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As he celebrates 1,000 career NHL games, Milan Lucic reminisces over time with the Bruins

Milan Lucic’s 1,000th NHL game came during the 56-game, COVID-shortened season. With no fans in the Calgary Flames’ home arena, Lucic didn’t get the chance to properly celebrate the occasion.

So, the Flames are giving him another chance to celebrate on Saturday, when his current team hosts the first team he played for: the Boston Bruins. Lucic is thankful for the opportunity to celebrate the milestone with his first NHL team in attendance.

“Any time you play a former team you look forward to it,” Lucic told reporters Saturday. “I’ve got to give a lot of appreciation and thank you to the Flames and the organization for recognizing my 1,000th game played, re-recognizing it tonight, in front of the fans.”

“To have it here tonight and recognize it against a team that I played over half of my games with will be pretty cool,” Lucic added.

The Bruins drafted Lucic in the second round of the 2006 NHL Draft. Lucic made his way to Boston just one year later, helping the Bruins reach the playoffs for the first time in four years by scoring eight goals with 19 assists as a rookie.

Lucic’s role with the Bruins only grew from there. He scored 17 goals and had 25 assists in the following season. After playing in just 50 games in the 2009-10 season, Lucic had a career year in 2010-11, scoring 30 goals and notching 32 assists. He continued his strong play in the playoffs that year, scoring five goals with seven assists en route to the Bruins’ Stanley Cup Victory.

Two seasons later, Lucic again stepped up in the playoffs. He scored seven goals to go along with 12 assists, but it wasn’t enough for the Bruins that year as they fell to the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Lucic’s time in Boston came to an end following the 2014-15 season when he was traded to the Kings ahead of that year’s draft. He ended his time with the Bruins with 139 goals and 203 assists over 566 games.

As Lucic continues his 15th season in the league, he recalled what his Bruins teammates told him when he was a rookie.

“I remember my rookie year and talking to guys like Zdeno Chara and Shane Hnidy,” Lucic said. ”And even Glen Murray … and those three guys were the first to say to me, ‘Enjoy it, because it goes by fast.’ And I kind of laughed and said, ‘OK,’ you know, you’re just a 19-year-old kid and you’re kind of laughing at it. But now, 15 years in, you sit back and look at it all and it really does go by fast.”

Patrice Bergeron, who played with Lucic in all eight of his seasons with the Bruins, had a sense why Lucic was beloved in Boston.

“I think it’s his style of play,” Bergeron said. “I think he’s one of those guys who can beat you with his skill, but he also can beat you with his physicality and the way he plays the game — I think fans appreciate that because he plays hard.”

Those similar traits are also why Bergeron enjoyed his time as teammates with Lucic.

“Only have good things to say about him,” Bergeron said. “He’s the life of the party. He’s always smiling. He’s always happy. He’s always bringing it. And on the ice, he always sticks up for his teammates. He’s always there for you. You know he’s got your back.”

How the Patriots’ top rookies are playing in relation to their draft spot, other rookies at their positions

In recent years, Patriots fans have looked back at their team’s draft classes and wondered what could have been if they had picked other players selected later.

The 2021 draft class appears to be different, though. New England has already received contributions from their rookies, especially starting quarterback Mac Jones. Let’s take a look at how Jones and the other Patriots’ top draft picks are performing in relation to those selected around them and their fellow rookies at their positions.

Mac Jones – 15th overall pick

It’s pretty clear that Mac Jones has been the top-performing rookie quarterback this season. He leads all rookies in passing yards (2,869), passing touchdowns (16), completion percentage (70.3 percent), and passer rating (97.0). His nine wins as a starter are also more than every other rookie quarterback combined, which is why it’s reasonable that Jones is the clear favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

While Jones is the clear leader of the pack among his fellow rookie quarterbacks, the players selected around him have stood out so far. In particular, Chargers offensive tackle Rashawn Slater has shined this season. Slater, who was selected with the 13th overall pick, has started every game at left tackle and hasn’t missed an offensive snap this season. His 82.3 grade from Pro Football Focus is the seventh-best amongst all offensive tackles, leading some analysts to say that Slater should get some recognition for Rookie of the Year.

With Jones playing the way he’s been playing, the Patriots probably aren’t losing sleep over Slater nearly dropping to them. And while they didn’t have a pressing need at tackle entering the draft, they do have some long-term questions there. At left tackle, Isaiah Wynn’s had trouble staying healthy through the first four years of his career and is only under contract through 2022. Starting right tackle Trent Brown’s provided a boost to the Patriots offense since he returned from injury in Week 10, but he’s a free agent at season’s end.

Those reasons might have played a factor in the Patriots’ reported interest in USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, who the Jets selected by trading up to the No. 14 overall pick. Vera-Tucker’s played left guard for the Jets this season, but scouts believed he had the possibility of playing both guard and tackle entering the NFL.

Vera-Tucker’s had a solid rookie campaign. He’s allowed just one sack this season, which was good enough for Pro Football Focus to name him to its Midseason All-Rookie Team. PFF’s Mike Renner wrote then that Vera-Tucker’s “looked like a Pro Bowl-caliber guard.”

The two players selected prior to Jones have had strong seasons, but the two selected after him haven’t. Linebacker Zaven Collins, who was selected 16th overall by the Cardinals, and tackle Alex Leatherwood, who was selected 17th overall by the Raiders, have underperformed as rookies. Collins has struggled to see the field for the Cardinals in recent weeks, playing just 32 snaps over their last four games. Leatherwood was moved from right tackle to right guard due to poor play and injuries with PFF giving him a 44.4 grade so far this season.

Christian Barmore – 38th overall pick

The Patriots didn’t want to wait around to select Christian Barmore in the draft, moving up from the 46th overall pick to the 38th pick in order to get him. So far, that decision has paid off.

Barmore has 31 tackles (two for a loss) and 0.5 sacks this season. But the advanced metrics are fans of Barmore, too. Entering Week 13, Barmore had a 7.8 percent pass rush win rate, which was the best among rookie interior linemen. PFF also named Barmore to its Midseason All-Rookie Team, writing that “While he’s still earned just a 52.0 overall grade, no defensive tackle in the class has come close to flashing as much as Barmore.”

As for those selected around Barmore, the Dolphins picked safety Jevon Holland with the No. 36 pick and the Eagles selected center Landon Dickerson with the 37th pick. Holland has been stellar, recording 51 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions as he also got a spot on PFF’s Midseason All-Rookie Team. Dickerson moved from center to guard upon his return from injury in Week 3, helping an Eagles offensive line that’s regarded as one of the best in the NFL. Dickerson’s head coach, Nick Sirianni, even compared him to All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson.

While both players have played well, the Patriots didn’t have a need at either position. The Patriots selected Kyle Dugger in the second round a year prior and already have veterans Devin McCourty and Adrian Phillips in place, which would have made it difficult for Holland to find playing time. New England possibly could’ve used someone like Dickerson when it was dealing with its injury problems on the offensive line in October, but the Patriots have received strong interior line play there since then.

The Bears selected offensive tackle Teven Jenkins with the next pick after Barmore and the Falcons took safety Richie Grant right after. Jenkins didn’t make his NFL debut until Week 13 due to a back injury while Grant has mostly played on special teams this season, playing in just 25 percent of the Falcons’ defensive snaps.

As for the picks the Patriots gave up to get Barmore, they haven’t provided much for the Bengals. Jackson Carman (selected with the No. 46 pick) has started just five games at right guard this season. Defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin (selected with the No. 122 pick) has played in just one game and tackle D’Ante Smith (selected with the No. 139 pick) hasn’t played yet this season after getting placed on IR in October.

Ronnie Perkins – 96th overall pick

The Patriots’ third-round pick has yet to make his NFL debut as the defensive end’s been a gameday scratch for the entire season.

Fortunately for the Patriots, it doesn’t appear that any of the players selected near Perkins look like obvious studs right now. Guard Ben Cleveland (selected 94th overall) has only played in a backup role for the Ravens this season while tackle Robert Hainsey (selected 95th overall) has played in just four games for the Buccaneers.

With the pick after Perkins, the Chargers took tight end Tre’ McKitty, who’s played in just six games and only has one catch. The Broncos took center Quinn Meinerz after that, and while he’s seen the field more than any of the other aforementioned players, he’s only started four games this season.

Rhamondre Stevenson – 120th overall pick

The Patriots have gotten good value with their fourth-round pick so far. Stevenson is fifth among rookie running backs in rushing yards (429), third in yards per carry (4.3), and fourth in rushing touchdowns (three). The only running back who has better stats than Stevenson that was selected after him is 49ers back Elijah Mitchell, who was selected in the sixth round.

But Stevenson’s stood out the best among the group of players immediately selected prior to or after him. Chargers defensive end Chris Rumph (selected with the 118th pick) has played in all 12 games, but mostly as a role player. He’s recorded a sack and 13 tackles this season.

The Vikings took running back Kene Nwangu with the pick prior to Stevenson. He has just four carries for 16 yards this season.

The Jaguars took defensive end Jordan Smith with the pick after Stevenson and he hasn’t played yet this season. Shelvin was taken by the Bengals a pick later.

So, while it was the big free-agency spending that got much of the headlines in New England this offseason, the Patriots’ 2021 draft class has also played an integral role in the team’s success this season with Bill Belichick finding good value with three of his top four picks.

NYCFC wins MLS Cup, beating Portland Timbers in shootout

PORTLAND. Ore. (AP) — Alex Callens converted his penalty and New York City FC won its first MLS Cup title in a shootout after a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers on Saturday.

Golden Boot winner Valentin `Taty’ Castellanos scored in the opening half and it appeared that NYCFC was on its way to the league championship in regulation, but Portland’s Felipe Mora scored in stoppage time.

After the teams went scoreless in extra time, Callen’s penalty sealed NYCFC’s 4-2 shootout victory. Goalkeeper Sean Johnson saved attempts from Mora and Diego Valeri.

NYCFC celebrated in front of the goal after Callens converted, while Valeri lay in the center of the field in disbelief. A group of New York players broke off from the party to salute their fans, grouped in the opposite corner of the stadium.

NYCFC, which joined the league in 2015, had never advanced to the title game.

Castellanos, who had 19 goals in the regular season, was back in the starting lineup after missing the Eastern Conference final against Philadelphia. The Argentine striker was handed a red card in the conference semifinals against the top-seeded New England Revolution, which NYCFC won on a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.

New York’s 2-1 victory over at Philadelphia secured NYCFC a place in the MLS Cup final for the first time. NYCFC was the fourth seed in the East after finishing the regular season 14-9-11.

The Timbers were also seeded fourth after going 17-13-4 in the regular season. Portland downed the top-seeded Colorado Rapids on Thanksgiving Day before beating Real Salt Lake 2-0 at Providence Park to win the Western Conference and secure home field for the final.

The Timbers won an MLS Cup in 2015 and went to the final in 2018 but fell to Atlanta.

Portland saw the return of Dairon Asprilla, who was suspended for the match against RSL because of a late red card in the victory over the Rapids. Timbers playmaker Sebastian Blanco, who sustained a hamstring injury against the Rapids and didn’t play against RSL, also returned to the starting lineup. Blanco has seven goals and seven assists this.

The game was chippy at the start, with a brief skirmish breaking out in the 25th minute. Players also had do endure rather nasty weather conditions, with temperatures in the 40s, steady rain and gusty winds.

Castellanos scored on a header off a free kick from Maxi Moralez in the 40th minute, giving NYCFC the early lead. The goal celebration was marred when it appeared that one of that New York’s Jesus Medina was struck by an object thrown by a fan.

It was the first set-piece goal that the Timbers had allowed in 20 games.

The Timbers at times looked disorganized. Mora had one of the best chances for Portland in the second half, but his shot in the 81st minute fell directly in the hands Johnson.

Mora had another chance on a header off a cross in the 97th minute but it sailed well over the net.

He finally broke through in the final minute of four-minutes of stoppage time. It was the latest goal ever scored in regulation in an MS Cup.

But the goal was controversial. NYCFC players argued that it should be disallowed, claiming that Maxime Chanot was fouled by Portland’s Larry Mabiala in the run-up to the goal.

Valeri came in as a sub in the 89th minute as speculation about the 35-year-old forward’s retirement swirls.

Valeri was with the Timbers when they won the MLS Cup in 2015, scoring in the opening moments of the 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew. He was named the league’s MVP in 2017 after racking up 21 goals and 11 assist.

NYCFC joins parent club Manchester City in the Abu Dhabi-funded group in winning a title. The group now partially or completely owns NYCFC and Manchester City, as well as teams in Australia, Belgium, China, France, India, Japan, Spain and Uruguay with a partnership in Bolivia as well.

Owner Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of Manchester City in 2008 that transformed the fortunes of a team with little track record of success into the Premier League’s most successful team over the last decade.

Olympic leaders criticize FIFA as activists target meeting

Olympic leaders aimed their ire at FIFA’s president over his push for staging more World Cups, during an IOC-hosted meeting that Tibetan students tried to interrupt on Saturday in a protest against the Beijing Winter Games.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s plan to stage men’s and women’s World Cups every two years instead of four was previously criticized by the IOC which put it on the agenda for the annual “Olympic Summit” debate of influential sports bodies.

“The attendees voiced serious concerns over proposals from FIFA for a biennial World Cup and the impact on the worldwide sport event calendar,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

Before the heated words inside the online meeting that Infantino attended, several activists from the Students for a Free Tibet group tried to get into the IOC headquarters.

“We have engaged multiple times with peaceful protestors and explained our position,” the IOC said in a statement, “but we will not engage with violent protestors who used force to enter the IOC building and injured a security guard badly by doing so.”

Local police were called to help block the activists who continued to sit at the front doors and hold up banners including “Boycott Genocide Games” next to the iconic Olympic rings symbol outside the building.

Pro-Tibet groups are part of a wider alliance of activists fueling opposition to the Feb. 4-20 Beijing OIympics over China’s human rights record, including treatment of its Muslim-minority Uyghur people, democratic rights in Hong Kong and military harassment of Taiwan.

In recent weeks, the IOC and its president Thomas Bach have been more widely criticized for seeming too close to China over the uncertain safety of tennis player Peng Shuai after she made sexual assault allegations against a former senior government official.

Bach chaired the meeting Saturday to discuss “subjects of significance for the future of the Olympic movement.” It came two days after Bach said the IOC had no direct consultation with FIFA since the biennial World Cup proposal was formally announced three months ago.

Under questioning from several delegates, Infantino explained “ongoing discussions in FIFA were broader in scope than a biennial World Cup, and that what had been presented so far was only the preliminary results, which are still under discussion,” according to the IOC statement.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The IOC has previously said doubling the number of World Cups would affect the calendar of “tennis, cycling, golf, gymnastics, swimming, athletics, Formula One and many others.”

It would also potentially put a men’s 2028 World Cup, likely earning FIFA billions of dollars in commercial income, almost directly against the Los Angeles Olympics which open July 21, 2028.

Momentum for FIFA’s preferred plan has stalled in recent weeks after meeting resistance across European soccer and in South America.

FIFA will host its own online summit Dec. 20 from Doha, Qatar, with all 211 national member federations and continental soccer leaders due to debate future tournament options.

A closer look at Stephen Curry’s remarkable rise to 3-point king

Stephen Curry began his journey to the top of the NBA’s all-time three-pointers list Oct. 30, 2009, as a 21-year-old rookie playing in his second career game.

Two nights earlier, Curry missed the only three-pointer he attempted during his NBA debut. But just before halftime of a road loss to the Phoenix Suns, Curry shuffled a pass to Anthony Morrow, who fed Andris Biedrins on the right block. Curry walked his defender, Steve Nash, into the paint and then quickly curled back to the top of the key. With the help of a well-timed screen, Curry found himself wide open for a pass from Biedrins, launched before Nash could recover and swished his first three-pointer.

Television broadcaster Gary Bender greeted the shot by calling Curry, the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, “one of the pure shooters you’re ever going to see coming out of college.” Indeed.

In his 13-season career, Curry has won three championships, two MVPs and two scoring titles as the face of the Golden State Warriors while leading the NBA’s three-point revolution. Along the way, the 33-year-old Curry has smashed countless shooting records and positioned himself to surpass Ray Allen’s career record of 2,973 three-pointers.

“I obviously know I’m closing in, but I try not to let it creep into how you play,” Curry said this week. “You just enjoy the journey to get there. It does mean a lot to me.”

The NBA’s all-time leaders typically claim their thrones thanks, in large part, to their longevity: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons to become the league’s leading scorer, Hakeem Olajuwon logged 18 to become the blocks leader, and John Stockton played 19 to set the records for assists and steals. Likewise, Allen played the last of his 18 seasons in 2013-14 at the age of 38. Reggie Miller, the three-point record holder before Allen, hit 2,560 threes during an 18-year career before he retired at age 39.

Curry has shattered conventions when it came to the three-point shot, leading the NBA in three-pointers made and attempted for five straight seasons 2012-13 to 2016-17. During the 2015-16 season, he became the first player to average 10 three-point attempts per game, and in that same season he made a league record 402 threes. All told, Curry owns four of the five most prolific three-point shooting seasons. He also has made at least 10 three-pointers in a game 22 times; no other player has done that more than five times.

To get a sense for how thoroughly Curry has rewired conventional behavior when it comes to offense, consider that 50% of his career shot attempts have been three-pointers. By comparison, just 7% of Michael Jordan’s shots and 21% of Kobe Bryant’s shots were three-pointers, while 23% of LeBron James’s shots have been threes.

When he retires, Curry probably will be joined at the top of the list by Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden, who ranks fourth all-time and could move up to second in the next two or three seasons. Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard also has a chance to crack the top five by the end of next season.

Both Harden, 32, and Lillard, 31, have their work cut out for them if they ever hope to catch Curry, however. Will anyone ever catch up? One sign of Curry’s impact on the sport, though, is that he has influenced an entire generation of high-volume three-point shooters, including Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. Whether any rising stars will be able to mount serious challenges to Curry’s total remains to be seen, although it’s worth noting that Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield reached 1,000 career three-pointers in 350 games while Curry required 369.

Still, the cumulative power of Curry’s consistency and potential longevity shouldn’t be underestimated. Dell Curry didn’t retire until he was 37 years old, and his son is playing arguably the best basketball of his career this season. Curry’s shooting range, shot-creation ability and sheer energy should help him age gracefully, and it’s possible to imagine Curry serving as an effective three-point specialist into his 40s if he can avoid serious injury.

Assuming Curry plays into his late-30s or early-40s and enjoys relatively good health, he will zoom past 3,000 career three-pointers, surpass 4,000 and possibly even approach 5,000, which would have seemed inconceivable as recently as 2015. Even if the NBA’s three-point revolution continues to accelerate, Curry almost certainly will reside in a class by himself for the foreseeable future.

Boston man arrested for attack on 92-year-old at Quincy MBTA station

Police arrested a 49-year-old Boston man for allegedly assaulting a 92-year-old man at a Quincy MBTA station, according to a statement from transit police.

On Friday around 2:30 p.m., transit police officers responded to the MBTA’s Quincy Center Station for a report of an assault.

Officers found a 92-year-old man bleeding from his head and a concerned citizen attempting to help him, according to the statement.

Police said witnesses pointed out a man, later identified as Armando Hernandez, 49, of Boston, as the assailant.

Officers immediately sought out Hernandez and observed “his inebriated state and his uncooperative disposition,” according to the statement.

The victim told police he was forcefully shoved from behind, then fell to the ground and struck his head on the pavement.

According to police, the alleged attack was unprovoked and the victim has no familiarity with Hernandez.

Hernandez was arrested for assault and battery on an elderly person with injuries, authorities said.

The victim was transported to a local area hospital for treatment, according to the statement. 

NBA insiders speculate the Celtics as a team that could do ‘something interesting’ on the trade market

New Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens might have to get busy revamping the roster again.

After going 1-4 on their West Coast road trip to drop to 13-14 on the season, the Celtics already sit in a situation where it feels like something has to change.

Of course, they were without All-Star wing Jaylen Brown for the entire recent road trip and have been without him for 13 of the last 18 games. His return to the lineup, which appears to be imminent, could provide the Celtics the jolt they need to get back on track.

But even with Brown’s return looming, NBA insiders speculate the Celtics as a team who could be active on the trade market, especially with free agents who were signed over the offseason eligible to be traded beginning on Wednesday.

“I want to say this carefully – this is just my speculation, only my speculation – the team I’m watching to come off the top rope with something interesting – if they continue sputtering along, which is exactly what they’re doing – is Boston,” ESPN NBA analyst and insider Zach Lowe said on Friday’s “The Lowe Post” podcast. “Boston is 13-13, that’s not good enough.”

“I think we have good reason to be high on Boston (as a potential team to make moves),” Lowe added. “Their schedule for this month is brutal and they could be easily three games under .500 next time we talk. I don’t know even what it would look like but at some point, that mix is not getting you to where you think it should go.”

Lowe does have a point that it could get much worse for the Celtics before it gets better. While they begin a five-game homestand starting on Monday, four of the five teams they’ll face are currently above .500 (Bucks, Warriors, 76ers, and Cavaliers). They play the Bucks again on Christmas Day and have rematches against the Clippers and Suns, who each defeated the Celtics this past week, to close out the month.

If it does get worse soon, Lowe believes the Celtics have a big question to answer.

“You have to ask a question as a franchise: Is it the two best players are not amplifying each other and the rest of the team to the degree that we should? Or is it that we have the wrong group of players around them?” Lowe said. “I think it’s early to ask that question now. I don’t expect Boston to do anything dramatic this season because Tatum and Brown are so damn good. And by the way, Tatum’s found his stride in the last couple of weeks and is playing with more decisiveness and attacking mentality a lot of people want to see.

“At some point, they are going to ask that question. I don’t think it’s going to be this year and we’ll see how the rest of the season goes – and Jaylen Brown’s hurt and he’s missed the last bunch of games – but they’re still just not good enough.”

If the Celtics decide to change the roster around Tatum and Brown, former NBA executive turned ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks believes they’ll have multiple avenues to work out a trade.

“When you have teams that still have all their first-round picks, then you certainly have to circle them,” Marks said on “The Lowe Post.” “Then you have Josh Richardson and Marcus Smart, $30 million in contracts there, certainly Horford’s a big number. And then you’ve got a mix of all these former first-round picks, so there are things there to get a deal done.

“Now it’s a question if you’re willing to push multiple [first-round picks] to the middle here and do something drastic right now or you get Jaylen Brown back healthy and reassess where you are.”

Not everyone on the Celtics roster will become trade eligible on Wednesday. Dennis Schroder and Enes Kanter Freedom will become eligible to get traded after signing with the Celtics over the offseason, but Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Josh Richardson will not. Because all three players signed extensions over the offseason, they each won’t be eligible to be traded until late January.

As Marks mentioned, the Celtics have four players they’ve picked in the first round of the draft since 2019. But they might not have much trade value.

“There is not much interest in those former first-round picks that Boston has from Payton Pritchard, to Romeo Langford, to Grant Williams. I think Aaron Nesmith has the highest value of the players in that group,” Bleacher Report NBA insider Jake Fischer said on Sirius XM Radio on Saturday. “It’s difficult, and that’s why they’re kind of in the situation that they’re in right now. They had draft pick after draft pick after draft pick that hasn’t netted them anything more than back of the rotation type players. And they haven’t really developed outside of that besides Robert Williams and they are where they are.”

With the rest of the roster around them struggling, Fischer believes the Celtics could make the decision to separate their two young stars soon.

“I think this is definitely the beginning of the end of the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown pairing,” Fischer said. “I don’t know if that will get broken up this season, but I think sometime in the next 12-18 months we’re really going to start to hear conversations about the future of Boston with Jaylen Brown heading out the door.”

Around the league, there already have been rumors on who might get traded soon. The Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia appears to be nearing its end. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Lowe reported Friday that the 76ers have gained momentum on trading the star point guard in recent days. The Celtics have been one of the teams reportedly linked to Simmons, with Brown being named as a player the 76ers would want in return.

In addition to his report on Simmons, Wojnarowski added that the Trail Blazers have no interest in trading star point guard Damian Lillard. NBA insiders have viewed the Celtics as a potential fit if the Blazers make Lillard available.

The Pacers might be starting a rebuild soon. If they are, All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis, center Myles Turner, and guard Caris Levert could all potentially get traded, The Athletic‘s Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz reported Tuesday.

‘It’s just sad news, man’: Devin McCourty detailed what made Demaryius Thomas special

In the days following the death of Demaryius Thomas, many in the football world have expressed their condolences.

Patriots safety Devin McCourty, speaking on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Friday, said he was shocked to hear the news.

He came into the league the same year as Thomas (2010), played against him many times, and got to know him when Thomas was with the Patriots briefly in 2019. Though he didn’t play in a regular-season game, his presence was still very much felt in New England.

“Just the ultimate veteran,” McCourty said. “So many times seeing him talking to the younger guys, conversations that we had. Just tough news for anybody that got the opportunity to know him.

“From being a player, and being around the game, just retired in June, it’s just sad news, man.”

He called Thomas a dominant force and said he helped receivers such as N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers during training camp. He called it a “great opportunity” to have Thomas on the team that year.

“At one point in training camp, between him, (Julian Edelman), and (Josh Gordon), we had a stacked receiver room of just talent and accomplishments,” McCourty said.

McCourty also took to Twitter to show some love for Thomas, who was found dead in his home Thursday at age 33.

“DT was a flat out GREAT dude,” McCourty wrote. “Impacted so many lives.”

TV’s Strahan flies in space with astronaut’s daughter

Football star and TV celebrity Michael Strahan caught a ride to space with Jeff Bezos’ rocket-launching company Saturday, sharing the trip with the daughter of America’s first astronaut.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket blasted off from West Texas, sending the capsule on a 10-minute flight with the two VIP guests and four paying customers. Their automated capsule soared to an altitude of 66 miles (106 kilometers), providing a few minutes of weightlessness before parachuting into the desert. The booster also came back to land successfully.

It was five minutes and 50 miles (187 kilometers) shorter than Alan Shepard’s Mercury flight from Florida’s Cape Canaveral on May 5, 1961. His eldest daughter, Laura Shepard Churchley, took along a tiny piece of his Freedom 7 capsule as well as mementos from his Apollo 14 moonshot. She also packed some golf balls; her dad hit a couple on the lunar surface.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket launches carrying TV celebrity and former NFL football great Michael Strahan along with other passengers from its spaceport near Van Horn, Texas, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. Joining Strahan on the short space flight are Laura Shepard Churchley, the oldest daughter of America’s first astronaut, Alan Shepard, as well as four paying customers. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

A co-host of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Strahan bubbled over with excitement in updates for the show all week. He took along his Super Bowl ring and retired New York Giants jersey No. 92. Bezos stashed a football on board that will go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“It was unreal,” Strahan said after emerging from the capsule.

He said he wants to go again — but Bezos joked he’d have to buy his own ticket next time.

Bezos, who flew to space in the same capsule, accompanied the six passengers to the launch pad near Van Horn and greeted them afterward. He had “Light this candle” painted on the launch tower’s bridge, borrowing from Alan Shepard’s famous gripe from inside Freedom 7 as the delays mounted: “Why don’t you fix your little problem and light this candle?”

Shepard Churchley — who volunteered for Blue Origin’s third passenger flight — borrowed her late father’s phrase, yelling “Let’s light this candle!” while awaiting takeoff. Fierce wind held up her flight for two days.

She heads the board of trustees for the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

“I thought about Daddy coming down and thought, gosh he didn’t even get to enjoy any of what I’m getting to enjoy,” Shepard Churchley said following touchdown. “He was working. He had to do it himself. I went up for the ride!”

Saturday’s launch marks the last one this year by private U.S. companies as space tourism finally takes off. Virgin Galactic kicked it off in July, sending up its billionaire founder, Richard Branson, followed by Blue Origin and SpaceX. So many are flying that the Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday it will no longer designate who is a commercial astronaut or give out wings.

Bezos, who founded Amazon six years before Blue Origin, was on his company’s debut launch in July. The second, in October, included actor William Shatner — Captain James Kirk of TV’s original “Star Trek.” The late Leonard Nimoy’s daughter sent up a necklace with a “Vulcan Salute” charm on Saturday’s flight, in honor of the show’s original Mr. Spock.

Among the four space tourists paying unspecified millions each were the first parent-child combo: financier Lane Bess and his son Cameron. Also flying: Voyager Space chairman and CEO Dylan Taylor and investor Evan Dick.

Blue Origin dedicated Saturday’s launch to Glen de Vries, who launched into space with Shatner in October, but died one month later in a plane crash.

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Ratings don’t tell the whole story of the ‘ManningCast’ phenomenon

The Nielsen ratings for ESPN’s “ManningCast” — the alternate “Monday Night Football” viewing option on ESPN2 that features the comedic stylings and occasional football insights of Peyton and Eli Manning — are impressive but hardly phenomenal.

Take the Patriots’ 14-10 win over the Bills this past Monday. That broadcast averaged 14.97 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes. The traditional broadcast on ESPN drew 13.28 million of those viewers, the program’s second-largest viewership this season in the eight games in which there was an option to watch the Manning brothers.

And the “ManningCast”? That brought in 1.63 million viewers, just its fourth-largest audience of the season, and roughly 12 percent of the traditional broadcast’s audience. The ratings look better in context of what an alternate broadcast — such as the “megacasts” put together for the college football playoffs — usually delivers. The “ManningCast” accounts for the top seven most-watched alternate broadcasts in ESPN history. (The college football megacast debuted in 2014.)

So the ratings are good, if hardly phenomenal. But the show itself is undeniably a phenomenon. There was plenty to talk about during the buildup to Patriots-Bills, divisional rivals battling for first place in the AFC East, and yet one question always seemed to seep into the conversation: Which broadcast are you going to watch, the conventional one with Steve Levy, Louis Riddick, and Brian Griese, or the “ManningCast”?

And what happened on the “ManningCast” is unfailingly part of sports fans’ discussions on Tuesday morning. I’m not sure we have water cooler conversations anymore since many if not most of us still aren’t regulars in the office, but the “ManningCast” is part of whatever the modern version of that is — a running text chain with your buddies, perhaps.

And even if we don’t watch the “ManningCast” from beginning to end — their chattiness and digressions make the traditional broadcast more appealing if you are a fan of one of the teams playing — their highlights and interviews generate interest on social media.

Buzz-wise, the “ManningCast” isn’t the biggest phenomenon I’ve seen in NFL broadcasting, but it is on the short list. Keeping in mind that I’m not including one-offs like NBC’s announcer-less broadcast of a Jets-Dolphins game in December 1980 or why-didn’t-we-do-this-sooner? technological advances like the superimposed yellow first-down line or the score bug, here are the NFL broadcasting sensations I’d rate ahead of it.

The Howard Cosell/Frank Gifford/Don Meredith version of “Monday Night Football.” The inaugural “MNF” booth in 1970 featured Keith Jackson on play-by-play. But his primary association would be with college football. “MNF” took off and became a cultural touchstone, the original must-see TV sporting event, after Gifford, the all-American hero, joined the bombastic Cosell and the casually charismatic Meredith in the booth for the 1971 season. That trio was together through ‘73, and again from 1977-84, when the party finally was over.

“The NFL Today.” The original sports pregame show when it debuted as “Pro Football Kickoff” in 1961 on CBS, the show found its most successful format in 1975 when it rebranded as “The NFL Today” and introduced a diverse cast that included host Brent Musberger, analyst Irv Cross, reporter Phyllis George, with betting expert Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder coming aboard in ‘76. The show won 13 Emmys in 1975 and remained No. 1 in its time slot until CBS lost NFC broadcasting rights to Fox in 1994. Recommended read: “You Are Looking Live!: How The NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting,” Rich Podolsky’s new book on the history and impact of the show.

Pat Summerall and John Madden. Simply put, the best NFL broadcast pairing of all time. Summerall was almost comically understated — I’ll pause here while you go watch his just-the-facts call of Adam Vinatieri’s winning field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI — while the excitable Madden seemed liable to come crashing through your television and into your living room at any moment. And yet it worked, perfectly. Recommended rewatch: Their call of Super Bowl XXXI between the Packers and Patriots. At one point, Madden matter-of-factly says he thinks Bill Parcells was coaching his last game with the Patriots. He was informed.

Tony Romo. Hard to believe Jim Nantz, Romo, and Tracy Wolfson will be calling their 100th game together this weekend. (Twenty-four have been Patriots games, if you were wondering.) It doesn’t feel like that long ago when Romo became an instant sensation in 2017 by revealing an uncanny knack for identifying what an offense would try to do right before it tried to do it. He’s toned down the “NostraRomo” stuff some, and he’s a little more off-the-cuff than he used to be, but you know it’s a meaningful game when Nantz and Romo are in the booth and Wolfson on the sideline.

Honorable mentions: Chris Berman’s Sunday night highlights on ESPN’s “NFL PrimeTime”… The advent of NFL RedZone in 2009 … The Dick Enberg/Merlin Olsen pairing on NBC in the 1980s, the AFC answer to CBS’s Summerall and Madden.