What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:
1
Between Webb Simpson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. it is hard to say who had the better weekend.
In Simpson, the Olympic Club yielded another U.S. Open golf champion that many would not have picked out of hat. And another first-time major champion, at that.
Then there is NASCAR fan favorite Earnhardt Jr., who had not won a Sprint Cup race since 2008. You could almost hear the roar of the crowd as Junior took the final turn for the finish line.
We will not have them play 18 holes today to decide it.
They both owned the weekend.
2
Last week, voters in North Dakota decided to dump the university’s nickname “Fighting Sioux” as well as its American Indian head logo.
Along with the in-state political battle, the NCAA had put restrictions on UND because it found the longtime nickname offensive.
No matter where you stand on the nickname issue, some of here at Talking Points Central think UND should go sans-nickname from here on out.
We aren’t talking do it out of spite or protest … just go without.
And why not? UND still has its colors of green, white and black. That makes a good-looking uniform for sports teams. Plus the “UND” or “North Dakota” across the front, sounds like a winner.
Who ever said your school has to have a nickname and mascot, anyway?
3
What is it about grass court tennis in London that brings out bad tempers à la John McEnroe?
David Nalbandian of Argentina forfeited the title match Sunday at the Queen’s Club in London for injuring a line judge.
After hitting a bad shot against Marin Cilic, out of frustration Nalbandian kicked the wooden box around the linesman’s chair and the linesman suffered a cut on his shin.
Of course, Nalbandian put a different spin on the situation.
“Sometimes we feel so much pressure from the ATP to play a lot of tournaments,” he told reporters. “They don’t do anything (for) us, and today I do a mistake and I have to pay like that.”
