Sports General Sports Chat. All Sports Welcome

[EC]

Australian Open is great because it starts right at midnight, so tennis can send you off to bed.
Wimbledon is great because it starts in the morning, so you wake up to tennis.
US Open is great because it starts in the middle of the day, so tennis is there when you get home from wherever.

French Open sucks because NBC barely covers it here.

 

[LegendChu]

Well at least Andy Murray has something to celebrate. His brother Jamie Murray won the Mixed Doubles partnering Martina Hingis (good to see her still around :)).

Pika Pika :chu:

 

[LegendChu]

Ah yes, so gutted I missed that but at least one of the Murrays got somewhere!

This isn't his first time though, Jamie has Four Grand Slam Titles (including the current one), all in doubles - 2 Mixed & 2 Men's Doubles. His last Mixed Doubles win was exactly 10 years ago, partnering Jelena Jankovic (where's she gone?).

Pika Pika :chu:

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

So Man Utd and Halal Madrid played a match in the USA last night. They actually sent their president out to shake hands with the players before the game kicked off. Haven't seen that before.

 

[El Héroe Oscuro]

So Man Utd and Halal Madrid played a match in the USA last night. They actually sent their president out to shake hands with the players before the game kicked off. Haven't seen that before.

I'm so confused lol, is this real? Please be real.

 

[Lipstick Vogue]

It's genuinely real. Almost as magical a sporting moment as when Bart Simpson signed for Zenit Saint Petersburg.

Spoiler:

 

[MakeItTotter]

I'm so fricken happy people here watch tennis. Everyone I talk to IRL doesn't watch! D:

Wimbledon was super exciting simply for the fact we finally got another American male into the semis! Been 8 years! Oh and Fed still brings it at the ripe age of 35.

Anyone watch any of the other ATP tourneys too? 250s and whatnot?

I just learned that Polish player Kubot and Brazilian player Melo won the doubles Wimbledon woooooooot!!!!!!!

I caught the tail end of that, that match was a lot of fun to watch!

 

[Hikamaru]

Feeling sorry for Djokovic right now. Poor guy has to take six months off with an elbow injury, but maybe he'll come back better than ever next year like both Nadal and Federer did.

 

[MakeItTotter]

Yeah, doesn't make sense for him to gamble on aggrivating an injury and making it worse. Wish the best for him.

 

[Hikamaru]

Yeah, doesn't make sense for him to gamble on aggrivating an injury and making it worse. Wish the best for him.

With the successful seasons both Nadal and Federer had this year after coming back from injury, I bet Djokovic may have that inspiration to back up to.

 

[donavannj]

Okay so changing gears a bit (y'all can keep up the tennis talk, too, but I want to talk about the NBA and we don't have anywhere else for that on PC), for those who have been following the NBA offseason, what are your thoughts on the Kyrie situation? The rest of the NBA offseason?

What about thoughts on the MLB season (like the Astros and Dodgers)?

NFL (training camp) and NCAA football (Ole Miss scandal)?

 

[EC]

Just tag me when you want to discuss Cleveland teams. As for Kyrie, he's free to leave. As long as we get a good return for him.

 

[donavannj]

Just tag me when you want to discuss Cleveland teams. As for Kyrie, he's free to leave. As long as we get a good return for him.

Who would you like to trade him to? I know the Wolves are rumored, but our only worthwhile trade piece that we can actually trade is Wiggins and his salary is nowhere close to Kyrie's right now, so we'd have to trade bench pieces to get salaries to match, and then we'd be left with 10 players on the roster and no room to sign more.

 

[EC]

I'd take Wiggins back, sure, absolutely.

 

[MakeItTotter]

Big 49ers fan here. After the last few years they've been through, I'm excited for what they bring to the table this year. Jed finally hired guys I think he is finally going to trust, and to make the decisions for him. The offseason has been incredible.

I'm just hoping Hoyer can get us through a year without getting hurt. He's a decent bridge QB really. Kirk Cousins and the 2018 draft class gives a growing team some great options.

 

[donavannj]

I'd take Wiggins back, sure, absolutely.

From where I stand, I think this is a terrible move for the Wolves, because having Wiggins for 5 years is better for the organization long term than having 2 years of Kyrie. And while Kyrie's a better player, I think Wiggins is a better fit for the current lineup. I think you could get a better return trading him to Phoenix.

Big 49ers fan here. After the last few years they've been through, I'm excited for what they bring to the table this year. Jed finally hired guys I think he is finally going to trust, and to make the decisions for him. The offseason has been incredible.

I'm just hoping Hoyer can get us through a year without getting hurt. He's a decent bridge QB really. Kirk Cousins and the 2018 draft class gives a growing team some great options.

The 49ers have a lot of cap money rolling over, but do you think Kirk actually goes to the 49ers? Or do you think he goes to a team that's a QB away?

 

[Eruption]

Forgive me for anything stupid I write here, I was never a basketball expert and I didn't watch any of last season nor keep up with trades, free agency etc. (apart from the big stories).

Surprised it's taken me this long to make a post in here, but the Kyrie talk seems like a good point to jump in.

I was a big fan of Kyrie until the flat earth nonsense, he was probably the first NBA player I really liked. Not sure if being a flat-earther is a strange reason to stop liking a player, but yeah. At first I was a bit puzzled as to why he would want a trade, but I suppose looking more into it the Cavs will struggle to ever build a team that will beat the current Warriors team, so there isn't much point sticking around when he could be a franchise face. You know, the more I look at every team's cap space situation to help me write this post, the more I wonder why the league even bothers to impose a cap anymore.

Anyway, hopefully I'll get round to watching more games this season. If I can afford to get Gamepass back, that should help. Looking forward to seeing G-Time suit up for a better team this year, perhaps even a contender to reach the finals if Kyrie is traded for bad pieces.

 

[donavannj]

I was a big fan of Kyrie until the flat earth nonsense, he was probably the first NBA player I really liked. Not sure if being a flat-earther is a strange reason to stop liking a player, but yeah. At first I was a bit puzzled as to why he would want a trade, but I suppose looking more into it the Cavs will struggle to ever build a team that will beat the current Warriors team, so there isn't much point sticking around when he could be a franchise face. You know, the more I look at every team's cap space situation to help me write this post, the more I wonder why the league even bothers to impose a cap anymore.

Anyway, hopefully I'll get round to watching more games this season. If I can afford to get Gamepass back, that should help. Looking forward to seeing G-Time suit up for a better team this year, perhaps even a contender to reach the finals if Kyrie is traded for bad pieces.

Kyrie probably just wants more credit than he gets, based on the fact that both San Antonio and Minnesota, teams with clear leaders already, are on his short list of preferred teams.

The cap is something that's beneficial for every player who isn't a star player, and the cap also keeps wealthier teams from simply outspending their less wealthy competition. The players' union has incentives to keep this around since they get a certain percentage of basketball revenue anyway (I think it's 51% of basketball revenue) per their collective bargaining agreement. It's also a soft cap because that benefits the players as well and that's what they've fought for. The only players' union with more power in American sports is the one for Major League Baseball.

Calling the Celtics a "better team" completely ignores what Utah had built last season. The Celtics were 53-29 in the East. The Jazz were 51-31 in the West. The Celtics managing only 2 more wins while playing more games against the weaker conference tells me the Celtics were the weaker team. However, they are an easier path to get to the Finals because the East just has no substantial competition to the Cavs or Celtics right now.

 

[Eruption]

Kyrie probably just wants more credit than he gets, based on the fact that both San Antonio and Minnesota, teams with clear leaders already, are on his short list of preferred teams.

The cap is something that's beneficial for every player who isn't a star player, and the cap also keeps wealthier teams from simply outspending their less wealthy competition. The players' union has incentives to keep this around since they get a certain percentage of basketball revenue anyway (I think it's 51% of basketball revenue) per their collective bargaining agreement. It's also a soft cap because that benefits the players as well and that's what they've fought for. The only players' union with more power in American sports is the one for Major League Baseball.

Calling the Celtics a "better team" completely ignores what Utah had built last season. The Celtics were 53-29 in the East. The Jazz were 51-31 in the West. The Celtics managing only 2 more wins while playing more games against the weaker conference tells me the Celtics were the weaker team. However, they are an easier path to get to the Finals because the East just has no substantial competition to the Cavs or Celtics right now.

Fair point on San Antonio, but surely in Minnesota Kyrie would be the leader? edit: Forgot about TWolves picking up Butler, okay fair point all round.

I understand the purpose of the cap and the CBA, but it seems as if it no longer protects the weaker teams since the Warriors and the Cavs are happy to just pay the luxury tax every year and keep their star-studded squads together. Bird rights are fair enough, but there seems to be too many exceptions that allow teams over the limit to keep recruiting players. I think I prefer the idea of a hard cap or no cap at all, but hey if it works for all parties involved who am I to complain?

Forgive me on the Jazz, I assumed they were still a lottery team, obviously not keeping track enough. In which case, it's kind of a shame Hayward made the switch, but like you say Boston has an easier path to the Finals and I'm sure he's happy to be reunited with Brad Stevens so I think it will work out for him.

 

[donavannj]

Fair point on San Antonio, but surely in Minnesota Kyrie would be the leader? edit: Forgot about TWolves picking up Butler, okay fair point all round.

I understand the purpose of the cap and the CBA, but it seems as if it no longer protects the weaker teams since the Warriors and the Cavs are happy to just pay the luxury tax every year and keep their star-studded squads together. Bird rights are fair enough, but there seems to be too many exceptions that allow teams over the limit to keep recruiting players. I think I prefer the idea of a hard cap or no cap at all, but hey if it works for all parties involved who am I to complain?

Forgive me on the Jazz, I assumed they were still a lottery team, obviously not keeping track enough. In which case, it's kind of a shame Hayward made the switch, but like you say Boston has an easier path to the Finals and I'm sure he's happy to be reunited with Brad Stevens so I think it will work out for him.

Yeah, Jimmy. One of the first crazy moves of this off-season.

Dan Gilbert is trying to do what he can to get out of the repeater tax zone where he currently is, and Kevin Durant took a substantially bigger pay cut than he had to in order to keep the Lacobs tax hit lower. These people aren't made of infinite money so they're still going to do what they can to keep out of the tax unless they can afford the repeater tax hit.

It works in the NBA because of the small size of the rosters, so exceptions are necessary to be able to sign players if injuries happen.

There's a fair bit of speculation that it had more to do with not automatically being offered the max back when he was an RFA for the Jazz, so he felt slighted, but he won't actually ever say that.