McDavid and Draisaitl, the Oilers’ two-man showMcDavid and Draisaitl, the Oilers’ two-man show
One doesn’t have to search that hard to find a ‘Connor McDavid-as-Gretzky, Leon Draisaitl-as-his-Messier’ take as the Oilers’ young stars shine.
Day: May 8, 2017
Death, taxes and Mike Trout’s WARDeath, taxes and Mike Trout’s WAR
Death, taxes and Mike Trout’s WAR
Green wishes Cavs’ foes more competitiveGreen wishes Cavs’ foes more competitive
Green wishes Cavs’ foes more competitive
How to watch THE PLAYERS ChampionshipHow to watch THE PLAYERS Championship
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – THE PLAYERS Championship is the signature event on the PGA TOUR, and golf fans will plenty of options to follow all the action this week on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. PGA TOUR LIVE Available on PGATL.com and PGA TOUR apps, PGA TOUR LIVE will provide live streaming coverage not only on competition days but also key events leading up to Thursday’s first round. TUESDAY: Live coverage of the Military Appreciation Ceremony and Sam Hunt concert, 6-8 p.m. ET WEDNESDAY: Live PLAYERS preview show from Noon-2 p.m. ET will include a live broadcast from the Stadium Course, as well as player interviews at the range, expert analysis of the field and course, and an overview of the additions and renovations to the course, as well as a look at the new practice facility, Nickelodeon’s presence at the Kid Zone and other fan-centric features. THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Featured Groups coverage starting at 7:30 a.m. ET, and Featured Hole coverage of the par-3 17th and renovated par-4 12th starting at 9 a.m. ET. Coverage scheduled until 7 p.m. ET. SATURDAY/SUNDAY: Featured Groups coverage starting at 8:30 a.m. ET, and Featured Hole coverage of the par-3 17th and renovated par-4 12th starting at Noon ET. Coverage scheduled until 7 p.m. ET. TWITTER Featured group coverage on the PGA TOUR’s official Twitter account, @PGATOUR, will be available for the first two rounds. THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Live coverage from 7:30 a.m. to approximately 9 a.m. ET of two Featured Groups through their first two holes. LIVE VR/360 VIDEO Fans will have the unique perspective of virtual reality and 360-degree video coverage of the island-green 17th hole during all four rounds. The live VR experience can be viewed on Samsung Gear VR headsets on a global basis through the PGA TOUR VR Live app available on the Oculus store. For fans without the headset, a 360 video streak will be available exclusively on Twitter and Periscope @PGATOUR, using any smartphone. (For more information on this exciting feature, click here) THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Live 17th hole coverage from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. ET SATURDAY/SUNDAY: Live 17th hole coverage from Noon-7 p.m. ET PGA TOUR EXPERIENCE on DIRECTV For the first time at THE PLAYERS Championship, DIRECTV will offer fans four distinct channels of coverage – the GOLF/NBC Simulcast, Featured Group, Launch Pad and SHOTLink. THURSDAY/FRIDAY: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET SATURDAY/SUNDAY: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET TELEVISION NBC will broadcast THE PLAYERS Championship for the 30th year and will offer 22 hours of live tournament coverage on NBC and Golf Channel during the four rounds of competition, with limited commercial interruptions. THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Coverage on Golf Channel will be from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET SATURDAY/SUNDAY: Coverage on NBC will be from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET. RADIO PGA TOUR Radio’s live audio coverage is available on XM 92/Sirius 208 and free online at PGATOUR.COM. THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Noon – 7 p.m. ET SATURDAY-SUNDAY: 1 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET
Featured Groups: THE PLAYERS ChampionshipFeatured Groups: THE PLAYERS Championship
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The season’s strongest field will face a new-look course in this year’s edition of THE PLAYERS Championship. THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was renovated after last year’s tournament. The changes include a new drivable par-4 12th hole, a new hazard between Nos. 6 and 7 and subtle changes to several holes, including expanded greens and the removal of rough to promote creative recovery shots. The new 12th hole, where eagles are possible but a water hazard lurks left of the green, offers players another opportunity to be bold on the back nine. There are now three holes on that side where eagles are a real possibility (Nos. 11, 12 and 16). And then, of course, players must face the Island Green before tackling the challenging 18th hole. You can watch golf’s best players take on the new Stadium Course during PGA TOUR LIVE’s Featured Groups coverage on Thursday and Friday. This week’s Featured Groups include the top three players in the FedExCup standings, seven past winners of THE PLAYERS Championship and three former FedExCup champs. Featured Groups coverage will run from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Two morning Featured Groups are available to PGA TOUR LIVE subscribers, while a single afternoon Featured Group will be shown free of charge. Featured Groups also can be watched on Twitter from 7:30 a.m. to approximately 8:45 a.m. on Thursday and Friday. Featured Holes will run from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. with coverage of the drivable par-4 12th and the island-green 17th. On Tuesday, PGA TOUR LIVE will show THE PLAYERS Championship’s Military Appreciation Concert with Sam Hunt from 6-8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday. A PLAYERS preview show will be featured on Wednesday from 12-2 p.m. MORE: Tee times (Note: All times Eastern; FedExCup rankings in parentheses) THURSDAY MORNING Rickie Fowler (8), Henrik Stenson (79), Jason Day (104): Three past champions of THE PLAYERS are in this group, including the past two winners. Day won by four shots last year after shooting a course-record 63 in the first round, while Fowler won a dramatic playoff two years ago. Stenson, winner of the 2009 PLAYERS and the 2013 FedExCup, also is the reigning Open champion, shooting a final-round 63 last year at Royal Troon to win a memorable duel with Phil Mickelson. Fowler has finished no worse than 16th in his past six starts, including a win at The Honda Classic. Tee time: 8:16 a.m. off No. 10. Jordan Spieth (7), Hideki Matsuyama (3), Phil Mickelson (36): A former winner of THE PLAYERS, a former FedExCup champion and the No. 3 player in this season’s standings are part of this threesome. This is the 10-year anniversary of Mickelson’s win at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course. He has more missed cuts (8) than top-10s (3) at this event. Spieth, the 2015 FedExCup champion, won this season’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am; he finished T4 in his PLAYERS debut (2014), but has missed the cut in his past two appearances. Matsuyama, a two-time winner this season, played in the final group of last year’s PLAYERS, finishing seventh. This group also could serve as a Presidents Cup preview. Spieth and Mickelson rank third and 14th in the U.S. Team standings, while Matsuyama is second in the International Team standings. Tee time: 8:27 a.m. off No. 10. THURSDAY AFTERNOON Dustin Johnson (1), Justin Thomas (2), Rory McIlroy (48): This group features last year’s FedExCup champion and the top two players in this year’s standings. McIlroy won the FedExCup after a dramatic playoff with Ryan Moore at last year’s TOUR Championship. Johnson and Thomas each have three wins this season, but Johnson has a 296-point lead thanks to five top-three finishes in eight starts this season. He was runner-up on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship after winning his prior three starts. Johnson and Thomas also are the top two players in the U.S. Presidents Cup standings. McIlroy is making his first start since finishing seventh at the Masters. He got married during that hiatus. He has finished no worse than 12th in his past four PLAYERS starts after missing the cut in his first three tours around TPC Sawgrass. Tee time: 1:52 p.m. off No. 1 FRIDAY MORNING Sergio Garcia (13), Adam Scott (77), Matt Kuchar (47): Three former winners of THE PLAYERS Championship are in this group. Garcia, the 2008 winner at TPC Sawgrass, is making his first start since his emotional victory at the Masters Tournament. All three members of this group finished in the top 10 at the Masters. Kuchar, who made a hole-in-one on the 16th hole Sunday, finished fourth. He won the 2012 PLAYERS and was third at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course last year. Adam Scott, winner of the 2004 PLAYERS, finished ninth at Augusta National this year. He has missed just three cuts in 15 appearances at THE PLAYERS. Tee time: 8:16 a.m. off No. 10. Dustin Johnson (1), Justin Thomas (2), Rory McIlroy (48): McIlroy, the reigning FedExCup champion, plays alongside the top two players in the FedExCup standings. Both Johnson and Thomas have won three times this season. Johnson leads the FedExCup after posting three wins and a runner-up in his past four starts. Tee time: 8:27 a.m. off No. 10. FRIDAY AFTERNOON Jordan Spieth (7), Hideki Matsuyama (3), Phil Mickelson (36): A former winner of THE PLAYERS, a former FedExCup champion and the No. 3 player in this season’s standings are part of this threesome. Mickelson is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of his PLAYERS win. Spieth, who finished fourth in his PLAYERS debut in 2014, won the 2015 FedExCup. Matsuyama is a two-time winner this season. Tee time: 1:52 p.m. off No. 1.
Warriors’ Green: Celtics’ Olynyk dirty playerWarriors’ Green: Celtics’ Olynyk dirty player
Warriors’ Green: Celtics’ Olynyk dirty player
After some body shaming, signs that Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin got the messageAfter some body shaming, signs that Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin got the message
At this point last week some Carolina Panthers fans were making fat jokes about wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and wondering whether the team would exercise his fifth-year option. The Panthers did pick up Benjamin’s option for 2018 – but not before making him wait until the last day to do so and having him endure some public shaming. Whatever his motivation, Benjamin seems to have gotten the message. Both days during the Panthers’ two-day rookie minicamp, Benjamin’s vehicle was parked outside Bank of America Stadium. Inside the stadium, Benjamin was presumably trying to shed a few of his extra pounds when few of his teammates were around. Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Benjamin was at the stadium
2017 Preakness Contenders2017 Preakness Contenders
Who will face Always Dreaming in the Preakness? Check out the latest list of possible starters at Pimlico with profiles for each and lots of good info about the race.
John Daly explains what made Tiger Woods so much better than himJohn Daly explains what made Tiger Woods so much better than him
John Daly is, as I wrote earlier in the day, one of the most naturally gifted golfers the game has ever seen. It’s something even Tiger Woods has acknowledged — here’s an anecdote Daly loves to tell about it. It was during the 2004 Target World Challenge and Daly had just completed the Wednesday pro-am with some friends and was in the clubhouse drinking and telling stories when Tiger Woods walked into the room. “Tiger’s there in his workout clothes and I said, ‘Tiger come have a beer with us, man,’” Daly recalls. Asked by the host whether he thinks he has more natural talent than Woods, he dismissed the idea, instead paying tribute to Tiger’s short game (which, he says, was comparable to Jack Nicklaus’ in his prime) and adding that Tiger’s grind-it-out mindset is what propelled him to the heights.
Penguins notes: Malkin needs to hold on to puck; HBK Line back togetherPenguins notes: Malkin needs to hold on to puck; HBK Line back together
“He can be a dangerous player when he hangs on to the puck and he forces our opponents to defend against him,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said this morning. Meanwhile, Sidney Crosby was with Conor Sheary and Patric Hornqvist, and the HBK Line of Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino, and Carl Hagelin was back together. On the back end, the Penguins will be without Trevor Daley (lower-body injury) tonight.
