By JOSH HELLER
Staff Writer
1. Mississippi State Ends UConn’s Run
After a historic 111-game winning streak, Connecticut has finally fallen, at the hands of Mississippi State in the Final Four.
It was Mississippi State’s Morgan William who hit a mid-range buzzer beater to down the Huskies in overtime, 66-64. The one-seeded Huskies had not lost a game in 865 days, and were going for their fifth-straight national championship.
UConn was down 16 at one point, and rallied back to take a three-point lead as regulation wound down. William had a chance to win the game in regulation, but her shot at the horn was blocked, and the two teams went to overtime.
Mississippi State and UConn met in the Sweet 16 last tournament, and the Huskies won by 60 points, the largest margin-of-victory in regional semifinal history. This time around, it was the Bulldogs who re-wrote the history books.
2. Bell Threatens to Sit Out 2017?
On April Fool’s Day, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell took to Twitter and threatened to skip the 2017 season if he stays under the franchise tag.
Due to the timing on the tweet, it is still not known if Bell was serious or not. But later that same afternoon, Bell again tweeted that he wasn’t joking.
Bell, a second-round pick in 2013, was given Pittsburgh’s franchise tag back in late February. This gives Bell and the Steelers until July 15 to negotiate a deal. If no deal can be met, Bell could either play the season under the tag, work out a one-year contract, or skip the season entirely.
When he is on the field, Bell is an elite player. (He was suspended last year for the first three games.) In 12 games last year, the 25-year-old put up almost 1,300 rushing yards, 600 receiving yards, and nine total touchdowns.
If Bell did decide to skip the season, the Steelers’ backfield would be filled by Knile Davis and Fitzgerald Toussaint.
3. Blue Jays Make Flurry of Moves
The Blue Jays made their fair share of notable moves, extending manager John Gibbons, releasing Melvin Upton Jr., and placing Roberto Osuna on the disabled list, all before the first pitch of the season.
Toronto has competed for the American League pennant each of the past two years, falling to the eventual-champion Kansas City in 2015, and the runner-up Cleveland in 2016.
Gibbons managed the Blue Jays from 2004 to 2008. Gibbons led Toronto to a 35-39 record in 2008, when he was fired. After not being with a team for three seasons, Toronto re-hired Gibbons in 2012.
2017 will prove to be a big season for Gibbons, as his Blue Jays will have a tough battle ahead against the rest of the A.L. East.
On Saturday, reports came out that Upton would not make the Blue Jays’ opening day roster in favor of Ryan Goins. The longtime Ray spent time in San Diego and Toronto last season, in a campaign where he posted a .238 batting average, 20 home runs and 27 steals.
The Blue Jays reportedly tried to trade Upton, but could not find a deal, so they released him. Two teams reportedly interested in Upton are Tampa Bay and San Francisco.
Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna was worrying many Blue Jays fans after his poor showing in the World Baseball Classic, but now they have a completely different reason to be worried.
Osuna was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to March 30, with neck spasms. Osuna pitched just two-thirds of an inning in the World Baseball Classic for Mexico, and gave up four hits and five runs (four unearned).
The 22-year-old appeared in 72 games last year, gathering 36 saves with a 2.68 ERA. His 36 saves slotted him in at 12th in the MLB, while his 1.70 walks-per-nine rate ranked 17th in the league amongst pitchers with 70-plus innings pitched.
In Osuna’s absence, Gibbons and the Blue Jays will rely on 40-year-old journeyman Jason Grilli, who had 24 saves just two seasons ago in Atlanta.
4. Woods to Sit Out Masters
On Friday, Tiger Woods announced that he would not participate in this year’s Masters Tournament due to a back injury.
This will be Woods’ third absence at Augusta in the past four years. He has not played a competitive round of golf since early February, when he withdrew from the Dubai Classic with back issues. Woods, now 41, missed all of 2015-16 with the same back issues.
The four-time Masters champion has also won 14 total majors, still four shy of Jack Nicklaus’ 18. Woods was on pace to shatter Nicklaus’ record, and he still could. But if this back injury isn’t solved soon, we may have seen the last of Woods on the PGA Tour.
5. Flyers’ Neuvirth Taken to Hospital
In Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, Flyers’ goalie Michal Neuvirth collapsed on the ice, and was taken to a Philadelphia Hospital.
Neuvirth is usually the backup netminder for the Flyers, but starter Steve Mason was under the weather before puck drop.
The Flyers had to call up emergency goalie Anthony Stolarz to back up Neuvirth.
Before the game, Neuvirth himself said that he was not feeling 100 percent, as the Flyers’ GM, Ron Hextall, said Neuvirth had a chest cold earlier in the week. Neuvirth said pregame that he wanted to give it a go.
Completely untouched, Neuvirth suddenly collapsed in the crease during the game, leading to both teams rushing to his assistance. He was motionless on the ice for a while, but he eventually began to move his extremities. Neuvirth was stretchered off after some time laying on the ice.
Neuvirth was kept overnight at the hospital, but all diagnostic tests came back normal. He was released from the hospital on Sunday morning, and rested at home.
After Neuvirth’s departure, the Flyers had an emergency goalie come in and sit on the bench. The Flyers tried to get him in for the last 30 seconds, up 3-0, but the referees wouldn’t allow it, since Stolarz was already considered the emergency goalie, and he was not injured.
Neuvirth stayed back in Philadelphia as the Flyers travelled to Madison Square Garden. Mason made the trip, but it was Stolarz who faced the Rangers.
