NFL

Perfection for Yankees’ Domingo German, plus the NFL’s gambling issues continue

by
SaC Bot
June 29, 2023

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Good morning to everyone but especially to…

DOMINGO GERMAN

Entering Wednesday’s game against the Athletics, Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German had given up a whopping 17 runs over his last two starts, and the biggest headline he made all year was being suspended 10 games for violating MLB‘s policies on grip-enhancing substances.

However, a visit to Oakland turned out to be all German needed to turn things around — and make some history along the way. German threw a perfect game against the A’s, MLB’s 24th all-time and the first since 2012.

With German’s perfect game in the books, the Yankees broke a tie with the White Sox for the most of any single organization (four).
German is the first Dominican Republic native to throw a perfect game, and he joins Dennis Martinez and Felix Hernandez as the only players not born in the U.S. to achieve the feat.
David Cone was the last Yankees pitcher to throw a perfect game in 1999. New York won the world series that season and the other two seasons in which a Yankees pitcher threw a perfect game (Don Larsen in 1956 and David Wells in 1998).
German is the first pitcher to have thrown a perfect game after giving up 10 or more runs in his previous start.

It was, to the say the least, a sensational outing from German, whose perfect game required only 99 pitches. As for the A’s, they have 99 problems, and German was certainly one.

And not such a good morning for…

NFL PLAYERS WHO HAVE GAMBLED

Sports gambling has become increasingly ubiquitous in the U.S., but the NFL has issued yet another stern reminder that players who take part are wagering much more than they realize.

Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is reportedly among several NFL players set to receive full-season suspensions for violating the league’s gambling policies. Rodgers’ forthcoming suspension comes two months after the NFL suspended five other players, including former Alabama star and current Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, for gambling violations.

Here’s how the league has been cracking down on gambling:

The NFL suspended Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley for the entire 2022 season after an investigation found he bet on NFL games while a member of the Falcons in 2021. Atlanta then traded Ridley to the Jaguars in November 2022.
In April, Williams and four of his Lions teammates — wide receiver Quintez Cephus, safety C.J. Moore and wide receiver Stanley Berryhill — plus Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney received suspensions for violating the gambling policy.
Williams and Berryhill were suspended six games for betting on non-NFL games at the Lions’ facility, while Cephus, Moore and Toney were suspended indefinitely because they did, in fact, make NFL bets. The Lions eventually released Cephus, Moore and Berryhill.

It’s unclear which players will receive full-season suspensions along with Rodgers, who reportedly used an acquaintance to bet on his own team last season. What’s clear, though, is their careers will likely change dramatically, as four of the six players who’ve been ensnared in the league’s recent gambling investigations have been either cut or traded.

Mahomes, Kelce squaring off against Splash Brothers in The Match🏌

The eighth edition of The Match takes place tonight, and it features two duos who’ve achieved dynastic feats in their respective sports. Two-time Super Bowl champions Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Chiefs are playing four-time NBA champions Steph Curry and Klay Thompson of the Warriors in the charity golf exhibition at Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas.

Mahomes and Curry have each competed in The Match once before, but their second time around has an extra layer of intrigue, as it’s the first to feature an all-NFL and all-NBA side. Here’s what else to know:

The Match will feature 12 holes of match play and a scramble format.
Last June, Mahomes paired with Bills quarterback Josh Allen and fell to Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Curry, meanwhile, teamed with Peyton Manning in a losing effort against Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley in November 2020.
Mahomes (T51), Curry (T16) and Kelce (64) showed off their golf skills in the 2022 American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, but Thompson’s abilities are relatively unknown.

With the NBA and NFL both in their offseasons, this will be a prime opportunity for the Chiefs and Warriors duos to get their competitive juices flowing again.

ACC strength of schedule rankings: Florida State facing a challenging slate 🏈

The 2023 college football season is two months away, but it’s never too early to play the schedule game and predict how the year could play out. Actually, it may be a bit too early for Florida State fans, as the Seminoles face a daunting 2023 slate after going 10-3 — including a victory over Oklahoma in the Cheez-It Bowl — last season.

CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson ranked the strength of schedule for ACC teams, and Florida State has the second-toughest.

Patterson: “The massive hype and expectations surrounding the Seminoles will be put to the test right away with games against LSU and Clemson in the first four weeks of the season. Unfortunately for Florida State, neither of those contests occur within the friendly confines Doak Campbell Stadium. … The Seminoles have more depth than they’ve had in years, but getting to double-digit wins will be tougher than it was in 2022.”

While Florida State enjoyed a return to relevance last season, its rival Miami limped to a 5-7 record (the Hurricanes’ worst in 15 years) under first-year coach Mario Cristobal. Lucky for Hurricanes fans, Miami has Patterson’s ninth-toughest schedule despite matchups against Clemson, Florida State and Texas A&M.

Patterson: “North Carolina, Louisville and NC State should provide this talented Miami roster some comparable opponents in conference play, but the bottom of the schedule serves as a nice cushion. Georgia Tech, Virginia and Boston College are favorable matchups, and the nonconference has Miami (OH), Bethune-Cookman and Temple.”

Here’s Patterson’s full rankings.

Simone Biles to return from two-year absence at the 2023 U.S. Classic 🏅

She’s baaaaack. American gymnast Simone Biles, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, is set to compete in the 2023 U.S. Classic after two years away from the sport.

Biles last appeared at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She earned a bronze medal in the balance beam there, but had to withdraw from several other events while she dealt with the “twisties” — a term used to describe gymnasts losing their spatial awareness while in the air.

Fellow Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee will join Biles in the 2023 U.S. Classic, which will take place Aug. 4-5 at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Biles has not revealed whether she’ll compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Months after the Tokyo Olympics, Biles told the “The Today Show” that “to do something that I’ve done forever and just not be able to do it because of everything I’ve gone through is really crazy because I love this sport so much.” Biles will have a chance to prove she can excel at her sport again in just over a month.