He is a man who needs no introduction. Especially here, where his statue adorns the grounds. But when Rafael Nadal came out Monday for his first match of the 2024 French Open, the courtside announcer did his thing. Taking a breath, he summoned Nadal by name and then ticked off the years he had won the title.
Fourteen in all. It’s a joke of a tally. The recitation of which enabled a somber occasion to start with some levity.
Presumptively, this was to be Nadal’s last French Open, his final raging against the dying of the light. He turns 38 next week. His current ranking slums outside the top 250, the kind of grim math that comes when your body doesn’t let you play—much less win—many matches.
He entered the tournament unseeded, jarring in itself. And, the tennis fates did their thing, yielding a first-round opponent of … Alexander Zverev, the fourth seed, the player who won last week’s big preview event in Rome, one of the top contenders, the last player at Roland Garros to push Nadal.
So it was these last dance vibes that came edged with a wince. The Rolling Stones or Elton John can announce a final tour. They may not hit every note. But they also don’t lose in straight sets to, say, Mumford & Sons.
Tickets to the most anticipated first-round match in the history of tennis—it's not hyperbole: try and name another—fetched $5,000 on the secondary markets and brought out both royalty and tennis nobility. Though he plays Tuesday, Novak Djokovic was in the stands. As was Carlos Alcaraz, the betting favorite to win this event. Iga Świątek, the defending women’s champion, finished her first-round rout, showered and took a seat.
As for the match itself … it played out as expected. Nostalgia and hope are powerful intoxicants. But eventually, they regress to the mean, and talent and time win out.
There were moments when Nadal did a convincing Nadal impersonation, striking the ball ferociously, picking off volleys, looking like the clay court impresario whose career record at this venue, going into Monday, was 112–3. There were times when he looked like a man in his late 30s—playing a fine opponent, more than a decade younger. There were times when he looked fresh, and there were times he looked physically spent, as one would expect from any player who had gone more than 450 days without playing a best-of-five match.
Nadal was, inauspiciously, broken to start the match, and Zverev took the first set 6–3. Nadal broke Zverev and served for the second, electrifying the crowd. When he failed to close, the deflation was palpable. When he lost the second set in a tiebreaker, this went from an exercise in potentially witnessing history to an exercise in potentially witnessing Nadal’s final match, at least at the French Open.
Nadal addressed the Roland Garros crowd following the match, saying he wasn't sure if this was his last French Open. / Clive Mason/Getty Images
The third set was Nadal's insistence on not going quietly. He got up an early break but then gave it up and fell 6–3, 7–6, 6–3. Respectable? Absolutely. But not the result befitting a 14-time champ.
You cite the comical, flattering stats, you also have to cite the downers. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Nadal lost in the first round of a clay event. For the first time here, he lost in the first round. For the first time ever, he has now lost back-to-back matches on clay.
Credit Zverev for compartmentalizing, ignoring the occasion, locking in mentally, and simply bringing his flagrant talent—especially on his backhand—to bear. He can now pivot from this momentous match to trying to win his first major, a distinct possibility. (Zverev's appeal of a penalty order issued by a German court stemming from domestic abuse allegations made by his ex-girlfriend goes to trial during the tournament.)
As for Nadal … who knows? He called off a retirement ceremony the tournament had planned. It’s not that he’s being coy about the endpoint of his unrivaled career. It’s that, by all accounts, he genuinely doesn’t know when the ride will end. Ironically his last match might be in Paris in two months, assuming he fulfills his vow to play in the 2024 Olympics.
He left the court wearing a look of resignation. One that suggested he has played the French Open for the last time. But also—a champion to the end—that he genuinely thought he could take this match.
On Monday, Zverev won. So, alas, and as ever, did time.
Andy Dalton was dubbed the best backup 12 months ago. He’s no longer considered the best after all the shuffling that went on this offseason. Crowning Dalton No. 1 might not look good now, but it didn’t help that he only played one game last year as Bryce Young’s backup with the Carolina Panthers. It was, however, an impressive 361-yard performance against the Seattle Seahawks.
We’ll pat ourselves on the back for ranking Gardner Minshew II No. 3 last year. He was a first down away from guiding the Indianapolis Colts to the postseason after replacing an injured Anthony Richardson. Expect Minshew to be ranked high again on this year’s list, but there will be plenty of new names. Our new No. 1 backup wasn’t even on the list last year.
A few rookies drafted in the first round are in the midst of a starting competition, but it’s obvious that they’ll be the starter by Week 1 or not long after. With that in mind, we left off rookies Bo Nix, J.J. McCarthy and Drake Maye and added their veteran competitors.
Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, the top two picks in the draft, are expected to be immediate starters. As for Michael Penix Jr., he’s expected to start his career as Kirk Cousins’s backup.
Let’s find out where on this list Penix lands and who will be crowned the No. 1 backup quarterback in the league. Last year’s rankings are in parentheses.
32. Jake Haener, New Orleans Saints
Haener had somewhat of a laidback rookie season as a third-stringer behind Derek Carr and Jameis Winston. With Winston now in Cleveland, Haener, the 2023 fourth-round pick out of Fresno State, got promoted to No. 2.
31. Sean Clifford, Green Bay Packers (31)
Clifford, a 2023 fifth-round pick, only threw one pass during his rookie season. The Packers are taking a gamble by relying on an inexperienced player to back up Jordan Love, but it says something that the team was comfortable with him filling the role for his second season.
30. Easton Stick, Los Angeles Chargers (29)
Stick finally saw game action last season, but the sixth-year veteran had four rough starts, including the embarrassing 63–21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
29. Josh Johnson, Baltimore Ravens
Johnson has played for 14 NFL teams and is currently in the midst of his second stint with the Ravens. Johnson has had his fair share of impressive games, but at age 38, he might not have much left if he’s needed to step in for Lamar Jackson this season.
28. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders (11)
Mariota is now on his second team since a failed starting stint with the Atlanta Falcons. He wasn’t needed much with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Washington Commanders are hoping for the same during Daniels’s rookie season. Mariota has 74 career starts with the Tennessee Titans and Falcons.
27. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (13)
Mills lost his starting job to Stroud in 2023. / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Mills lost his starting gig after the arrival of C.J. Stroud last season. He could be a decent backup based on his 26 starts with the Texans from 2021 to ’22.
26. Tyson Bagent, Chicago Bears
Bagent made a name for himself as an undrafted rookie last year, delivering an impressive win against the Raiders. But Bagent struggled with consistency throughout his four starts while filling in for Justin Fields.
25. Hendon Hooker, Detroit Lions (26)
Hooker was viewed as a potential first-round prospect last year, but a torn ACL caused him to fall to the third round. Now that he’s healthy, he’ll slide in as Jared Goff’s backup for his second season.
24. Mike White, Miami Dolphins (9)
The Dolphins quickly signed White in free agency last year as insurance for Tua Tagovailoa, who has dealt with injuries early in his career. White wasn’t needed with Tagovailoa playing in every game, but he showed during his New York Jets stint that he’s capable of keeping a team afloat in case of emergency.
23. Desmond Ridder, Arizona Cardinals
Ridder is one of a handful of Week 1 starters from last season who ended up on this list. The third-year quarterback struggled to establish a rhythm with the Atlanta Falcons. Perhaps leaving Arthur Smith’s offensive scheme will help Ridder find his footing as Kyler Murray’s backup.
22. Mitchell Trubisky, Buffalo Bills (15)
Trubisky in his second stint with the Bills. / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans weren’t happy with us ranking Trubisky at No. 15 last year. That turned out to be generous after Trubisky had a rough five games and was benched for Mason Rudolph. But maybe the 2017 No. 2 pick gets back on track during his second stint in Buffalo.
21. Kyle Trask, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (18)
The Buccaneers named Baker Mayfield the starter over Trask last summer and didn’t look back en route to another NFC South title. Trask, the 2021 second-round pick, is a bit of a mystery, but it might say something that the team considered starting him a year ago.
20. Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys (6)
Rush had competition last year after the team traded for Trey Lance, the 2021 No. 3 pick of the San Francisco 49ers. But the team kept him as the No. 2 behind Dak Prescott and re-signed him this offseason for the same role. Rush is best remembered for his five starts in ’22.
19. Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets (14)
Taylor has had a solid career as a reliable backup who tends to protect the football and runs an offense efficiently. He might play it too safe at times, but he rarely makes his coaches pull their hair out. There were lots of frustrations about Zach Wilson’s performance last year after Aaron Rodgers went down.
18. Jarrett Stidham, Denver Broncos (16)
Stidham had mixed results in his two starts after the team decided to pull the plug on Russell Wilson, who was released in March. With the tough circumstances, Stidham passed for 496 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also started two games for the Raiders in 2022.
17. Kenny Pickett, Philadelphia Eagles
The 2022 first-round pick started a combined 24 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his lack of arm strength and skittish performances led to Pittsburgh trading him to Philadelphia to make room for Wilson. In those starts, Pickett had a 14–10 record, completing 62.6% of his passes with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
16. Mac Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jones never lived up to his first-round selection with the Patriots. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The 2021 first-round pick failed to get on the same page with his teammates on the field and with Bill Belichick the past two seasons as the Patriots’ starter. There were high hopes for Jones after an impressive rookie season in ’21, when he passed for 3,801 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
15. Mason Rudolph, Tennessee Titans
Rudolph was left off this list last year because he was the third-stringer in Pittsburgh behind Pickett and Trubisky. He ended up being the better of the three, guiding the Steelers to a late three-game winning streak to sneak into the postseason. Rudolph averaged 238 passing yards in those three starts with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
14. Jimmy Garoppolo, Los Angeles Rams
Garoppolo’s days as a starter are likely over after one season with the Raiders. He’ll get a fresh start under the guidance of Sean McVay, who helped reignite Baker Mayfield’s career a few years back. Garoppolo, 32, went from standing in the Rams’ way as the starter for the 49ers to becoming the backup to Matthew Stafford. He has played in 81 career games with 63 starts during 10 NFL seasons.
13. Joshua Dobbs, San Francisco 49ers(19)
Dobbs’s chaotic 2023 season will be best remembered for guiding the Vikings to a victory against the Falcons five days after being traded by the Cardinals. Dobbs also had a memorable win against the Dallas Cowboys as a member of the Cardinals. But Dobbs is a bit erratic at times, but his highs tend to win games and it helps that he received guidance from Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell last season and now will get to learn from 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.
12. Carson Wentz, Kansas City Chiefs
Wentz is in a good situation in Kansas City backing up Patrick Mahomes. / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Wentz helped the Rams defeat the 49ers in Week 18, sending Stafford to Detroit to face his former team in the wild-card round. After waiting months for another opportunity, Wentz proved in the lone start he has plenty left to offer.
11. Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns (5)
Winston, the 2015 No. 1 pick, continues to be erratic, but he often gives his team a fighting chance with his gun-slinger mentality. Winston has 80 career starts with 141 touchdowns and 99 interceptions.
10. Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers (1)
Dalton’s priority last season was to help Bryce Young get acclimated to life in the NFL. He did step up in the one game Young missed, passing for 361 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 3 against the Seahawks. Dalton has 163 career starts since entering the league in 2011.
9. Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots (2)
Brissett has developed a reputation for being ready at any moment, which he did with the Patriots to start his career and did with the Colts, Dolphins, Browns and Commanders. Brissett nearly pulled off a comeback victory against the Rams after Sam Howell was benched. The ninth-year veteran has appeared in 79 career games with 48 starts.
8. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (7)
Darnold moved up the rankings because he spent a year learning from Shanahan and will now get to work with O’Connell, who did wonders with Dobbs and Nick Mullens last season. Darnold did have a rocky start in the Week 18 matchup against Wentz and the Rams, passing for 189 yards and one score.
7. Drew Lock, New York Giants (17)
Lock kept the Seahawks’ playoff hopes alive by guiding them to a victory against the Eagles to snap a three-game losing streak. Lock might be suited for the backup life with how quickly he can get hot on the field. But his lows caused him to flame out as a starter with the Broncos. He’ll now get to push Daniel Jones in practices with the Giants.
6. Sam Howell, Seattle Seahawks
Howell has struggled to protect the football and avoid sacks. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Howell is another streaky quarterback who can push the ball downfield. But he struggled with protecting the football and avoiding sacks during his lone starting season with the Commanders last year. The 2022 fifth-round pick passed for 3,946 yards with 21 touchdowns and 21 touchdowns last season.
5. Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers
Fields could get a chance to compete for the starting job, but all signs point to him opening training camp behind Wilson. If Fields takes the backup role, he’ll need to adjust quickly when his number is called. Fields’s consistency was often an issue with the Chicago Bears, but he had many highs as a three-year starter. He had 40 touchdowns, 30 interceptions and completed 60.3% in 38 starts the past three seasons.
4. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Perhaps this is a bit high for Penix, but obviously the Falcons think highly of him after using their No. 8 pick to draft him in April. That probably also meant many teams had Penix on their radar, leading Atlanta to make the controversial pick. Had he gone elsewhere, Penix appeared ready to be an immediate starter based on his memorable final season at Washington. Instead, he’ll wait for his opportunity as Kirk Cousins’s backup.
3. Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts
Flacco delivered one of the best comeback stories in recent memory, helping the Browns make the postseason and winning Comeback Player of the Year. He turned back the clock and resembled the quarterback who helped the Ravens beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl. The 39-year-old posted a 5–1 record, averaged 323.2 passing yards per game and added 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
2. Gardner Minshew II, Las Vegas Raiders (3)
Minshew saved the Colts’ season by stepping up after Anthony Richardson sustained a season-ending shoulder injury after four games. It got rough at times, but Minshew gave the Colts a fighting chance in most games. In his 13 starts, Minshew had 3,305 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’ll now compete with Aidan O’Connell for the starting job.
1. Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals
Many assumed Cincinnati would falter from the playoff race after Joe Burrow sustained a season-ending wrist injury with seven games left on the schedule. But the Bengals remained in playoff contention through Week 18 because of Browning’s sensational performances, including a three-game winning streak. He didn’t just keep the team afloat, he elevated the offense by averaging 276.5 passing yards and completing 70.37% of his passes in his seven starts. He outdueled Trevor Lawrence on Monday Night Football with 354 passing yards and one touchdown.
Daisy Ridley's next film is called Young Woman and the Sea, which shares the story of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel. Ridley plays the main character, Trudy, who was one of the best swimmers in the world when she swam the Channel in 1926. Along with her historical achievement of swimming from France to England, Ederle was an Olympic gold medalist in the 1924 games.
In an interview with SI Kids, Ridley explained that she was "inspired" playing the role of Ederle.
"I felt very inspired by what she did," Ridley said. "I felt very loved by the people I was working with, and I feel very proud to be telling that story."
It was not a natural role for Ridley through one lens, though. The actress known for her role in Star Wars revealed she was not a big swimmer before filming Young Woman and the Sea, and there were challenges as a result.
"No," Ridley said when asked if she was a swimmer going into filming. "I could not do the front crawl before this... I didn't know how to do any of that. Sometimes I did hold my breath competitions and sort of did a bit of breaststroke, but I didn't really know how to front crawl before this."
Another challenge came in the form of where the scenes were being filmed. Ridley told SI Kids that she does not like to swim in the open ocean, but seeing as the movie is about doing just that, she had to step out of her comfort zone.
"I usually don't like swimming out in the open water," she explained. "I like being in pools, and I like having my feet in the sea. So it was quite scary. I knew there were no sharks, but there were jellyfish, so I was scared I was going to be eaten by something."
Just like with anything in life, though, filming Young Woman and the Sea had plenty of high points. Ridley specifically highlighted the enjoyment she got out of working with her co-star while speaking with SI Kids.
"The most fun part about making the movie was probably working with my sister in it (Margaret Ederle, played by Tilda Cobham-Hervey)," said Ridley. "We got on really, really well and it was really fun to act with her. We also became really good friends with our swimming coach. So that was great."
Young Woman and the Sea will be released on Friday, May 31.
If a team based in Edmonton, Alberta dominating a North American sports league seems odd in the 2020s, imagine how it must have looked in the greed-is-good 1980s.
That was life for the Edmonton Oilers with center Wayne Gretzky and his contemporaries, during which the team was the class of the hockey world. From their humble World Hockey Association origins—their first game, as the Alberta Oilers, was played against the long-dead Ottawa Nationals—they rose to epitomize a flashy, high-scoring epoch of the sport.
As Edmonton seeks Stanley Cup number six this season, here's a look back at how the Oilers won their first five.
GAME
RESULT
Game 1
Oilers 1, Islanders 0
Game 2
Islanders 6, Oilers 1
Game 3
Oilers 7, Islanders 2
Game 4
Oilers 7, Islanders 2
Game 5
Oilers 5, Islanders 2
A changing of the guard—the New York Islanders had won the last four Stanley Cups and beaten Edmonton the year prior. Gretzky's first title, although Oilers forward Mark Messier won the Conn Smythe Trophy. The first time since the Victoria Cougars' 1925 triumph that the Cup went west of the Central time zone.
GAME
RESULT
Game 1
Flyers 4, Oilers 1
Game 2
Oilers 3, Flyers 1
Game 3
Oilers 4, Flyers 3
Game 4
Oilers 5, Flyers 3
Game 5
Oilers 8, Flyers 3
This series belonged to Gretzky. His seven goals are tied for the fifth-most in any Stanley Cup Finals; all four of the greater totals were recorded in 1922 or earlier. His 47 playoff points are a still-standing record for one postseason, for which he won his first Smythe Trophy.
GAME
RESULT
Game 1
Oilers 4, Flyers 2
Game 2
Oilers 3, Flyers 2 (OT)
Game 3
Flyers 5, Oilers 3
Game 4
Oilers 4, Flyers 1
Game 5
Flyers 4, Oilers 3
Game 6
Flyers 3, Oilers 2
Game 7
Oilers 3, Flyers 1
A legendary series between two 100-point teams in the regular season. The Flyers won Game 3 after trailing 3-0, the first such comeback in Stanley Cup Finals history. Philadelphia led Game 7 1-0 after just 1:41, but goals by Messier, right wing Jari Kurri and right wing Glenn Anderson gave Edmonton the title.
GAME
RESULT
Game 1
Oilers 2, Bruins 1
Game 2
Oilers 4, Bruins 2
Game 3
Oilers 6, Bruins 3
Game 4
Oilers 6, Bruins 3
A notable series for precisely two reasons. First, Game 4 was suspended during the second period—and ultimately relocated to and replayed in Edmonton—after the power went out at Boston Garden. Second, after scoring a goal and recording two assists in the clincher, Gretzky never played another game for the Oilers.
GAME
RESULT
Game 1
Oilers 3, Bruins 2 (3OT)
Game 2
Oilers 7, Bruins 2
Game 3
Bruins 2, Oilers 1
Game 4
Oilers 5, Bruins 1
Game 5
Oilers 4, Bruins 1
Edmonton's only Stanley Cup after trading Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings on Aug. 9, 1988; the Oilers swept the Kings on their way to the Finals. Game 1 is still the longest-ever Stanley Cup Finals game. Goalie Bill Ranford won the Smythe Trophy, the only major individual accolade of his career.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas's journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics came to a close on Wednesday when she officially withdrew from the U.S. Gymnastics Championships due to an ankle injury, via The Athletic.
This would've been Douglas's third Team USA bid if she were to make the team. She was the 2012 Olympic all-around champion in London, then competed in Rio in 2016, but she was not part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics team.
However, Douglas isn't calling her Olympic gymnastics career over yet. She has her sights on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles now.
“My plan is to continue to train for the L.A. 2028 Olympics,” Douglas said, via ESPN. “It would be such an honor to represent the U.S. at a home Olympics.”
The U.S. Gymnastics Championships begin on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.
The rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will take place on Dec. 21, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, announced on Wednesday.
On May 18, Usyk (22–0) defeated Fury (34-1-1) by split decision to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, the first undisputed heavyweight titleholder this century and the first ever in the four-belt era. In an electric, back-and-forth fight, Usyk overcame a slow start to knock Fury down in the ninth round to secure a narrow decision win.
“I believe I won the fight, but I'm not going to sit here and cry and make excuses," Fury said. "I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them. What can you do? We both put on a good fight, the best we could do.”
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Alalshikh posted: “The rematch between the Undisputed Champion Oleksandr Usyk and the Champion Tyson Fury is now scheduled on the 21 of December 2024 during Riyadh Season...The world will watch another historical fight again... Our commitment to boxing fans continues...We hope you enjoy it.”
Usyk is the first undisputed heavyweight titleholder in the four-belt era. / Richard Pelham/Getty Images
While the first fight between Fury and Usyk was for the undisputed championship it’s possible at least one belt will not be on the line in the rematch. The IBF had ordered that the winner of Fury-Usyk face Filip Hrgović, who has been the sanctioning body's No. 1 contender since 2022. While Usyk’s team has requested an exception to face Fury again, Hrgović, who will take on Daniel Dubois in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, intends to aggressively demand that the IBF enforce his status as mandatory challenger, a source close to Hrgović tells Sports Illustrated.
“There's already been an exception, so very unlikely that there’s another,” says Eddie Hearn, the promoter for Anthony Joshua, who is expected to fight the winner of Hrgović-Dubois.
“You don't really want the belts to be fragmented but then you've got a guy [Hrgović] that's been ordered ages ago and has been waiting and waiting and waiting. You can't just ignore your mandatory challenger for two or three years.
“And I get the whole point of, ‘Yeah, but it's great to have an undisputed champion,’ but what if the shoe is on the other foot? What if you are this guy who's been mandatory and now he goes out and beats Dubois and now he's told no, actually you can't get your world title shot till the summer of 2025? It's not fair. So I get both sides of the argument, but I do expect that IBF belt to come vacant.”
Regardless of how many belts are at stake, Fury and Usyk are now set to tangle again.
It took 87 minutes of game time, but the New York Rangers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4–3 in double overtime Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
Rangers veteran center Vincent Trocheck swatted in the game-winning goal at the 7:24 mark of the second overtime, sending a shot through the five-hole of Carolina goaltender Igor Shesterkin off a rebound.
As the lamp was lit, chaos ensued on the ice as the entire Rangers bench flocked to the boards to celebrate Trocheck's game-winner. One photo in particular perfectly captured the celebration, with Trocheck happily gazing into the crowd while being swarmed by teammates.
Put that on a poster.
Trocheck, who played for the Hurricanes for two seasons before joining the Rangers in 2022, now has scored a goal in five straight playoff games. That ties the longest goal streak in Rangers' playoff history, joining Cecil Dillon in 1933.
Trocheck scored 25 goals in 82 regular-season games for New York this season and tallied a career-high 77 points.
After taking the first two games of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Rangers will hit the road Thursday for Game 3 against the Hurricanes at PNC Arena.
New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba nearly connected on a vicious hit Tuesday night during Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden.
During the first overtime of the Rangers' 4–3 win, Trouba tried to lay a violent check on Carolina center Martin Necas near the boards. Necas ducked out of the way at the last second, narrowly avoiding Trouba's elbow.
Trouba went flying into the boards head first, and as he came down, his right leg landed on Necas's head. Both players were O.K. and continued to play after the collision.
Trouba is known to throw around big hits on the ice—and sometimes they are rather dangerous. He has been suspended several times over his 11-year career, including a two-game penalty earlier this season for elbowing Vegas Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev in the head.
NHL fans weighed in on the wild near-collision Tuesday night:
I don't know if I've ever seen a play where someone almost kills someone else twice and themselves once, but I'm not surprised it involved Trouba pic.twitter.com/3dDPfaXcY5
jacob trouba sees an unchecked head and his elbow start yelling at him like the green goblin mask
— noah hockey stick emoji (@capsboybebop) May 8, 2024
Trouba and the Rangers exited Game 2 with a win, handing the Hurricanes a 2–0 series deficit on Vincent Trocheck's power-play goal at the 7:24 mark of the second overtime.
The teams will match up once again Thursday for Game 3 at PNC Arena.
For about 30 seconds, there was nothing but deafening silence to be heard during the sixth inning of Bally Sports Kansas City's broadcast of the Kansas City Royals' clash against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
Royals analyst Rex Hudler took the microphone to further break down Kansas City right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo whiffing Brewers shortstop Willy Adames with an 81.7-mph slurve.
"And then you drop the deuce on the outside part of the plate," Hudler said. "That big curveball, nice, right out of the zone, just like you like it."
Play-by-play announcer Ryan Lefebvre didn't say a word. He let the moment breathe with viewers soaking in every last word of Hudler's funny phrasing.
"And then you drop the Deuce on the Outside part of the plate." 🤣
"Just to clarify—a deuce is a curveball," Lefebvre said.
"Yeah, it's two," Hudler responded, referencing the number of fingers that catchers use to signal for a curveball.
Too funny.
Adames eventually got his revenge for the sixth-inning strikeout, blasting a three-run go-ahead homer in the top of the ninth. The Brewers beat the Royals 6–5.
Former Utah State quarterback Cooper Legas is expected to transfer to Tulsa, per 247Sports’ Chris Hummer.
The signal caller appeared in 21 games over the last three seasons with 15 starts during his career with the Aggies, throwing for 3,485 yards with 32 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Legas’ best collegiate season came last year where he started seven of the nine games he appeared in, throwing for 1,815 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The Orem, Utah native was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and chose Utah State over offers from several programs including BYU, Air Force and Arkansas.
Legas holds ranks among the top-12 in several Utah State passing categories including career completion percentage (62.6%) which ranks him third all-time in school history and his 32 touchdown passes ranks him 11th all-time. Also, last season’s 64.8 completion percentage (138-of-213) is the fourth-best in school history while his 32 completions at No. 25 Iowa (9/2/23) are the second-most in a single game in school history.
Legas will arrive at Tulsa looking to compete for a starting quarterback job under Golden Hurricanes' second-year head coach Kevin Wilson. Tulsa saw five players attempt passes last season as Wilson’s team went 4-8 in his first season with the program.
