Every-Thing Sports
Jermaine Every: Summer sporting events to hold you over
Jun 5, 2018, 5:52 am
The World Cup should give you a sports diversion. @FIFAWorldCup verified Twitter account
Summer is here. The heat has ratcheted up a notch or 12. I took the wife on a lunch date Sunday afternoon and we did some shopping. Our leftovers were still hot when we got home. School is out, so the inevitable conundrum of what to do with your kids for the summer is something parents wrestle with every year. But hey, at least the traffic will be light. Community pools are open to help cool you off, and keep the kids busy. Beware of the urine dye indicator and floating turds. It’s also vacation time. A lot of you will be going on vacation and taking trips. Thanks to the guys at ESPN 97.5 and SB Nation who are taking time off and giving my podcast partner Craig Koskin and I an opportunity to fill in.
Summer descending upon us also means the sports landscape will amount to a barren waste land according to most. Baseball is the only of the major sports that is still in-season. Some of you feel as if baseball is secondary. I know lots of people who don’t like it. But the Astros are poised for another World Series run so we should be along for the ride. Sure the bullpen sucks, and the bats have narcolepsy, but this team will make the playoffs. They also have the best pitching staff in MLB and that is all you need to have a shot. The true titans are the NBA, and reiging sports king of the hill the NFL. The NBA Finals are soon to be over. Emphasis on soon if the Cavs can’t pull it together fight back. We’re still 59 days away from the first NFL preseason Hall of Fame Game and 94 days away from the Eagles/Falcons Kickoff Game for the regular season. This could be a long couple months for some…unless you open your mind to some alternatives.
When I say “alternatives” I’m talking strictly sports. I mean, sure you could pick up a hobby, or get some much needed rest. However, as sports fans, we aren’t wired like that. We love the competition and drama that comes along with it. If your sports appetite can’t wait a couple months, here are several alternatives:
The World Cup (June 14-July 15)
This is the premiere sporting event of the summer. The world will be watching. I know people who root for certain countries to win because their favorite player/s play/s for said country. Soccer is such a global game because all you need is a ball and two makeshift goals. The World Cup only comes around every four years. After the corruption scandal erupted a few years ago, FIFA has seemingly recovered and they’re looking forward to what is looking to be a great Cup. Jerry Bo wrote a great article for anyone needing a beginner’s guide to the Cup.
Men’s College World Series (June 16-26)
The Men’s College World Series produces some of the most exciting moments in sports every year. LSU’s Warren Morris won an ESPY with his walk-off homerun to win the 1996 title. Since 1950, it’s been held in Omaha, Nebraska. From 1950-2010, it was played in Rosenblatt Stadium. From 2011 on, it’s been played at the TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. That’s the history and tradition sports fans love.
PGA US Open (June 11-17)
I know. I know. “Golf is boring!” “I use golf to take naps on the weekends.” “If Tiger’s not in contention, I’m not watching.” I’ve heard it all before. Heck, I’ve even said some myself. But this major is different because it’s the longest, and sometimes most difficult, course of the year. Watching the top pro golfers in the world struggle is a good reminder that nobody owns this game. Winners are often times barely under par. It’s going to be held at Shinnecock Hills in New York. The last three winners were at -4, E, and -1.
Wimbledon (July 2-15)
If you think golf is boring, chances are you feel the same way about tennis. This major has all the pomp and circumstance expected of an event held in England and attended by members of the royal family. Players are held to a very strict all white dress code. Men are to bow and women are to curtsy. Did I mention it’s played on grass? The ball doesn’t spin or bounce the same so players with power aren’t always at an advantage. Centre Court on a Saturday or Sunday for the finals is a sight to see.
These are just four big sporting events I’ve listed for you to watch. There are at least three to four more that are worth your attention. Personally, I’ll be glued to each one of these I’ve listed, especially The World Cup. I’ve become a fan of soccer since I moved to Texas in 2000. If there are any more you’d suggest, or you want to interact with me about the subject matter, give me a follow on Twitter so we can discuss. I hope to hear from you guys because I’d love to get your feedback!
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Houston spent time this week practicing an inbound play that coach Kelvin Sampson thought his team might need against Purdue.
Milos Uzan, the third option, ran it to perfection.
He tossed the ball to Joseph Tugler, who threw a bounce pass right back to Uzan, and the 6-foot-4 guard soared to the rim for an uncontested layup with 0.9 seconds left, giving the top-seeded Cougars a 62-60 victory — and a matchup with second-seeded Tennessee in Sunday's Elite Eight.
“Great execution at a time we needed that,” said Sampson, who is a win away from making his third Final Four and his second with Houston in five years. “You never know when you’re going to need it.”
The Cougars (33-4) made only one other basket over the final eight minutes, wasted a 10-point lead and then missed two more shots in the final 5 seconds. A replay review with 2.2 seconds left confirmed Houston would keep the ball when it rolled out of bounds after the second miss.
Uzan took over from there.
“I was trying to hit (L.J. Cryer) and then JoJo just made a great read,” Uzan said. “He was able to draw two (defenders) and he just made a great play to hit me back.”
Houston advanced to the Elite Eight for the third time in five years after falling in the Sweet 16 as a top seed in the previous two editions of March Madness. It will take the nation's longest winning streak, 16 games, into Sunday’s Midwest Region final.
The Cougars joined the other three No. 1 seeds in this year's Elite Eight and did it at Lucas Oil Stadium, where their 2021 tourney run ended with a loss in the Final Four to eventual national champion Baylor.
They haven't lost since Feb. 1.
Uzan scored 22 points and Emanuel Sharp had 17 as Houston survived an off night from leading scorer Cryer, who finished with five points on 2-of-13 shooting.
Houston still had to sweat out a half-court heave at the buzzer, but Braden Smith's shot was well off the mark.
Fletcher Loyer scored 16 points, Trey Kaufman-Renn had 14 and Smith, the Big Ten player of the year, added seven points and 15 assists for fourth-seeded Purdue (24-12). Smith assisted on all 11 second-half baskets for last year’s national runner-up, which played in front of a friendly crowd about an hour’s drive from its campus in West Lafayette.
“I thought we fought really hard and we dug down defensively to get those stops to come back,” Smith said. “We did everything we could and we just had a little miscommunication at the end and they converted. Props to them.”
Houston appeared on the verge of disaster when Kaufman-Renn scored on a dunk and then blocked Cryer’s shot with 1:17 to go, leading to Camden Heide’s 3 that tied the score at 60 with 35 seconds left.
Sampson called timeout to set up the final play, but Uzan missed a turnaround jumper and Tugler’s tip-in rolled off the rim and out of bounds. The Cougars got one more chance after the replay review.
Sharp's scoring flurry early in the second half finally gave Houston some separation after a back-and-forth first half. His 3-pointer at the 16:14 mark made it 40-32. After Purdue trimmed the deficit to four, Uzan made two 3s to give Houston a 10-point lead in a tough, physical game that set up a rare dramatic finish in this year's tourney.
“Smith was guarding the inbounder, so he had to take JoJo,” Sampson said. “That means there was no one there to take Milos. That's why you work on that stuff day after day.”
Takeaways
Purdue: Coach Matt Painter's Boilermakers stumbled into March Madness with six losses in their final nine games but proved themselves a worthy competitor by fighting their way into the Sweet 16 and nearly taking down a No. 1 seed.
Houston: The Cougars lead the nation in 3-point percentage and scoring defense, an enviable combination.
Scary fall
Houston guard Mylik Wilson gave the Cougars a brief scare with 13:23 left in the game. He leapt high into the air to grab a rebound and drew a foul on Kaufman-Renn.
As the play continued, Wilson was undercut and his body twisted around before he landed on his head. Wilson stayed down momentarily, rubbing his head, but eventually got up and remained in the game.