Front Row Seat: A rock fight in San Francisco
Here's a front row seat to all of the news, stories, videos and podcasts that you need to start your day.
There were two NBA games last night, one terrible and one filled with drama from start to finish. I just want to say thank you to the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets for giving me a really entertaining couple of hours at the end of my day. That wasn't the prettiest basketball I've ever seen but the action was scintillating all the same.
Also, I have a tendency to not watch any NHL until the Stanley Cup Finals. I've been trying to rectify that, so there might be some NHL links in here eventually.
Section 1904
John Gennaro
NBA
Hobbled Jimmy Butler is ‘back in a big way’ as Warriors send Rockets to the brink - The Athletic
“Your body starts to warm up. You start to feel a little bit better. You gain confidence,” Butler said. “People start talking to you. Then good things happen.”
People meaning Dillon Brooks?
“Yep,” Butler said, later adding: “I don’t like Dillon Brooks.”
Sources: Shaquille O'Neal agrees to be Sacramento State's GM - ESPN
Shaquille O'Neal is the latest high-profile athlete to accept a general manager role with a school. NBA superstar Stephen Curry was named an assistant GM at his alma mater, Davidson, last month, and Hawks star Trae Young has that same role at Oklahoma. Retired NFL quarterback Andrew Luck last year accepted the GM position with his old school, Stanford.
USC commit Alijah Arenas, son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert, out of medically-induced coma and recovering after car crash - Yahoo Sports
"In a remarkable and hopeful development, Alijah Arenas has come out of his coma and has shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours, the statement read. "In a powerful and emotional moment, Alijah opened his eyes and was able to write on a piece of paper that he remembered the smoke and asked, 'Did anyone get hurt?'
San Diego Padres
Reasons for concern (and optimism) amid Friars' skid - Padres.com
Bogaerts posted a sub-.700 OPS last season, and he's now at just .662. His clutch numbers with the Padres have been poor – a .631 OPS across three seasons with men in scoring position.
That's a far cry from the Bogaerts who had a knack for hitting in the clutch in Boston. The Padres need that version of him.
Ryan Bergert Finds the Road to the Show - MadFriars
Bergert brings four quality offerings to the mound. His fastball sits in the mid-90s working as a starter, and it could see a bump in shorter relief roles. He’s shown the ability to throw both a traditional slider and a sweeper, and his seldom-used changeup can get swings and misses from hitters on both sides of the plate.
Alright, that's going to do it for the second issue of Front Row Seat. I'll be back tomorrow, and every weekday, to try and make it easier for you to follow the news.
Feedback is welcome (in the comments below, in my inbox or on the Section 1904 Discord server) and feel free to send me any links that you think I missed and I'll try to include them tomorrow.
