#jersey-retirements

#jersey-retirements

When people think about Larry Bird, they think, 'Well he must have been an instant success, he must have been an instant star. He certainly was in the NCAA Tournament and played on national TV [right away].' All of those things are false. There is a very real reality in some alternative universe where Larry Bird doesn't become a basketball star at all.

"It's always good to be home. Special place with special fans. We're hoping for a special season. Obviously, it didn't go the way we wanted on that road trip, but we're able to reset, unpack yesterday, catch up with the families, and do the things that you needed to do to set yourself up for a long season here, and then show up today."

Gilmore finished his career as a member of six teams - the Bills, Patriots, Panthers, Colts, Cowboys and Vikings - and a Super Bowl champion. He played in two Super Bowls with the Patriots, becoming a key piece to help New England secure its sixth championship.

To hit for the Saint Cycle, a player must only sacrifice themselves in every plate appearance. They cannot be glorified with a hit, and in each trip to the plate, they must be saintly in a new way.

Browner was selected as a first time All-Pro three times and to six consecutive Pro Bowls in nine seasons for the Vikings. He had 37 interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and 17 forced fumbles in 138 games for the franchise.

Okay, I'm going to say it. Okay. Okay. St. John's fans...I was rooting for St. John's [in the tournament]. Do I want to play them? Probably not, but I didn't want to play Duke either, so we were rooting for St. John's, and then when we went to the [Elite Eight] game, all those St. John's fans were rooting against us, and that broke my heart.

Bill was a true trailblazer in our game, becoming one of the first Black players to play in the NHL, following pioneers such as Willie O'Ree and playing alongside fellow Capital Mike Marson.

"You're a Cardinal fan!" Immediately tosses it to someone else. An all-time move from McGregor, one that was immediately appreciated by the booth broadcasters, who couldn't stop laughing.

Baseball doesn't actually need defending. It's one of the world's great global games and is enjoyed in various forms by hundreds of millions of people every year. It's going to outlive all of us, I promise. But because of baseball's historical and cultural position in America, it is constantly subjected to a weird kind of forensic analysis that isn't usually applied to other sports: is it dying? Is it too slow?

Whether it was Bill Belichick's surly repetition, Ted Williams's ageless ambition, or David Ortiz's unexpectedly poignant f-bomb, New England has enjoyed (or been subjected to) more than its share of memorable quotes in the press. With that in mind, the topic of this year's annual Boston.com March Madness-themed bracket is a simple question: What is the best soundbite in Boston sports history?

At one point he made an assist while sprawled on the floor: From his end of the court, he made a one-armed throw to a teammate, who streaked coast-to-coast for a quick bucket. That season ended with an epic showdown in the NCAA championship game against Magic Johnson and Michigan State. Magic got the better of Bird in that game, but the contest had wider repercussions.

For most franchises, this sort of thing is cause for celebration and the warm embrace of nostalgia. But this is the Yankees we're talking about, and so of course fans and media members managed to turn it into one more thing to yell at each other over.

Prior to the Bulls' matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night, Benny teased a possible number change multiple times on social media in honor of Rose. He held a mock news conference where he was asked to address it. Benny made no comment, instead showing off a sign that read: "I've got 99 problems but my number ain't 1." Benny even organized a focus group to choose a number as he then hung up the No. 1 jersey in a closet prior to tipoff.

We don't know if none of this happens without him - the 10 trips to the Super Bowl this century, the six championships secured, with a seventh pending Sunday night's outcome. Tom Brady probably becomes a superb quarterback even if Adam Vinatieri had shanked that 45-yard, tying field goal on that snow-globe Saturday night against the Raiders in February 2002. Bill Belichick probably wins dozens, maybe even hundreds, of football games as a head coach.

Pro Bowl games used to be full contact affairs. Then they slowly started removing some of the contact elements for injury concerns. It started to resemble non-contact football, especially across the line of scrimmage. So they decided to replace it with flag football and a skills competition. It's a thing that they did out of necessity, but just decided to go full on fun. I would embed this here, but NFL sharing rules refuse it.

You don't 100% recall whether you voted for him or not, but you recall everything else you said and what you didn't say? But you didn't recall whether you voted for the man? So you remember everything surrounding the subject, but you don't remember whether or not you actually voted for him 100%? That's the most asinine thing that I've heard in quite some time!

"It was just fitting," Brown told WSB-TV's Alison Mastrangelo of the brief defect. "It was my high school experience all wrapped up into that one moment right there."