Congrats on signing your new mega deal as an NBA free agent, and not being traded to Boston.
If you were not too busy getting some burgers, brats, and hot dogs grilled or smoking some ribs to enjoy this holiday weekend, then you were probably staying plugged in for all the NBA free agent news or ticked at the result of Pacquiao’s latest (and last?) fight. It was quite a weekend, but we’ll keep it somewhat brief in your Monday morning edition of The Cheat Sheet so you can get to blowing up some fireworks later.
NBA free agent frenzy!
The NBA free agency season opened up and got to work quickly with rumors and news flying every which way you could imagine. Steph Curry is very rich after signing the richest deal in NBA history. LeBron James came to his defense because for some reason people must have had a problem with Curry being paid as much as he is by Golden State.
Stephen Curry has agreed to a 5-year, $201M deal with Golden State, agent Jeff Austin of Octagon tells ESPN. No… https://t.co/v8sOh909y7
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2017
Oh yeah, those Woj bombs are now officially on ESPN now. Perfect timing for ESPN.
Blake Griffin is still a (well-paid) Clipper, which members of the franchise took to an uncomfortable extreme. The Sixers added JJ Redick and Amir Johnson. Kyle Lowry is staying in Toronto. If you missed it, Chris Paul was traded to Houston, and apparently was no fan of Doc Rivers. And Paul Milsap is signing with Denver.
Amid the flurry of activity, one of the biggest losers of the start of the NBA free agent period appeared to be the Boston Celtics, who missed out on landing Paul George. George is heading to Oklahoma City to team up with Russell Westbrook after the Indiana Pacers stunned the basketball world by trading with the Thunder rather than the Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers. Meanwhile, the Celtics are going all out to acquire Gordan Hayward, including some sightseeing around the city of Boston with a green carpet rolled out.
22 hours into NBA free agency, more than $800 million in new contract money has been agreed to.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 2, 2017
Reactions to Pacquiao losing to Horn were not positive
Anyone who watched the boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Keith Van Horn Jeff Horn on Saturday night would probably tell you Pacquiao won the fight. I didn’t watch, but my timeline on Twitter and Facebook was kind enough to inform me that Pacquiao got screwed. Apparently, those filling out the scorecards had a different opinion than those watching at home.
Manny Pacquiao was robbed of his WBO title on ESPN https://t.co/0HtGdhsY6S pic.twitter.com/kxzNUROuZA
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) July 2, 2017
Teddy Atlas could watch Manny get knocked out and still award him the fight.
— Jay Rigdon (@jayrigdon5) July 2, 2017
Final punch statistics favored Manny Pacquiao, but Jeff Horn won WBO welterweight championship #PacquiaoHorn pic.twitter.com/ZxMIeH88hU
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 2, 2017
Everyone who watched seemed to be confused…
#PacquiaoHorn pic.twitter.com/i1oqnD74Q2
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) July 2, 2017
117-111 on one card??? What fight was that judge watching. Bradley jinx again. #UFC #
— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) July 2, 2017
Well, now at least Pacquiao can turn his focus to the upcoming Mayweather-McGregor bout. But after comparing some training footage, maybe he really will pass.
The "I Robbed Pacquiao Club" #espn #PacquiaoHorn pic.twitter.com/F1zKVrYljK
— Jonas Bunda (@jonas_is_life) July 2, 2017
All-Star Game rosters announced by MLB
Major League Baseball announced what players are heading to the All-Star Game this summer, and who is starting. There is a pretty good amount of new all-star blood for this year’s game.
Your 2017 AL and NL All-Star teams are set, and they are STACKED: https://t.co/cCfSxZKcwi pic.twitter.com/pvGiJpSF2V
— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2017
All-Star roster breakdown: 62 players, 23 first-timers, 16 second-timers. 30 of 62 players are 27 or younger. 21 foreign-born All-Stars
— Richard Justice (@richardjustice) July 3, 2017
But the real question is which players got snubbed?
And, now the opening season on stupid hashtag votes on Twitter is underway to determine the last player on each team.
Your @Esurance AL #FinalVote hashtags:#ElectElvis#VoteX#SirDidi4Sure#GoLoMo#VoteMoose
https://t.co/dMMnsOXZ3w— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2017
Your @Esurance NL #FinalVote hashtags:#VoteBour#VoteKB#VoteRendon#BeLikeMark#VoteJT
https://t.co/dMMnsOXZ3w— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2017
Quick Hits
– The Tour de France is underway in, well, France, and the race favorite crashed at the end of Stage 2.
– Germany remains good at soccer, as evidenced by their Confederations Cup championship.
– Yup, the President of the United States tweeted a wrestling meme from Reddit on Sunday.
– Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari wants you to know he has no interest in being the Knicks president, and he won a camel race.
– This Mets fan just wants to enjoy a day at the ballpark while downing some sugar snap peas. Phillies broadcasters Tom McCarthy and John Kruk do not approve.
Later in the game, the Phillies managed to pull a double play out of their back pocket (largely thanks to Jay Bruce running the bases)…
– Here’s another bizarre sequence seen on the baseball diamond this weekend, although this one came from across the Pacific Ocean.
http://twitter.com/SInow/status/880864636647735296
– The Big Ten has some good running backs. Also, follow our Top 50 college football countdown.
– Your keyboard is always here to remind you everything will be OK…
https://twitter.com/ShyboiSconyPB/status/881528161351204865
– You can now officially place your bets on whether or not Rey’s dad is Luke Skywalker. I’m going with the favorite here.
Is Luke Skywalker Rey's father? (via MyBookie)
Yes EVEN
No -130 pic.twitter.com/Gw7n3DkpVu— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) June 29, 2017
– You had ONE job…
Go Gators, Go Boise State? #targetwhatchadoin pic.twitter.com/J27RNPjhzi
— rodman 📸 (@thenamesroddy) July 1, 2017
– I suppose it is safe to suggest this guy’s previous at-bat did not go well…
….. what?! 🤔 pic.twitter.com/E50rqia93F
— Richie Shaffer (@Rshaff8) July 1, 2017
– For when you need to lay down more bricks than Shaq at the free-throw line…
This machine can lay an impressive amount of bricks pic.twitter.com/QgQdqIVaaB
— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) July 2, 2017
– Guys, we need to have a talk about Tim Tebow. This is just too much…
Single A @FireFrogsBB taking advantage of Tim Tebow coming to town by selling package that includes game used dirt pic.twitter.com/aC38VtJ6O4
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 3, 2017
One last gratuitous moment of procrastination
Finally, here is a good dog making his way up to the stage during an orchestra concert in Turkey and making himself comfortable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XOq9NMXqck
