Messi Mania

June 8, 2023

By: Carlos Alvarez

Good Morning,

Yesterday’s sports news cycle featured one bombshell after another…

Lionel Messi is coming to America.
Sports were canceled in the Northeast.
The Madden 24 cover dropped.
The Suns might be releasing Chris Paul.

After all that, we had live action; a historic night from Nikola Jokic in the NBA Finals and plenty from the French Open, MLB, College Softball World Series, and more.

It\’s two editions for the price of one (Metaphorically, of course. All of our content is free. But you can help support The Team, if you\’d like).

Letter Rip!

SOCCER

Messi Mania in Miami

\"\"/ — *Photo: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images*

Lionel Messi Finalizing Deal to Join MLS Club Inter Miami CF in July

If Miami wasn’t already the center of the sports world at the moment, it is now. The Heat and Panthers are in the NBA and Stanley Cup Finals, and now the Miami MLS club just signed one of the greatest soccer players to ever walk the planet. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF are finalizing a deal that would bring the 35-year-old Argentinian to the MLS in a stunning move. Messi played the last two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain after an illustrious career with Barcelona. He was rumored to be joining Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia for a contract in the neighborhood of $400 million. Instead, he’s coming to America.

What Messi Move Means for MLS

Inter Miami CF are just four years old. The club was one of the recent MLS expansion franchises, and they haven’t had much success since their inception in 2019. The Messi deal is bigger than just boosting Miami’s competitiveness. He’ll get a similar offer that David Beckham received for joining LA Galaxy as a player more than a decade ago; one that includes the option to buy ownership of an MLS club at a discounted price. Beckham now owns Inter Miami, and the Latin-American influence in South Florida makes it the perfect marriage for the Argentinian icon. The city, soccer fans and the MLS are all winners.

Messi By The Numbers

806 — Career Goals (2nd All-Time)

42 — Major Trophies (Club & Country)

22 — Top Goal-Scorer Titles

7 — Ballon d’Or Trophies (World’s Best Player)

4 — Champions League Titles

3 — Best FIFA Men’s Player Award

1 — World Cup (Argentina, 2022)

It was widely reported that Messi wanted to return to Barcelona to finish out his career, but the club’s financial situation made that nearly impossible. Terms of the Miami-Messi deal are still being worked out, but it’s undoubtedly the biggest signing in the 27-year history of MLS.

The Messi Ticket Spike

Cheapest Inter Miami Ticket Before Messi: $29

Cheapest Inter Miami Ticket After Messi: $467

Get ready, America. \’Messi Mania\’ is coming…

Forbes: Lionel Messi Makes Monumental Move to MLS’s Inter Miami

Sporting News: When Will Messi Play for Inter Miami? Schedule & Potential MLS Debut

CBS Sports: What’s Next for Superstar Messi Coming to the U.S.?

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SPORTS

Smoked Out Sports

\"\"/ — *Photo: New York Yankees / Getty Images*

Sports Across Northeast United States Postponed Due to Air Quality From Canada Wildfires

The photo above is not edited. That was Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. By now you’re aware of the Quebec wildfires that are ravaging Canada and sending smoke clouds across parts of the United States. The air quality was so bad in the northeast that the MLB canceled games in New York and Philadelphia yesterday. The WNBA canceled the Liberty-Lynx game in Brooklyn and the NWSL nixed a game in New Jersey. The Jets and Giants both got the day off from OTAs, too. They’ll practice indoors today.

Are Sports Impacted This Weekend?

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for New York City that is expected to be lifted soon. The Yankees rescheduled their game with the White Sox as part of a doubleheader today, but there’s still a chance lingering health concerns could bleed into the weekend events.

Nothing New, But New for New York

It’s not the first time sports have been forced into schedule changes due to air quality. A number of summer events on the west coast have been impacted in recent years because of California wildfires. It is, however, a new experience for New York sports personnel.

The photos are an interesting sight (see link below). The Sportsletter Team hopes everyone in impacted areas stays safe.

WaPo: Wildfire Smoke Postpones East Coast Sporting Events

Sporting News: MLB Smoke Update: Latest on Baseball Games Impacted by Wildfires

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NBA FINALS

The Nuggets\’ Legendary Night

\"\"/ — *Photo: Aaron Ontiveroz / Getty Images*

Nuggets Notch Game 3 Win Over Heat (109-94) Behind Historic 30-Point Triple-Doubles From Jokic & Murray | DEN Leads Finals (2-1)

Denver has restored order in the NBA Finals. Wednesday night’s Game 3 in Miami was a tight one until midway through the third when the Nuggets exploded and went up by 20 points in the fourth. By game’s end, the historians and statisticians were salivating. Nikola Jokic (32-21-10) and Jamal Murray (34-10-10) both tallied 30-point triple-doubles, effectively shattering all sorts of NBA Finals history in the process. Denver didn’t shoot it well from deep (just 5-for-18 from 3-pt), but the Heat defense had no answer for Jokic and Murray. Here are a few “nuggets” of history from Game 3.

Jokic & The 30-20-10 Club: Jokic’s 32-21-10 triple-double is the first in NBA Finals history. It’s the third 30-20-10 playoff game of his career. Only two other players have ever done it in the postseason — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain (one each).

Jokic-Murray Teammate History: Want more ridiculous facts? Jokic and Murray are the first pair of teammates in NBA history with 30-point triple-doubles in the same game (playoffs or regular season). The last time two teammates each had 30 points and 10 assists was 1992 (Clyde Drexler & Terry porter), let alone 10 rebounds, too.

Game 3 Top Performers

J. Murray (DEN): 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists

N. Jokic (DEN): 32 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists

J. Butler (MIA): 28 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists

B. Adebayo (MIA): 22 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists

Watch: Nuggets Take Game 3 Behind Jokic-Murray Triple-Doubles (109-94)

NBA Finals Schedule

Gm 4: Nuggets at Heat (Fri. 8:30 pm ET) | DEN Leads (2-1)

SI: Nikola Jokic Alone in NBA History With Unprecedented Finals Performance

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NFL

Curse Reverse: Madden 24 Cover

\"\"/ — *Image via @JoshAllenQB Twitter*

Bills QB Josh Allen Gets Nod for Madden 24 Cover, But Should He Be Worried?

One of Wednesday’s side stories was the reveal of the Madden 24 cover with Bills QB Josh Allen. Hardly a surprise that it was a crowning achievement and \”dream come true\” for the 27-year-old rising star, but it leads us all to (once again) question ‘The Madden Curse’ — a myth that’s been slowly busted in recent years. Players who appear on the cover of the iconic EA Sports video game have often been doomed to injuries, decline or other bad juju. But is it real?

History of \’The Madden Curse\’

Since the game\’s first release in 1999, Madden has been the go-to football video game for millions of NFL fans. More than 25 players have been displayed on the cover, many of them at the peak of their careers. Here are some of the terrifying examples of what happened to players shortly after earning the title of Madden Cover Boy.

2000: Lions RB Barry Sanders (immediately retired)

2001: Titans RB Eddie George (costly playoff fumble)

2003: Rams RB Marshall Faulk (injured 1/2 season)

2004: Falcons QB Michael Vick (leg fracture, arrested)

2007: Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander (done within 2 yrs)

2008: Titans QB Vince Young (17 INTs, benched)

2009: Packers QB Brett Favre (left for Jets)

2012: Browns RB Peyton Hillis (injured 1/2 season)

2014: Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (injured, arrested)

2015: Seahawks CB Richard Sherman (elbow surgery)

2017: Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski (injured 10 games)

2019: Steelers WR Antonio Brown (no caption needed)

History says the ‘curse’ is either real or the NFL is just a brutal and barbaric league with inevitable injuries and off-the-field issues.

Reverse the Curse

In recent years, the curse has been lifted. Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson have all graced the cover from 2018-2022. That’s three Super Bowl rings, three MVP awards, and three of the highest-paid contracts in sports history, including Brady\’s broadcasting payday.

Many believed the Madden 24 honor was between three quarterbacks — Joe Burrow (Bengals), Jalen Hurts (Eagles), and Allen. You’re up, Josh. Keep the curse reversed.

Sporting News: A Complete History of NFL Stars Who Experienced ‘Madden Curse’ Cover Jinx

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HIGHLIGHTS

French Open (Quarterfinals)

W: #1 I. Swiatek def. #6 C. Gauff (6-4, 6-2)

W: #14 B. Haddad def. #7 O. Jabeur (3-6, 7-6, 6-1)

M: #4 C. Ruud def. #6 H. Rune (6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3)

M: #22 A. Zverev def. T. Etcheverry (6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4)

College Softball World Series

Gm 1: #1 Oklahoma def. #3 Florida State (5-0)

Oklahoma won their 52nd straight game behind Jordy Bahl’s complete-game shutout. OU Leads Series (1-0)

MLB Quick-Hitters

Elly’s Encore: Reds’ rookie Elly De La Cruz hit a 458-foot blast for his first career home run and also logged a speed-tacular triple. The Reds walked off the Dodgers for the second straight game on Will Benson’s first big league homer. Reds def. Dodgers (8-6)

Aroza-See-Ya: The Rays turned a ridiculous double-play in the 9th to keep things tied with the Twins (1-1) before Randy Arozarena came up clutch, launching his first-career walk-off home run. Rays def. Twins (2-1)

Soto’s High-5: Juan Soto recorded the first five-hit game of his career (5-for-5, 4 RBIs) to lead the Padres past the Mariners. It was San Diego’s second 10-run outing in the first week of June. Padres def. Mariners (10-3)

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NEWS

Phoenix Suns Plan to Release or Trade Chris Paul After 3 Seasons (Yahoo! Sports)
Real Madrid Sign Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham for €103M+ (ESPN)
WWE Hall of Famer ‘The Iron Sheik’ Dies at 81 (SI)
Jacksonville Jaguars Reveal 1st Look at New Stadium Plan (USA Today)
Mets’ Pete Alonso Suffers Wrist Contusion, X-Rays Negative (B/R)
Free-Agent WR DeAndre Hopkins to Visit With Titans (NBC Sports)
Soon-to-be Free Agent James Harden ‘Torn’ Between 76ers & Rockets (CBS Sports)

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SCHEDULE

Today\’s Must-Watch List

Stanley Cup Finals

Gm 3: Golden Knights at Panthers (8:00 pm ET)

VGK Leads Series (2-0)

French Open (Women\’s Semifinals)

W: #2 A. Sabalenka vs. K. Muchova (9:00 am ET)

W: #1 I. Swiatek vs. #14 B. Haddad Maia (10:15 am ET)

Men’s Semifinals: Friday

WCWS

Gm 2: Oklahoma vs. Florida State (7:30 pm ET)

Oklahoma Leads Series (1-0)

PGA Tour

RBC Canadian Open (Round 1)

MLB

Dodgers at Reds (12:35 pm ET)

Astros at Blue Jays (7:07 pm ET)

Cubs at Angels (9:38 pm ET)

Download The Sportsletter\’s Must-Watch Calendar

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POLL

Question of the Day

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