rush?

Baseball’s struggles to remain one of the top sports in the country have been well documented over the years.

This drastic change would help the sport.

A lot.

Monday’s biggest winner: This Jordan/LeBron mashup video.

The internet remained undefeated on Monday when somebody used the video of LeBron James talking about how his win in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals made him the greatest player of all time which was followed with the video of Michael Jordan laughing at Gary Payton in “The Last Dance.” This video is so perfect.

Quick hits: SVP’s awesome ‘Bad Beats’ with Jordan’s Bulls… WWE star Becky Lynch is pregnant… 7 possible MNF replacements… And more!

– Scott Van Pelt did a “Bad Beats” segment on random Bulls games from 1995-96 and it was so well done.

– WWE star Becky Lynch announced on Raw that she’s pregnant and the WWE world was so happy for her and Seth Rollins.

– Charles Curtis ranked 7 people would should be up for the MNF gig. I personally would like to see Jay Cutler get the gig, that is he wants it.

– Mike Tyson’s latest training video shows just how scary he is at age 53.

– Dave Grohl perfectly summed up why live music is so great and why we need it so much.

– ‘Seinfeld’ fans mourned Jerry Stiller on Monday by remembering his all-time amazing sports moment on the show.

The Eagles, Bill Belichick’s dog, and Roger Goodell made Night 2 perfect

Night 2 of the NFL Draft got weird.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Friday night of the 2020 NFL Draft was, in a word, something.

It started with Bill Belichick’s awesome dog becoming the breakout star of the night.

Then it got weird when the Philadelphia Eagles drafted QB Jalen Hurts in the second round. Why was that weird. Uh, because the Eagles already have a pretty good QB named Carson Wentz. That pick sure annoyed Eagles fans.

Then it just got bizarre when Roger Goodell decided to sit in a chair and announce picks like a dad reading stories to his bored kids.

Oh, and then there was the Chicago Bears adding a 10th tight end to their roster. I mean, the more the merrier, I guess?

Our Steven Ruiz, meanwhile, was all business again Friday night grading each Day 2 pick as they happened, which you should check out right here.

This draft has been so different than any other draft because everything is being done from the homes of coaches, GMs, and the commish as we all do our best to battle the coronavirus.

And you know what? It’s been pretty fun to look into the homes of these guys, especially Kliff Kingsbury’s baller setup, Belchick’s lonely drafting station, and Jerry Jones’ fancy yacht war room.

All that’s left now are the final four rounds, which begins today at noon ET.

Then, just like that, sports are gone again for a bit. Or until the UFC tries to pull off another event in a few weeks.

These past few nights have been fun, even thought Goodell has been largely awful as the host. We’ve actually had a live sports thing to watch and tweet about and write about and text our friends about. It’s been just like the old days.

Hopefully more things can return soon, while making sure it’s the safe thing to do.

Because man, do I miss sports. Sports are good. Sports are fun. Even when Roger Goodell is sitting in a chair eating M&M’s.

Stephen A. Smith thinks Aaron Rodgers should be disgusted with the Packers’ draft.

The Packers turned a lot of heads Thursday night when they traded up to select QB Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick. Because, you know, they have Aaron Rodgers. Stephen A. Smith is not of a fan of the move and thinks Rodgers shouldn’t be either. It will be interesting to see how Rodgers responds to this pick by his team. My guess is he doesn’t like it.

Quick hits: Every Night 2 pick… Fantasy football outlooks from the draft… Tua helps Saban… And more!

– Here’s every pick from the second and third rounds of the draft.

– Charles Curtis breaks down the key players from the first round who will have big fantasy impacts this season.

– Check out our new NFL podcast “The Counter” as Steven Ruiz and Chris Korman, two really smart football guys, break down the draft.

– Tua Tagovailoa helped Nick Saban reach yet another wild NFL Draft milestone.

– New Dallas Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb and his girlfriend reacted to that viral cell phone moment from the first round.