NBA Update

I can't remember the last time that the first three games of the NBA Finals were all up for grabs with a few minutes to go.  Here is what the Series looks like after Game Three (home teams listed first):

06/03:  San Antonio 95 - 105 New York

06/05:  San Antonio 104 - 105 New York

06/08:  New York 111 - 115 San Antonio

It's the first time since 1993 that the road teams have won the first three games of the Final.  That year, the Bulls ended up beating the Suns 4-2 with a 99-98 win in Game Six.

Here are the current odds to win the NBA Title:

New York:  -184

San Antonio:  +154

So it's very much up for grabs.  Personally, I think San Antonio has gotten better in each game so far, which means that New York will be in huge trouble if the Knicks cannot win Game Four at home.  For Game Four, Vegas has made New York a 1 1/2 point favorite, and have set the over/under at 216 1/2.  Those are almost exactly the same odds as Game Three, and it would mean something like a 109-107 win for New York.  I will certainly be tuned in to see what happens.

One other point should be made here.  The analytics revolution in both baseball and basketball led to some awkward moments, as teams played in styles that felt somewhat off-putting and artificial.  All those popups and strikeouts with a runner on third.  All those missed three-pointers when there were driving lanes available.  But last year, I thought the MLB playoffs showed that the managers and the players have caught up with the analytics -- the teams took advantage of the analytic insights, but in a way that fit the logic of the game.  The result was beautiful; well-played games that had all the traditional virtues, but avoided the obvious mistakes (leaving in tired pitchers, for example) that analytics has corrected.

You can see the same thing in this series.  Yes, they shoot a lot of threes.  But those shots are not forced -- they develop from offenses that feature beautiful passing and cutting.  And the defense has been both intense and clever.  The result is a very balanced game that uses the whole floor and is really fun to watch.  I always believed in analytics, because I believe in winning.  But I'm really pleased to see that analytics doesn't interfere with the beauty and traditions of the game.

NBA Update

As Eric reminds us, tonight is Game Three of the NBA Finals.  These have been the best NBA playoffs since at least 2019, and could end up being the best since 2016.  Here's what ended up happening in the Western Conference Finals (home teams listed first):

05/18:  Oklahoma City 115 - 122 San Antonio (2 OT)

05/20:  Oklahoma City 122 - 113 San Antonio

05/22:  San Antonio 108 - 123 Oklahoma City

05/24:  San Antonio 103 - 82 Oklahoma City

05/26:  Oklahoma City 127 - 114 San Antonio

05/28:  San Antonio 118 - 91 Oklahoma City

05/30:  Oklahoma City 103 - 111 San Antonio

Games Two through Six had a somewhat stately pattern, with the team leading at halftime winning every time, and Games Four through Six each being a fairly easy blowout.  But Game Seven, like Game One, was a death struggle -- and once again, the Thunder had no answer for Victor Wembanyama.  He finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds -- and even though SGA had 35 points of his own, the San Antonio defense prevented the rest of SGA's teammates from giving him the support he needed.

And so, San Antonio beat the defending Champs on the road, and headed home to play a red-hot Knicks team in the finals.  And then this happened:

06/03:  San Antonio 95 - 105 New York

06/05:  San Antonio 104 - 105 New York

The Knicks ran their winning streak to 13 with back-to-back thrillers in San Antonio.  Game Two was certainly the best NBA game I've seen in the final since the Cavs upset Golden State in 2016.  Wemby had 29 points and 9 rebounds, and led a late charge that put San Antonio in a good position to win.  But in the last minute, he had a huge turnover, committed the foul that allowed the Knicks to take a one-point lead, and then missed the shot at the buzzer that could have won the game.

So the Knicks are coming home to an absolute madhouse with a 2-0 lead.  If New York can win tonight, they should sweep the Spurs and win their first title since 1973.  And that may happen.  But the Spurs know how to win on the road, and in the fourth quarter of Game Two they started to figure out the Knicks.  I expect a spectacular game tonight that could go either way.

Vegas has New York as a 2 1/2 point favorite with an over/under of 216.5.  That would mean a score of something like 109-107.  I don't think they'll score that many points, but I do think it will be very close.

Thirty-Two Franchises: New York Giants

Have participated in the NFL since the 1925 season.

All-Time Record:  724-663-34 (.522)

New York, Washington, Philadelphia, and Dallas have competed in the same division with each other since 1960.  New York, Washington, and Philadelphia have played each other twice a year since the 1930's.  Here's how they stand against each other in regular season play:

Dallas v. New York:  77-46-2

Dallas v. Philadelphia:  71-57-0

Dallas v. Washington:  79-47-2

New York v. Philadelphia:  87-93-2

New York v. Washington:  107-72-5

Philadelphia v. Washington:  86-89-6

Super Bowl Record:  4-1 (XXI, XXV, XLII, XLVI) (1986, 1990, 2007, 2011)

Top Passer:  Eli Manning (57,023 yds)

Top Rusher:  Tiki Barber (10,449 yds)

Top Receiver:  Amani Toomer (9,497 yds)

Top Coach:  Steve Owen (153 wins)

Top All-Time Player Based on Approximate Value:  Lawrence Taylor (AV of 192)

Taylor was an All-Pro every year from 1981 through 1986, and then was an All-Pro again in 1988 and 1989.  He had an AV of 192 in only 184 games.  To put that in perspective, Merlin Olsen had an AV of 167 in 208 games, Carl Eller had an AV of 180 in 225 games, and Ray Lewis had an AV of 224 in 228 games.  At his peak, Lawrence Taylor was almost certainly the greatest defensive player in the history of the NFL.

Thirty-Two Franchises: Buffalo Bills

Began in the AFL in 1960; joined the NFL for the 1970 Season.

All-Time Record:  486-505-8 (.490)

Super Bowl Record:  0-4

Top Passer:  Jim Kelly (35,467 yds)  (Josh Allen has thrown for 26,434 yds).

Top Rusher:  Thurman Thomas (11,938 yds)

Top Receiver:  Andre Reed (13,095 yds)

Top Coach:  Marv Levy (112 wins)

Levy's record at Buffalo was 112-70-0 in the regular season, and 11-8 in the playoffs.  He did not take the job until he was 61 years old.

Top All-Time Player Based on Approximate Value:  Bruce Smith (AV of 201).

Thirty-Two Franchises: New York Jets

Began in the AFL in 1960; joined the NFL for the 1970 season.

All-Time Record:  433-559-8 (.437)

1960-1962:  New York Titans:  19-23-0 (.452)

1963-2025:  New York Jets:  414-536-8 (.436)

Super Bowl Record:  1-0 (III) (1968)

Top Passer:  Joe Namath (27,057 yds)

Top Rusher:  Curtis Martin (10,302 yds)

Top Receiver:  Don Maynard (11,732 yds)

Top Coach:  Weeb Ewbank (71 wins)

Top All-Time Player Based on Approximate Value:  Don Maynard (AV of 132)

NBA Update

After three games, each of the Conference Finals is split two-one, but the two series are very different.

The Eastern Conference Finals are about as entertaining as the NBA can be.  Each of the three games was compelling to watch:

Game One (in NY):  Knicks lead by 14 points with 2:51 left, but the Pacers have a miracle comeback to tie the game at the buzzer.  Pacers win 138-135 in overtime.  Pacers lead 1-0.

Game Two (in NY):  Neither team leads by more than 10 points throughout the game.  Pacers hang on for a 114-109 win behind 39 points from Pascal Siakim.  Pacers lead 2-0.

Game Three (in Indy):  Pacers lead by 20 at one point, and still lead 80-70 with one quarter left.  But the Knicks outscore the Pacers 36-20 in the last quarter, and prevail 106-100 on the road.  Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points and 8 rebounds in the fourth quarter to lead the Knicks to victory.  Pacers lead 2-1.

This is a rare series where both teams are evenly matched and neither team is willing to concede a single game.  We don't get enough of those in the NBA playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference Finals have been pretty dull.  In fact, none of the games has been competitive.  Opening at home, OKC crushed Minnesota two games in a row:  114-88 and 118-103.  The Thunder then conceded Game Three in Minnesota, 143-101.  So the series is 2-1 for the Thunder, but OKC has looked much better when both teams were playing at full speed.  The most likely outcome is that OKC shows up for Game Four, wins that game, and then closes out the T-Wolves in Game Five.

XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 12)

Medals leaders:

1. United States 24 gold, 31 silver, 31 bronze (86 total)

2. China 22, 21, 16 (59)

3. Australia 14, 12, 9 (35)

4. France 13, 16, 19 (48)

5. Great Britain 12, 15, 19 (46)

6. South Korea 11, 8, 7 (26)

7. Japan 11, 6, 12 (29)

8. Italy 9, 10, 7 (26)

9. Netherlands 8, 5, 6 (19)

10. Germany 8, 5, 4 (17)

Previous reports:

-- I Olympic Summer Games, Athens 1896

-- XXX Olympic Summer Games, London 2012 

-- XXXI Olympic Summer Games, Rio 2016 

-- XXXII Olympic Summer Games, Tokyo 2020

-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day -2-Day 8)

-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 9)

-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 10)
-- XXXIII Olympic Summer Games, Paris 2024 (Day 11)

Great Music Videos: 'Alive and Kicking,' Simple Minds

Thanks, Matthew, for getting this series going. Here's the second video I thought of after reading your introductory post.

I'm pretty sure that I saw this video debut on MTV in September 1985. Remember how they used to do that? They'd announce they'd be showing a video for the first time at whatever time, and then on would come Alan, or J.J., or Nina, or Mark, or Martha, at that time to introduce the video with appropriate fanfare. I'm pretty sure the first time I saw "Alive and Kicking" was during this treatment.

I wasn't much of a Simple Minds fan before this video, and I feel confident I'd never heard this song before seeing this video. But immediately the video just totally grabbed me. I thought it was the song that I liked so much, and so I went out and bought the album at Camelot in the Kentucky Oaks Mall at some point that autumn of our senior year at Heath. I listened to the record all the way through once or twice, but I quickly got to the point where I pretty much just dropped the needle on "Alive and Kicking" and yanked it back off after that song had played.

And then it wasn't long after that before I realized it was the video I loved. I liked the song, but I loved the video. "Alive and Kicking" would fall into Matthew's Category 2, "Videos That Are Really Made to Be a Visual that Goes Along With the Music." I was a 17-year-old boy ready to get out of my parents' house on Cairo Road in Paducah, Kentucky, and here came Jim Kerr with his exotic friends inviting me with a striking Scottish travelogue into kicking, free life with all of its dramatic waterfalls, piercing sunsets and giant drums. Indeed, within a year, I was on my (self-perceived) own in college in Bowling Green, making my own discoveries, such as the rocky embankments along the Barren and Green rivers north of town.

I learned this morning from super Wikipedia that the video was actually shot "near the town of Hunter, at North–South Lake in the Catskill Mountains of New York State." Which is fine. Simple Minds was from Scotland, and the place they found to make their video looked like what I imagined Scotland to look like. But, regardless of exactly where on God's green Earth that it was shot, the "Alive and Kicking" video is no bait and switch. It's a brilliantly executed brochure for the gift of Life, More Life, wherever we have to get ourselves to receive and embrace its wild abundance.

PGA Championship: Wrap-Up

Between 2017 and 2019, Brooks Koepka won four major championships -- two U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships.  It was an amazing run.  But Jordan Spieth also had an amazing run -- two majors in 2015, and another in 2017.  He hasn't won a major since.  Rory McIlroy won one major in 2011, another in 2012, and two more in 2014.  He hasn't won a major since, either.  No one has won a fifth major since Phil Mickelson did it in 2013.  Before that, you have to go back to Tiger in 2000.

And before today, you had to wonder about Koepka.  He had three top 10 finishes in majors during 2021, but last year he was banged up -- missing cuts at the Masters and the British Open, finishing in 55th at the U.S. Open and in a tie for 55th at the PGA.  And he went through all the drama with LIV.  So you just didn't know if he would come all the way back.  He had the lead going into the final round of the Masters, and then blew up with a 75 to lose by four shots.  He didn't do that back between 2017 and 2019.  So even after he took the 54-hole lead yesterday, I had real doubts about whether he could hold up against Victor Hovland.  I knew Hovland would play well, and he did -- he shot a two-under par 68.  But Koepka shot a glorious round -- 34 out and 33 in for a three-under par 67, and the title.  So he has now surpassed Rory, and has reached a very unusual level.  Only 20 men in history have won more than four major golf titles, and six of those men finished their career before World War II.  Here are the other fourteen:

1.  J. Nicklaus:  18

2.  T. Woods:  15

T3.  B. Hogan:  9

T3.  G. Player (RSA):  9

5.  T. Watson:  8

T6.  S. Snead:  7

T6.  A. Palmer:  7

T8.  L. Trevino:  6

T8.  N. Faldo (ENG):  6

T8.  P. Mickelson:  6

T11.  B. Nelson:  5

T11.  P. Thomson (AUS):  5

T11.  S. Ballesteros:  5

T11.  B. Koepka:  5

That's it.  That's the list.  Koepka has already separated himself from the rest of his generation.  Now we see how much further he can go.

This weekend has to have been very frustrating for Scottie Scheffler, who had the lead at the halfway point and who shot a 65 on the last day -- but who blew his chance with a 73 in yesterday's rain.  Since winning the Masters last year, Scheffler has a second in the U.S. Open, a second in the FedEx Cup, and now a second at the PGA.  My guess is that he will be very competitive in the last two majors.

It was also frustrating for Rory McIlroy, who has finished in the top 10 of EIGHTEEN different major tournaments since the last time he won a major in 2014.  Last year, he finished in the top 10 of all four majors.  But he hasn't been able to break through.  The British Press will certainly notice that he now has fewer major titles than Koepka -- and that Koepka is a LIV golfer, while Rory has famously supported the PGA.  Rory is only one year older than Koepka, and I think we'll have more drama from those two over the next few years.  (We should also note that McIlroy was all class today, as he was Michael Block's playing partner, and remained cheerful and supportive throughout all that chaos.)

One other point.  We are in a significant and interesting time in golf architecture, with significant new courses being built and older courses undergoing significant renovations.  I think the work done by Andrew Green on Oak Hill represents some of the best golf architecture in modern times.  I remembered it as a typical USGA-type course, crowded with lots of trees, rough, and forgettable par fours.  It was the sort of course that turned up mediocre winners.  Green brought it back to life, gave it a personality and a flow, and built a course that clearly distinguished great players from good players.  The course was challenging despite two days of rain and not very much wind, and yet you never felt like the course had been tricked up to punish good shots.  It's just a great piece of work, and I hope Green gets a lot of credit for it.

1.  B. Koepka:  -9 (72+66+66+67=271)

T2.  S. Scheffler:  -7 (67+68+73+65=273)

T2.  V. Hovland (NOR):  -7 (68+67+70+68=273)

T4.  C. Davis (AUS):  -3 (71+70+71+65=277)

T4.  K. Kitayama:  -3 (70+71+71+65=277)

T4.  B. DeChambeau:  -3 (66+71+70+70=277)

T7.  S. Straka (AUT):  -2 (69+71+73+65=278)

T7.  R. McIlroy (NIR):  -2 (71+69+69+69=278)

T9.  C. Smith (AUS):  -1 (72+72+70+65=279)

T9.  P. Cantlay:  -1 (74+67+72+66=279)

T9.  J. Rose (ENG):  -1 (69+70+69+71=279)

Next up:  the U.S. Open goes to the Los Angeles Country Club -- a course that I have never seen.

PGA Championship, Round 4

The big story of the third round is that over the course of a long, rainy afternoon, Scottie Scheffler probably shot his way out of contention, while Brooks Koepka shot his way into it.  Here was the top 10 after the third round:

1.  B. Koepka:  -6 (72+66+66=204)

T2.  C. Conners (CAN):  -5 (67+68+70=205)

T2.  V. Hovland (NOR):  -5 (68+67+70=205)

4.  B. DeChambeau:  -3 (66+71+70=207)

T5.  J. Rose (ENG):  -2 (69+70+69=208)

T5.  S. Scheffler:  -2 (67+68+73=208)

7.  R. McIlroy (NIR):  -1 (71+69+69=209)

T8.  M. Block:  Even (70+70+70=210)

T8.  J. Suh:  Even (69+68+73=210)

T10.  E. Cole:  +1 (67+74+70=211)

T10.  T. Fleetwood (ENG):  +1 (72+71+68=211)

T10.  S. Jager (GER):  +1 (72+70+69=211)

T10.  M.W. Lee (AUS):  +1 (73+67+71=211)

T10.  S. Lowry (IRL):  +1 (73+67+71=211)

T10.  V. Perez (FRA):  +1 (70+72+69=211)

A shout-out to Michael Block, who is a 46-year-old club professional in Southern California.  I'm not sure what he has to do to qualify for the Masters, but let's hope he does it.

Also a shout-out to the fans in the Rochester area, who have brought Buffalo Bills-style rowdiness to the PGA Championship.  Lots of loud, boisterous crowds all over the course.

PGA Championship, Round 2

When I was a kid, major golf tournament rounds were almost always finished the day they began.  Now, it seems like they usually hang on for a day or two until you get to Sunday.  Anyway, Round One finally finished this morning, and the top 10 look like this:

1.  B. DeChambeau:  -4 (66)

T2.  C. Conners (CAN):  -3 (67)

T2.  D. Johnson:  -3 (67)

T2.  S. Scheffler:  -3 (67)

T2.  E. Cole:  -3 (67)

T6.  K. Bradley:  -2 (68)

T6.  R. Fox (NZL):  -2 (68)

T6.  V. Hovland (NOR):  -2 (68)

T6.  A. Scott (AUS):  -2 (68)

Here's a list of the major winners since COVID (unless otherwise noted, each title is the winner's first major championship victory):

2020 PGA:  Collin Morikawa

2020 U.S. Open:  Bryson DeChambeau

2020 Masters:  Dustin Johnson (2d Major)

2021 Masters:  Hideki Matsuyama (JPN)

2021 PGA:  Phil Mickelson (6th Major)

2021 U.S. Open:  Jon Rahm (ESP)

2021 British Open:  Collin Morikawa (2d Major)

2022 Masters:  Scottie Scheffler

2022 PGA:  Justin Thomas (2d Major)

2022 U.S. Open:  Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG)

2022 British Open:  Cameron Smith (AUS)

2023 Masters:  Jon Rahm (ESP) (2d Major)

PGA Championship

I still believe that this event should take place in August, but the world is the world.  I've never been a fan of the Oak Hill East Course in Rochester, New York, where this year's PGA Championship is being played.  But I understand that they have recently made major changes to the course, allegedly to get the course closer to its original Donald Ross design.  I hope that will make a difference.  On the other hand, I note that Kazuki Higa currently has a three shot lead.

Here are the majors at Oak Hill that I can remember:

1980 PGA:  Jack Nicklaus (-6) won by seven shots over Andy Bean.  This was the 70th of Nicklaus's 73 wins on the PGA Tour.  (He won the 1982 Colonial, the 1984 Memorial, and the 1986 Masters).

1989 U.S. Open:  Curtis Strange (-2) won by one shot over Chip Beck, Mark McCumber, and Ian Woosnam.  This was Strange's 17th and last victory on the PGA Tour.

1995 Ryder Cup:  Leading 9-7 after two days, the Americans collapsed on the last day, as Peter Jacobsen, Brad Faxon, Curtis Strange, and Jay Haas all lost by 1 up.  If any one of them had halved his match, the Americans would have retained the cup.  Instead, Europe won the cup 14 1/2 to 13 1/2.

2003 PGA:  Shaun Micheel (-4) won by two shots over Chad Campbell.  That was the only PGA Tour event that Micheel ever won.

2013 PGA:  Jason Dufner (-10) won by two shots over Jim Furyk.  That was the third of Dufner's five wins on the PGA Tour.

So anything can happen.  It could be Kazuki Higa's big moment.  But the 1995 Ryder Cup, the 2003 PGA, and the 2013 PGA are three of my least favorite major golf tournaments that I can remember.

Next year, the PGA Championship will return to Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.  The last PGA played at Valhalla -- the 2014 iteration -- is one of my favorite tournaments ever.  The one before that -- the 2000 PGA Championship -- is my favorite PGA Championship of all time.

1976

I just can't quit thinking about Tim Hosley and Randy Hundley.

There have been moments in the last few days of 2023 when I've been among here-and-now people in my actual scope of meaning and, sometimes, actual sphere of influence with whom I've been actually talking and interacting with in actual Madisonville, Kentucky. And then I find myself losing bead on conversation because my head is drifting back to Tim Hosley and Randy Hundley and imagining this sunny Tuesday afternoon in Chicago, the ups and downs of their histories and prehistories, Vince Lloyd and Jerry Morales, South Carolina and Virginia, the Chicago Tribune and WGN, the A's and the Padres, proms and fantasy camps, Hawaii and Palatine, Spartanburg and Williard Schmidt.

Why am I so stupid?

The Cubs on April 13, 1976, brought back Hundley as a backup catcher and demoted Hosley, a backup catcher. Hundley's signing was announced and celebrated during Chicago's home opener of that season, against the Mets. I'm not sure whether Hosley's demotion was executed before, during or after Hosley's pinch-hit popout in the Cubs' victory.

I'm not certain, but I might have had these actual pieces of cardboard since I was 7. I'm 54 now. It's not rare, but it's a curious thing to carry these things all of the places I've carried them for this many years. Sometimes I fancy myself a cell-memory descendant of Andrew or the Numbers writer, and it's just written in heart to count and to note, and so it's best that I just recognize and adhere. Mostly, though, I just wonder, why am I so stupid? And adhere.

I think it could be a heck of an interesting book or a pretty movie, Tim Hosley and Randy Hundley on the Sunny Afternoon of April 13, 1976, in Chicago, Illinois, United States of America. But I doubt I will write either one of those today because baseball doesn't stop and I've moved on to April 15, 1976, for Minnesota at New York (A) in the first-ever game at newly renovated Yankee Stadium (the old one at East 161st Street and River Avenue). 

15 Apr 1976, Thu Daily News (New York, New York) Newspapers.com

16 Apr 1976, Fri Daily News (New York, New York) Newspapers.com
The New York Daily News reported in this 1976 morning's editions that the Yankees had been thinking about trading Ron Guidry to the Royals for Tony Solaita, and it sounds like they would've done it but Kansas City backed out on the deal!

15 Apr 1976, Thu Daily News (New York, New York) Newspapers.com

1975: Born To Run

A big day for all of us in 1975 ... 

Happy birthday to one of the greatest album of all time. A perfect and unbeatable masterpiece. Today but in 1975, Bruce @springsteen released "Born to Run". History. pic.twitter.com/OwwiIa1sUT

— Springsteen All Day (@Springsteenday) August 25, 2022

Here are the previous and future 1975 reports. 

1975

17 Jun 1975, Tue The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) Newspapers.com

1975

A lot of stuff happens all at the same time. I understand that this isn't a new thought and that I seem to be more hung up on it than most humans tend to be after thinking about it for five seconds. I've been thinking about it for 52 years, and I do understand it logically. Still, I catch myself quite frequently with mouth agape staring at it--seriously, staring and never having even a more complicated thought about it than this: A lot of stuff happens all at the same time ...

01 May 1975, Thu The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) Newspapers.com

1975

So, I mentioned the other day that baseball season had started ...

U.S. Open, Day Three

The two big stories yesterday were:  (1) Matthew Wolff, a 21-year-old who grew up in Southern California and played for Oklahoma State, shot a 65(!) to move to 5-under-par, and (2) Patrick Reed, who was 5-under at the turn, played the back nine in 8-over par to fall all the way back to 11th place.

A victory by Wolff would be stunning event, but as you can see, he has some big names on his trail:

1.  M. Wolff:  -5 (66+74+65=205)

2.  B. DeChambeau:  -3 (69+69+70=207)

3.  L. Oosthuizen (RSA):  -1 (67+74+68=209)

T4.  H. English:  Even (68+70+72=210)

T4.  H. Matsuyama (JPN):  Even (71+69+70=210)

T4.  X. Schauffele:  Even (68+72+70=210)

7.  R. McIlroy (NIR):  +1 (67+76+68=211)

T8.  R. Cabrera-Bello (ESP):  +2 (68+70+74=212)

T8.  V. Hovland (NOR):  +2 (71+71+70=212)

T8.  Z. Johnson:  +2 (70+74+68=212)

Of course, there's never been a time where they played the last round of the U.S. Open opposite a full day of NFL football.  Here's my plan -- I'm going to watch the noon NFL games, and then switch over to golf at around 3:30 Central Time.

U.S. Open, Day Two

 Something must have happened at Winged Foot yesterday, because suddenly the legendary course started playing much more like its old self.  On Thursday, the course was full of low scores, with Justin Thomas posting a 65 -- the lowest score ever made at Winged Foot in a National Open.  But yesterday, Thomas shot a 73, Tiger shot a 77, Jordan Spieth and Sergio Garcia each shot 81's.  Only six men are still under par at Winged Foot through two rounds.

A lot of big names -- including Tiger, Phil, Spieth, Garcia, Justin Rose, and PGA Champ Collin Morikawa -- missed the cut and are no longer with us.  But Winged Foot usually gives us a strong leaderboard, and that is what we have after two days:

1.  P. Reed:  -4 (66+70=136)

2.  B. DeChambeau:  -3 (69+68=137)

T3.  R. Cabrera Bello (ESP):  -2 (68+70= 138)

T3.  H. English:  -2 (68+70=138)

T3.  J. Thomas:  -2 (65+73=138)

6.  J. Kokrak:  -1 (68+71=139)

T7.  T. Pieters (BEL):  Even (66+74=140)

T7.  X. Schauffele:  Even (68+72=140)

T7.  M. Wolff:  Even (66+74=140)

T7.  B. Todd:  Even (68+72=140)

T7.  H. Matsuyama (JPN):  Even (71+69=140)

Since we're starting a new decade, here's a look back at the National Opens of the 2010's, from worst to best.  As you'll see, it was a roller coaster of a ride.

2014:  Martin Kaymer (GER) won at Pinehurst with a score of 9 under par.  He had a five-shot lead going into the last round, and won by 8.  One of the most boring major tournaments ever played, unless you are good friends with Martin Kaymer.

2011:  Rory McIlroy (NIR) won at Congressional with a score of 16 under par.  He had an eight-shot lead going into the last round, and won by 8.  The two top Americans were Kevin Chappell and Robert Garrigus.  The Membership at Congressional was furious at the USGA for the low scores, and no major tournament has been announced for Congressional since.  On the other hand, my kids and I had a great time.

2017:  Brooks Koepka won at Erin Hills with a score of 16 under par.  Koepka shot a 67 in the last round to win by four.  Mike Davis likes to experiment, and this was an experiment to see whether a new course was worthy of hosting the U.S. Open.  It was not -- the low scores and lack of drama made it feel like you were watching the Greater Milwaukee Open.  Koepka was a worthy winner, however.

2019:  Gary Woodland won at Pebble Beach with a score of 13 under par, beating Koepka -- who was going for his third straight U.S. Open -- by three shots.  Another failed experiment by Davis, who left Pebble Beach too defenseless for a National Open.  Koepka tried to charge on the last day, but Woodland held him off without too much trouble.

2012:  Webb Simpson won at the Olympic Club with a score of 1 over par.  On the last day, Simpson shot a 68, while the two leaders -- Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk -- faded with a 73 and 74 respectively.  Olympic Club continued its tradition of upset winners in the National Open -- and if it were up to me, it would never host another one.

2010: Graeme McDowell (NIR) won at Pebble Beach with a score of even par.  On the last day, Dustin Johnson started at 6-under par and a three-shot lead.  He shot an 82.  Tiger started at even.  He shot a 75.  McDowell actually shot a 74, but that was enough given the carnage all around him.  Davis was roundly criticized for the course set up, which made certain holes almost unplayable.  This fact explains why the scores were so low when the National Open returned to Pebble Beach last year.  I don't know how it's possible to mess up Pebble Beach, but then again I don't work for the USGA.

2016:  Dustin Johnson won at Oakmont with a score of 4 under par.  Shane Lowry had a four-shot lead going into the last round, but collapsed with a 76 as Johnson won his first (and so far only) major title.  Much of the drama in this tournament surrounded the fact that the USGA couldn't decide whether to punish Johnson for an incident on the fifth green where he may or may not have moved the ball.  So for much of Sunday we didn't know what his actual score was.  In the end, he played so well -- and Lowry played so poorly -- that it didn't matter.

2018:  Brooks Koepka won at Shinnecock Hills with a score of 1 over par.  Koepka began the day in a four-way tie for the lead, then shot a glorious 68 to become the first back-to-back winner of the National Open since Curtis Strange.  Tommy Fleetwood shot an amazing 63 on the last day, but came up one shot short.

2013:  Justin Rose (ENG) won at Merion with a score of 1 over par.  Mike Davis is a high-risk, high-reward guy.  We've outlined some of his problems above, but his decision to return the National Open to Merion -- a decision that no one else would have made -- was glorious.  Merion is one of the greatest courses in the world, and should be much more famous than it already is.  This tournament came down to a shootout between three of the best players in the world at the time -- Rose, Mickelson, and Jason Day.  In the end, Rose's steady play secured a two-shot victory over Day and Mickelson.

2015:  Jordan Spieth won at Chambers Bay with a score of 5-under par.  Someday, they will do a 30 for 30 on the year Jordan Spieth almost won the Grand Slam.  This was another Davis experiment -- hosting the National Open at a new course in the Northwest.  I thought then, and still believe, that Chambers Bay is the most hideous golf course I have ever seen.  But it produced a spectacular leaderboard and enormous drama.  Spieth went to the 17th hole with a 3-shot lead, but his double-bogey, followed by Johnson's birdie, left both men tied at 4 under.  Spieth then birdied the par-5 last to finish at 5 under.  Johnson came to the last and hit two booming shots that left him with a 12-foot putt for eagle -- and victory.  Amazingly, he missed the twelve footer -- and the three-footer for birdie, thus gifting Spieth the win.

U.S. Open, Day One

I'm very happy that they are playing the U.S. Open, but I don't know how much of it I will watch.  It's usually all by itself, in the middle of June, and now it's crowded in with a bunch of other sports.  Anyway, it's being played at Winged Foot Golf Club, in the Westchester suburbs of New York.  Hale Irwin won the 1974 Open at Winged Foot, as you can read in Dick Schaap's book, Massacre at Winged Foot.  This is the second-best book about golf ever written.

Anyway, there won't be a massacre this year, although there may be a really good tournament.  I can only imagine the fury of the members as they saw today's low scores.  I am certain that the USGA's Mike Davis, who always treats the U.S. Open as his own personal playground, is very familiar with the history of Winged Foot.  Apparently he decided the course was too difficult.  So the scores are surprisingly low.  Nevertheless, Winged Foot is a truly great golf course, and usually produces a very solid winner.  Here's the history of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot:

In 1929, Bobby Jones birdied the last hole to send the Open into a playoff with Al Espinosa.  Jones won the playoff.

In 1959, Billy Casper beat Bob Rosberg by one shot, winning with a score of 2 over par.

In 1974, Hale Irwin and Tom Watson were the last group on Sunday.  Irwin won the tournament, but finished 7 over par.

In 1984, Fuzzy Zoeller and Greg Norman had a spectacular duel, both finishing at 4 under.  Zoeller beat Norman in the playoff.

In 2006, both Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie blew their best chances to win the National Open when they both double-bogeyed the last hole.  They fell into a tie for second with Jim Furyk at 6 over par.  Geoff Ogilvie won with 5 over.

So you usually have to be pretty good to win here.

It was a very good day for Justin Thomas of Louisville St. Xavier High School.  It was a very bad day for Jordan Spieth (tied for 71st), Tiger Woods (T71), Dustin Johnson (T71), Sergio Garcia (T92), Collin Morikawa (T120), and Phil Mickelson, who shot a nine-over par 79 and is currently tied for 142d place.  None of them is likely to win this year's National Open.

Here is the top 10 after the first round:

1.  J. Thomas:  -5 (65)

T2.  P. Reed: -4 (66)

T2.  T. Pieters (BEL):  -4 (66)

T2.  M. Wolff:  -4 (66)

T5.  R. McIlroy (NIR):  -3 (67)

T5.  L. Westwood (ENG):  -3 (67)

T5.  L. Oosthuizen (RSA):  -3 (67)

T8.  J. Kokrak:  -2 (68)

T8.  B. Todd:  -2 (68)

T8.  H. English:  -2 (68)

T8.  R. Cabrera Bello (ESP):  -2 (68)

T8.  J. Niemann (CHI):  -2 (68)

T8.  X. Schauffele:  -2 (68)