Tradition's Finest Episode 144 - The "Run, Forrest, Run" Episode

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 144 - The "Run, Forrest, Run" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: Curt Cignetti has engineered the turnaround of the century - if not college football history - over the past two seasons at Indiana - but the lone "knock" on Cignetti thus far has been Indiana's lack of elite talent brought in from the recruiting classes — That all changed last Friday when the Hoosiers' HC secured the highest-rated commit in program history with a pledge from a top-rated 2027 WR, and five-star player, Monshun Sales, the No.18 player in the SC Next 300 — The 6-foot-5, 200-pound recruit from Indianapolis is ESPN's No.4 WR prospect in the 2027 cycle — He announced his commitment to the defending national champion Hoosiers over Texas, Alabama, Ohio State and LSU last Friday afternoon during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show." - - Sales, the state's No.1 overall high school recruit in 2027, is Indiana's highest-ranked player since eventual All-American Jaylon Smith signed with Notre Dame as ESPN's No.7 overall prospect in the 2013 class - as his commitment represents a seismic milestone in Cignetti's remarkable turnaround following Indiana's storybook run to the school's first football national title in January: Sales joins OLB Jalaythan Mayfield (No.235 overall prospect) and in-state OT, Mason McDermott (No.254) as the third SC Next 300 commit atop the Hoosiers' latest recruiting class — All told, Indiana currently holds pledges from 17 prospects in the cycle - and if Sales ultimately signs with the program later this year, he'll surpass Class of 2022 signee Dasan McCullough (No.43 in the 2022 SC Next 300) as the highest-ranked addition in school history, as Indiana's class now ranks as the No.47 bunch in the country - - Originally from the state of Alabama - where he adopted the nickname "Bama," - Sales is a two-way star at Indianapolis' Lawrence North High School, where he totaled 37 catches for 794 yards and nine (9) TDs as a junior last fall, adding 56 tackles on defense - - He also offers blazing track speed in at an astounding 10.81 in the 100 meters. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Curt Cignetti and Indiana securing its highest-rated recruit ever in five-star WR Monshun "Bama" Sales?. . .Missouri Tigers RB Ahmad Hardy has been medically cleared and is expected to make a full recovery from a gunshot wound to the leg, but his timetable for a return remains unclear, per Tigers' HC Eli Drinkwitz on Monday at the annual SEC Media Days event - - Hardy was shot in the upper leg back on May 10 while attending an outdoor concert at a biker club in his hometown of Laurel, Mississippi — Drinkwitz said Hardy is "on the road to recovery" and is fully healed from from the bullet that struck a bone in his leg - - Drinkwitz also indicated that the star RB's return-to-play protocol could take between five (5) to eight (8) weeks but that there are no guarantees about when Hardy will be able to return, and how he will play and/or his performance following the incident - - **NOTE: Hardy finished second among all FBS players in rushing last year with 1,649 rushing yards, and he scored 16 TDs while helping the Tigers finish the season with an 8-5 record. . .University of Michigan AD Warde Manuel will reportedly step down at the end of the 2026-27 calendar year, the University announced on Monday - - The school also released a summary of an independent investigation into the "culture" of the scandal-plagued AD, which concluded that issuers were not "widespread." - - Manuel, 58, has led the powerhouse program as AD for over a decade, a time for which the program saw numerous national champions [including in college football and men's college basketball] but also NCAA run-ins, legal issues involving assistant football coaches (i.e., Connor Stalions) and the 2025 firing of head football coach Sherrone Moore for having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member - - On Monday, it released an outline of the investigation that has already cost nearly $12 million - as it does not plan to release any additional documents, according to a board of regents spokesperson - - While the outline stated that the review identified "a series of structural, policy, and operational recommendations designed to strengthen accountability and organizational effectiveness," Michigan president Domenico Grasso responded by issuing a video statement, in which he was critical of the "culture, conduct, and procedures," of the AD, noting "significant challenges." - - Grasso said the school will empower both its compliance team and Human Resources department and also made mention of strengthening background checks after the review "also identified interference, poor oversight and failures of accountability of the highest levels of university leadership," and furthermore noted, that "this must change.". . . - MLB - - Nolan Arenado ripped a double down the left-field line for his 2,000th career hit Monday night, joining an elite club that includes some of the greatest players in baseball history - - **NOTE: The 35-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman became one of six (6) major leaguers with at least 2,000 hits, 350 homers and 10 Gold Glove awards — The others are Hall of Famers: Ken Griffey Jr., Willie Mayes, Mike Schmidt, Johnny Bench and Al Kaline - as Arenado said it was particularly gratifying to join a small fraternity that includes Schmidt, whom of which he personally considers to be the greatest third baseman to ever play in the league - - Arenado connected on a fastball from Oakland Athletics LHP Jeffrey Springs in the 5th inning of a 5-2 loss and received a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd at Chase Field - - **NOTE: He is one of sic (6) active MLB players who have recorded at least 2,000 hits, joining Freddie Freeman, Jose Altuve, Andrew McCutchen, Paul Goldschmidt and Manny Machado - - The 10-time Gold Glove winner is in his first year with the Diamondbacks after an injury-filled 2025 season with St. Louis - - He was batting .244 with 13 HRs and a .739 OPS leading into Monday's game - - Arenado played his first eight (8) seasons with the Colorado Rockies before spending the next five (5) with the Cardinals - - Considered by many to be one of the greatest third baseman of his generation, the eight-time MLB All-Star has a .280 career batting average with 366 homers and 1,228 RBIs. . .The Boston Red Sox won their 15th straight game to match a club record for the longest winning streak in team history from 80 years ago, beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 in the opener of a split doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon - - They equaled the 1946 American League champs, who were led by future Hall of Famer Ted Williams: Jarren Duran had a two-run triple and a sacrifice fly, and Calen Durbin - who hit a tiebreaking HR when they posted their 14th straight victory on Monday - chipped in with a two-run single - - Ceddanne Rafaela added a solo HR for Boston in a makeup from Tuesday' rainout - - Christian Encarnacion-Strand had a solo homer for Baltimore, his second in two games, meanwhile, Red Sox rookie left-hander Jake Bennett (6-3) worked 5 2/3 innings, giving up three (3) runs - but unfortunately, he took a 102.5 mph hit ball off the stomach from Taylor Ward in the 5th, but he did remain in the game after being checked by a trainer - - **NOTE: Aroldis Chapman got the final three (3) outs for his 23rd save and 390th of his career, tying Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley for nine (9) all time - - Baltimore then turned the tables on Boston: as the Orioles ended the Red Sox' franchise-record-tying 15-game winning streak behind Kyle Bradish's six (6) innings of one-run ball, defeating Boston 5-1 in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Wednesday - - It was Boston's first loss since a 10-2 game contest against the Washington Nationals at Fenway Park on July 1. . . - NBA - - "Curry's HOF Exhibit:" The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will launch a new exhibit this weekend dedicated to Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, representing the first time in the nearly 75-year history than an active player will be honored within the walls with a dedicated exhibit: The exhibit, titled "Stephen Curry: Beyond the Arc," will open to the public in Springfield, MA on Friday, as it will include Olympic and championship artifacts, game-worn gear and archival footage of Curry's journey from an unheralded prospect to a decorated four-time NBA champion - - Curry is about to enter his 18th professional season in the NBA and has stated that he intends to play at least two more - and he is expected to engage in extension talks with the Warriors once he becomes eligible in late August. . .Q: Are you surprised that Stephen Curry is the first player to receive such an honor, even prior to LeBron James?. . - Miscellaneous - - PGA: Ryan Fox, 39, of New Zealand survived a wild ride along the back nine (9) at Royal Birkdale and delivered the biggest putt of his life Sunday, making a 12-foot birdie on the 18th (and final) hole to win The Open Championship for his first major title, closing with a 2-under 68 (-2) - - Needing a birdie on the final hole to avoid a playoff with clubhouse leader Cameron Young, Fox hit his approach shot from 175 yards out - and as the ball flex in the blue English sky toward the green, Fox yelled "Be right!". . .It was: The ball stopped 11 ½ feet from the hole - - After his playing partner, Sam Burns, putted out for par, Fox drained the birdie putt to win the Claret Jug - - Four (4) players had a share of the lead at some point Sunday: Cameron Young was atop the leaderboard for two hours without hitting a single shot because he finished his astonishing 6-under 64 when the leaders were on the front nine (9) - - Fox never lost hope, even after a pair of bogeys on the back nine (9), and the 39-year-old son of an All Blacks rugby player delivered the goods when it counted, as he birdied the 16th to tie Young for the lead, and then made birdie on the toughest hole (72nd) to become just the third Kiwi to win a PGA major - - Fox's sterling moment brought more disappointment for Young, as the American also finished one shot behind in The Open at St. Andrews four (4) years ago, and he had a Sunday lead on the front nine (9) at the Masters until Rory Mcllroy overtook him - - Sam Burns, the 54-hole leader, who was never planning to be at The Open until his wife gave birth to their daughter earlier than expected, lost a two-shot lead and didn't make a birdie over the last 12 holes to finish two shots behind on the leaderboard - - Defending Open champion Scottie Scheffler somehow managed to stick around until the end, getting two bad bounces that cost him momentum, then getting one big break for a most improbable birdie but failing to birdie the 18th - as he closed with a 67 and tied for fourth place with hometown star, Tommy Fleetwood, who fell back early but thrilled the thousands packed along the dunes with a birdie-birdie finish for a final score of 68 - - Missing from the drama, remarkably, was Bryson DeChambeau: he lost a golf ball and made triple bogey on the 11th hole and didn't make a birdie until he was well out of contention - as the two-shot penalty he received earlier on Friday for improving the path of his swing wasn't an issue at the end - DeChambeau shot a 72 and tied for 14th - - Fox won for the 10th time worldwide, his biggest title before Sunday coming at the BMW PGA Championship in 2023 -- **NOTE: Fox is the oldest first-time major champion since Henrik Stenson was 40 at Royal Troon ten years ago. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Ryan Fox's performance to win The Open Championship for his first PGA major title?. . . 2026 FIFA World Cup Recap: Third-Place/Bronze Medal Match: England vs. France - - England beat France 6-4 in a chaotic third-place World Cup playoff match last Saturday in Miami - as the finish was England's best at a World Cup since 1966 - - The first half saw Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa score before Bukayo Saka added a rapid-fire brace, completing his hat-trick from the spot three (3) minutes from time - - After the restart, France got going as Kylian Mbappe's brace made him the all-time leading goalscorer at the tournament, as Bradley Barcola contributed another to make it 4-3 before conceding a penalty which Saka converted – **NOTE: Mbappe moved past Lionel Messi for the career World Cup scoring record, scoring twice for France in the third-place match against England to reach 22 goals - - Mbappe has 10 goals in this World Cup, two more than Messi in the race for the Golden Boot, which is awarded to the tournament's top scorer - - France trailed England 4-0 when Mbappe flicked a shot past goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the 48th minute – Then he beat Henderson again with a left-footed strike from about 14 yards in the 66th minute to pass Messi's career mark of 21 goals - as France pulled within 4-3 on Mbappe's second goal: **NOTE: The 6-4 result marked the most goals in a World Cup game since 1982 [Hungary 10-1 over El Salvador] and the most goals for a third-place game - - An occasion that started with boos for the heavily-criticized manager Thomas Tuchel ended in a breathless bronze medal, with the wounds from the prior Wednesday's semifinal collapse to Argentina still raw - - Substitute Bradley Barcola scored the other and Le Bleus continued to pepper England's goal as Tuchel stared down the barrel of even greater humiliation than three (3) days prior - - But this England just held out: Saka scored a late penalty to complete his treble and substitute Jude Bellingham kept his cool after Ousmane Dembele's earlier stoppage-time strike. . .2026 FIFA World Cup Final: Spain vs. Argentina - - Ferran Torres clinched Spain's second men's World Cup title with an extra-time winner against reigning world champions Argentina in a bad-tempered final marred by Enzo Fernández's red card for a reckless foul on Pau Cubarsí - - Barcelona forward Torres, a 62nd-minute substitute for Mikel Oyarzabal, sealed a 1-0 win Sunday for the European champions when he struck from close range in the 106th minute his first goal of this year's World Cup - - By that stage, Argentina had been reduced to 10 players at New York/New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) following the dismissal of Chelsea midfielder Fernández after his foul on Cubarsí in the third minute of second-half stoppage time that left referee Slavko Vincic with no option but to issue a second yellow card and a red to the 2022 World Cup winner - - Spain had dominated the game and created numerous scoring opportunities without being able to convert - as Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez finished with 11 saves, the most in a World Cup final - - Spain's dominance was such that Argentina did not register their first shot until Lionel Messi had an attempt blocked in the 117th minute – **NOTE: The 39-year-old Messi, who became the first man to start three World Cup finals and the oldest outfield player to start a final, finished the tournament with eight (8) goals, two behind France's Kylian Mbappé in the battle for the Golden Boot – Though he has yet to confirm his future plans, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner probably has finished his World Cup career with 21 goals, one behind Mbappé - - **NOTE: Argentina, aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, were unable to match up to Spain, with even Inter Miami star Messi failing to trouble Luis de la Fuente's team - - Spain resisted late Argentina pressure to win the game and their first World Cup since defeating Netherlands in South Africa in 2010: "When you have Messi on the other side, well, you are nervous," Torres said. "At the end of the day, we always depended on us. We always come up with our football, and we showed it again." - - **NOTE: The Spanish finished the World Cup with only one goal allowed, the fewest for a World Cup winner despite playing more games (8) than any previous champion – The win made de la Fuente, at 65, the oldest coach to lead a team to the World Cup title: "We are world champions," de la Fuente said. "It was together we reached this stage. I feel pride, to be honest. Accompanying my players on this journey is an honor." **NOTE: As well as a second World Cup title, Spain's win extended their unbeaten streak to 38 games in all competitions (29-9-0 W-D-L), breaking a tie with Italy (2018-21) for the longest by a men's national team - - They are the third reigning European champions to win the World Cup title, matching the Spain team of 2008-10 and 1972-74 West Germany - - "Once we finished the game, I had a group of footballers who said, "Coach, what else is there to win, we have won everything, in every category?" De la Fuente added. "We came to the conclusion that what remains is the next match in September [against England at Wembley] because this team is relentless." - - **NOTE: It was the 104th and last match of the biggest World Cup, a 48-team event that played out in the U.S., Canada and Mexico – Because there were more matches than any previous World Cup, it was no surprise that there were more goals than all other editions -- 307 and counting entering Sunday - - The spectacle was not limited to simply soccer. . .Q: What were your thoughts on this year's and/or the 2026 World Cup?. . . - 2026 College Football Season Preview & Predictions PT. 2: ACC Conference: In Week Two of our 'Tradition's Finest College Football Season Preview & Prediction Showcase,' JD & Spencer discuss the history of the ACC Conference, provide a full breakdown & season outlook for the league, as well as to provide their individual predictions regarding a potential "dark horse" contender in the Conference and which member they predict to win the 2026-27 ACC Conference title/championship. . .             Thanks for Listening!