Sports !

[ThePumisher]

Couldn't resist huh?

Couldn't 

[Bosco]

Re: NBA Finals


Victor Wembanyama did not have such a great 1st Finals game, thus the Spurs took a "L" (loss) in game 1 at home. Those who didn't watch, but my be interested... you didn't miss much this game.

Three players to highlight on the Knicks victory:

• Jalen Brunson, He wasn't efficient with his game high 30 points, but in the finals all that matter is the WIN. To his credit he had a fantastic 4th quarter to close out game 1. Note: He was hurt twice early in the game. Hopefully this isn't nagging him for the rest of the series.
• Karl-Anthony Towns (aka "Kat"), played a fantastic game on both sides (offense and defense) of the court, especially keeping Victor Wembanyama's offense in check who struggled from the field at 6-21 shots. The key for Kat this series is to play exactly like game 1 and stay out of foul trouble.
• Josh Hart, who absolutely was a havoc on the defensive end and grabbed a game high 15 rebounds, just a HUGE contribution from a gritty wing-player.

Monday, June 8th, Donald Trump is planning on attending game 3 in New York at Madison Square Garden. I don't know what to expect, but this is obviously a horrible idea. I'm hoping they BOO the fuck out of him, however, I know there is technology to filter the BOOing on "live" TV...

[Bosco]

Game 2 is in the books, and the San Antonio Spurs are on the ropes headed to a very hostile environment at Madison Square Garden which possibly could be headed for a potential 4 game sweep. 

So far, this series has been about how The New York Knicks have stayed fused together for a full 48 minutes. They even managed to blow a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter (maybe thanks to some bad officiating), but stood strong to pull it out in the end in game 2.

Karl-Anthony Towns is the player of the series. He managed to stay out of foul trouble for a great portion of game 2 again and (again) was the difference maker at both sides of the court. 21 points on 8-12 shooting and a game high 13 rebounds. The most crucial aspect was keeping Victor Wembanyama in check from offensive rebounding.

Jalen Brunson, another very inefficient night with 7/25 shooting. However, he always seems to get it done in the end as he manages to luck into a crucial late turnover by Victor Wembanyama and subsequently gets fouled to make 1 of 2 Free throws which would ultimately be the difference in the game. Look for Brunson to have a big scoring night in one of these upcoming 2 games in NY. If San Antonio keeps Brunson to 20 points or less again, there's a good shot they'll be stealing wins in New York.

Mikal Bridges, absolutely balled. As the 4th option on the Knicks offense, Mikal is sometimes a forgotten contributor, but tonight he absolutely was on fire. 4-6 from the 3pt line and 8-13 overall (20 pts total), carrying the team alongside bench player Landry Shamet (3-7 from 3pt line) with crucial made shots, all while Kat and Brunson were off the court or denied offensive possession.


On the flipside...

Spurs look a bit gassed. And rightfully so, they played a long series in the Western Conference Finals against the defending champs (Oklahoma City Thunder). To their credit, they put together a 14 point comeback late into the game 2 (as previously mentioned). They just haven't matched the physicality or will of the Knicks have for a complete 48 minutes. Victor Wembanyama was better in game 2, but unfortunately he didn't show up when they needed him most. At 22 years old, he's still learning how to be present in high leverage situations, and currently struggling in the Finals. Many young elite players go through this, but in order for San Antonio to make a comeback, they're going to need for him to dig a bit deeper and shake off the inexperience.

It looks bleak, but It's not over for the Spurs. It doesn't have to be all Victor Wembanyama, despite the incredible focus on him. The Spurs have plenty of young talent at guard to push this series open again, but they're going to have to start hitting their shots at a higher rate and increase the defensive intensity. Look for Rookie Dylan Harper to potentially have a big game in the upcoming games. Dlyan grew up in New Jersey and went to Rutgers University before he was drafted 2nd overall in the most recent NBA draft. He's son of a NBA legend and has already shown flashes of his obvious bright future throughout the playoffs.

Crossing my fingers the Knicks crowd gives it to Donald Trump and chants "Pedophile" or "Epstein" throughout the game. That or someone suggested Zohran Mamdani (new mayor of New York city) be at the game to show the audible contrast of genuine praise (Mamdani) vs. genuine contempt (Trump) to further embarrass the orange turd.

Regardless, potentially 2 more Wins until New York city turns into a free-for-all.

See ya after the next game!

[Csar]

I'm hoping they BOO the fuck out of him

Well, it seems like your wishes have been answered

from r/UnderReportedNews

Doesn't seem like he was thrilled all that much either to be there:

from r/NBAGossips

And the Knicks lost, I read. Well...

[Ben_j]

Can Trump come back please? If that's what it takes for the Spurs to win...

[Bosco]

Game 3 was an amazing effort and show of resolve by a young Spurs team. Only to absolutely completely fuck it up by and embarrassing themselves by blowing, a historic, 29 POINT LEAD in the NBA Finals Game 4. The Knicks didn't even play all that well in the second half of game 4... the Spurs absolutely blew a golden opportunity to steal momentum and even the series. It's incomprehensible for me to even explain how unlikely this result was coming out of halftime, let alone, the last spurs possession that should have clinched the game. 

Spurs will have to shake it off though. They've been the better team in the series yet are sitting down 3-1 (best of 7). 

The stories about some really shitty fans assaulting people because of wearing Spurs jerseys and lighting peoples hair on fire, is fucked up. New York city in chaos and they haven't even won the championship yet.

OG Anunoby a New York legend after game 4... could end up series MVP!

Game 5 in San Antonio on Saturday. 

[Bosco]

Can Trump come back please? If that's what it takes for the Spurs to win...

Hell no, keep him away from the NBA forever

Although, I find it quite amusing that Trump shows up to support the Knicks, only for them to lose... Spurs need to figure out how to finish games NOW. I think they still can win it despite the odds against them. This Knicks team has tremendous amount of historic pressure on them where they easily could crack. Obviously, they're in prime position, but they also don't have a unicorn on their squad.

Wemby, as long as he stays healthy, will have ample opportunities to bring home a championship in the near future. This wont be his last dance.

[Wolkenkrabber]

For those of you actively rooting against USA in the World Cup, you may find this first stage of the competition a little frustrating.

They [USA] usually do well in the early group stage and provide some real entertainment

...and that's exactly what they did last night. I didn't stay up to watch it, but I've seen the goals (3rd one was the best) and read the reviews.
How much of this was down to Paraguay being bad, and how much of it was because USA were good is perhaps open to debate. But USA seized the opportunity and made it count.
I had somehow forgotten that Mauricio Pochettino was the USA coach. Some national coaches are journeymen who have struggled to get a top club job, or they're ex-players who do the job out of national pride. But "Poch" -as we call him- is a proper club coach. He led Tottenham Hotspur to a Champions League final, he has managed Southampton, Chelsea and PSG.
Football fans are saying "it's Poch-ball...it's really good", and I can't argue with that. Mind you, he looks a little different to how I remember him in the Premier League.

https://x.com/ClayWinstead/status/2065607589417689218

Which one is Russell Crowe?
https://x.com/Chaz18_/status/2065610841714516072

Anya Taylor-Joy decided to go to the game in Argentina colours. Sometimes I forget that she was raised in Buenos Aires. But if she turned up dressed like that at an England or Brazil game and found herself sitting with the hardcore fans, she might not get out alive...
https://x.com/anyafolders/status/2065598886849249341

Elsewhere...
FIFA doesn't want us to get high on the World Cup?
https://x.com/mikalskuterud/status/2065541102954754166

Here's former England player and TV presenter Gary Lineker having a chat with an American Network (which one?). Blonde lady doesn't look too thrilled!
https://x.com/ultras_antifaa/status/2065744467018039337

Tweets still not embedding??

In other news, it looks like these Tomora related videos are currently not geo-blocked. 

[Bosco]

Some top notch goals yesterday in the World Cup. Loved all the lofty scoring! Netted $95 in bonus credit on 19 total goals in a single day through some promotional sports betting, risking nearly nothing. Unfortunately, my main squeeze is over for the season (NBA... Congrats NY Knicks), so now sitting a bit clueless as a non-soccer/footballer follower, on how to reinvest into the World Cup.

@Wolkenkrabber , do you partake in sports betting? Any sharp angles I should be putting my bonus behind. Preferably something in + odds.

[Csar]

Netted $95 in bonus credit on 19 total goals in a single day

Congrats!

o now sitting a bit clueless as a non-soccer/footballer follower, on how to reinvest into the World Cup. @Wolkenkrabber , do you partake in sports betting? Any sharp angles I should be putting my bonus behind. Preferably something in + odds.

So, you can't cash it? How does that bonus work?

[Bosco]

It's "bonus credit", meaning it doesn't have value until you've bet it and win the wager. The bonus credit was given in addition to the primary bet. The promotion was $5 bonus credit for every goal scored. 

I netted a total of $180 bonus credit total over the opening 4 days. The qualifications for promotion had some loose rules, so all I did was wager on total corners (over 3) for each match. I didn't win much at all on my primary bets, but accumulated a bunch of bonus credit through the promotion. 

Now I need somewhere to reinvest it.  

[Bosco]

México, feel the noise!

[Enjoyed]

See you in Mexico City, I guess @Bosco 

[Wolkenkrabber]

@Wolkenkrabber , do you partake in sports betting?

No sorry, just a yearly flutter on the Grand National horse race. I do know that France were favourites before the tournament started. Having seen them in action now, I can see why. They look great in attack and defence, and their midfield isn't bad either. I'll be amazed if they don't make the final.

And then they [Brazil] loose 7:1 against Germany

Well Germany enjoyed another 7-1 victory in this WC against...[checks notes]...Curacao! But what happened after that?? I don't think Germany will get the chance to beat Brazil this time around. In fact I hear that coach Nagelsmann has already been replaced by Jurgen Plopp - before the WC is even over (well, it is over for Germany, right @ThePumisher ?).

On the subject of Brazil - they're not that great. They're using Casemiro in midfield. He just waved goodbye to Man Utd in May because Man Utd chose not to extend or renew his contract. Casemiro is a talented player but his legs have gone.
When Morocco played Brazil in their opening fixture, Morocco sensed that Brazil's central midfield was weak and they went on the attack. Morocco deservedly took the lead. In all honesty Morocco looked the more likely to win until Brazil were bailed out (1-1) by a piece of individual brilliance from Vinicius Jr - a player we've mentioned here before in relation to Chemical Spotting(Galvanize)/Pepsi Commercials/Vinnie Jones. Brazil also have Matheus Cunha, a current Man Utd winger who is very lively.
But will individuals win Brazil the cup? I'm not so sure.

Speaking of Morocco - that's who France have next and they have impressed me. I expect France to get past them but I also expect it to be a hard game for them.
Morocco made it to the final of the AFCON (Africa Cup Of Nations) earlier this year. But did they win it? At the time no, but they were later awarded the trophy after they appealed the result! So now they are official AFCON champions. A crazy story which is explained by the BBC here.

Argentina have Messi who at 39 still looks surprisingly useful - more so than Portugal's ageing "legend" Cristiano Ronaldo. But Argentina struggled to get past the tiny archipelago of...Cape Verde the other day. The game being pushed to a 2-2 score and 30 minutes extra time -  before Argentina eventually found a winner.
Cape Verde were the truly heroic minnows of this WC.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is only good for taking penalties at this point, but their manager Roberto Martinez feels obliged to play him. Mr Ronaldo still dreams of winning the WC but that's all it is - a dream. It won't happen.

This mock YT video banner gave me a chuckle recently:
Please log in to view this attachment.


This useful chart from the Guardian shows us the how the knockout stage is panning out. Both Argentina and Brazil are on the right hand side of the draw, so they cannot meet each other in the final. Meanwhile France and Spain (decent side!) are both on the left hand side, so they also also cannot meet each other in the final. I keep missing Spain's matches but I know they're a good side so don't rule them out.

See you in Mexico City, I guess @Bosco

So England play Mexico in Mexico in just a few hours time. On paper, England should win. Most of Mexico's players wouldn't make it into England's team. But in practice, England look like a bunch of individuals spearheaded by prolific goal scorer, Harry Kane. Meanwhile Mexico look like a real team with huge support and lots of desire. I honestly don't know who will win. If England don't play as a cohesive team tonight, they're in trouble.

https://x.com/FBAwayDays/status/2073679929124819354

https://x.com/utdreport/status/2073038025005707468

Nice to see Oasis' Wonderwall has become the unofficial anthem of England - or at least its supporters. Will they be able to belt it out at the Azteca stadium at high altitude tonight?

https://x.com/NDR_lufc/status/2073433636083204461

BTW does anyone know why one of the stadium tunes we keep hearing at this World Cup is a sappy cover version of Van Halen's Jump? What's wrong with the original? Also, enough with Livin' On A Prayer. I hate Bon Jovi (apart from Wanted Dead Or Alive)!

For the final I'm picking Argentina from the RHS of the draw and France or...maybe Spain from the LHS of the draw.


EDIT: Oh this is kinda fun. I had to watch it a couple of times before I understood it.

https://x.com/NoContextHumans/status/2065418845595341023

Mind you, some say Messi is on the spectrum (not confirmed), in which case this is in....bad taste? You decide.

EDIT 2: Brazil knocked out by Norway! 

[Enjoyed]

HOLY. What a game.

Me watching the last 30 minutes:

[Bosco]

[Wolkenkrabber]

As an actual citizen, I'm actively cheering against the U.S.

Well, following the Trump intervention I found myself rooting for Belgium like never before. I wasn't planning to stay up and watch the game but once Belgium took the lead, I just had to see it through. And well done to Belgium for seeing it through. The fact that the banned/unbanned USA player was on the pitch just makes it better.

AI can come up with stuff this quickly? It's...good!
https://x.com/mmpadellan/status/2074440790038684021

Whaaat? I am shocked!
https://x.com/PippaCrerar/status/2074367433884811500

Discovered air conditioning! Yeah it increases your carbon footprint and sends the world into an even faster spiral of global warming.
https://x.com/ZoeJardiniere/status/2074437336578883646

Attacking Iran and spiking energy prices was one thing, but if you fuck with our sports...

https://x.com/MarkHam80780803/status/2074181517044015330

https://x.com/CatchUpFeed/status/2074352600355414159

https://x.com/EdKrassen/status/2074510592652554480

Jurgen Plopp, the new Germany manager. He's just jealous that USA got further than Germany isn't he @ThePumisher ?
https://x.com/SkyFootball/status/2074437297123074162

One for the connoisseurs; René Magritte was of course Belgian
https://x.com/hassinator/status/2074434323034329572

Ah little old Belgium...
https://x.com/Dispropoganda/status/2074424075913478650

Some USA players were crying on the pitch at the end. They didn't actually think they would win the WC or make the final did they? I mean they were playing (team captain!) Tim Ream at centre back - a 38 y.o ex-Fulham player now seeing out his days at ...[checks notes]...Charlotte FC. Not a chance!