The Phillies are in first place! WOW!
Not even I, possibly the most positive Phillies fan ever, thought this was possible. But in the very mediocre National League East it's true. I have to say it again... The Phillies are in first!
I am enjoying saying this because I don't expect the Phillies to remain in first place for a long period of time. Both the New York Mets and the Washington Nationals have much more experienced and talented players than the Phillies, but I will be cheering them on for as long as possible. I hope this surprising winning streak lasts.
Jason Day won the Players Championship by four shots. If he didn't struggle on Saturday with a score of 73, it could have easily been a much bigger blowout victory. Jason has definitely cemented his position as the number one player in the world by winning a very impressive 7 of his last 17 starts on the PGA tour. As of right now, he can do no wrong. I am kind of worried about him keeping this level of play up over the long-term.
Jason seems to swing at the ball with a hundred percent effort every time. This could lead to some significant back and shoulder issues in the near future if he does not know how to slow his swing down. This will be especially problematic on short shots. The person who finished second to Jason was Kevin Chappell, who also finished as the runner up to Jason at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March of this year.
In other news, the Philadelphia 76ers got really lucky in the draft lottery and will be selecting first overall. The last time the Sixers had the first pick was in 1996 when they drafted Allen Iverson. If Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram are half as good as Iverson was in his prime, that will be a good pick.
The second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, is scheduled for Saturday. I hope they can have the race even with the forecasted nor'easter. There's nothing more dangerous for the horse and jockey than a very wet and muddy track. I hope this system is truly a coastal event and spares us all from watching just holding our breath.
On a little bit of a personal brag, two of my cousins will be playing for Syracuse in the NCAA women's lacrosse championship quarterfinals on Saturday. The game will be available on ESPN3 at 3 p.m. Well worth watching! Go Syracuse!
