Sports ‘n Stuff!

Toyota won’t be airing any Olympic-themed advertisements on Japanese television during the Tokyo Games despite being one of the IOC’s top corporate sponsors.

The extraordinary decision by the country’s top automaker underlines how polarizing the Games have become in Japan as COVID-19 infections rise ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony.

Jim Irsay continued to add to his already vast music collection when the Indy Colts owner tweeted Saturday that he purchased the piano used on tour for decades by music legend Sir Elton John.

Irsay reportedly purchased the Steinway & Sons Model D Grand Piano for $915,000 during an auction conducted by Heritage Auctions on Saturday in Dallas.

President Joe Biden will celebrate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl title when the team visits the White House on Tuesday. Winning teams have visited the White House for at least 150 years, per ESPN, dating back to when President Andrew Johnson hosted two amateur baseball clubs, the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Washington Nationals. The first pro baseball team to visit the White House? The Cincinnati Red Stockings, who met with President Ulysses S. Grant four years later.

The first NBA champions to visit the White House were the Boston Celtics, who met President Kennedy in 1963. The Indiana men’s basketball team is apparently the first NCAA champion to visit, traveling to Washington to meet President Ford in 1976.

An alternate on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team tested positive for the coronavirus just days before the Tokyo Olympics were set to begin, American Olympic officials said today. The gymnast, whom authorities did not publicly identify, tested positive while training for the games about 35 miles east of Tokyo, according to city officials. She is between the age of 10 and 19. A statement from USA Gymnastics said that the athlete tested positive Sunday and that she and another alternate member of the team were quarantined.

The  covers of the 2021 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue were revealed today  featuring 26-year-old female rapper, “Megan Thee Stallion”, tennis great Naomi Osaka and transgender model Leyna Bloom. Check out the covers on. Twitter @TheJTurk.

The Milwaukee Bucks can now capture their first title in 50 years on Tuesday, when they host Game 6 as five-point favorites.

Following three straight wins, the Bucks are now -400 favorites to win the title at Caesars. Those are the same odds for Giannis Antetokounmpo to be named Finals MVP.  Jerry West is the lone player ever to be named Finals MVP on a losing team, which occurred when the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games in 1969.

The Cleveland Indians after taking 2 of 3 games from the A’s over the weekend, travel to Houston to take on the Astros tonight at 8:10. J.C. Mejia on the hill for the Tribe with pre game at 7:35 on News-Talk 1480 WHBC.

Today is Monday, July 19, 2021

Today in Sports History

1909 – The first unassisted triple play in major league baseball was made by Cleveland Indians shortstop Neal Ball in a game against Boston. 

1909 – Cy Young earned his 500th career victory. Young ended his career with 511 victories.

1966 – At the  Houston Astrodome, the first major league game to be played totally on artficial turf took place. Prior to this game, the outfield had consisted of painted dirt and the infield was covered with artificial turf.