Best 15 Minutes-Sports-Thursday
(Golf)
British Open…144th edition teed off in early morning hours at the ‘Old Course’ in St. Andrew’s, Scotland. Jordan Spieth, the Masters and US Open champion this year, heads the field going for his third Grand Slam win of the year, at age 22. Dustin Johnson, who has been close in the past to becoming a superstar, is rated as a key guy to beat……Tiger Woods, coming off a 32nd finish at the Greenbrier, has always played well there….Phil Mickelson, whose game has tailed off, and who has this gambling issue tied to his name, is also in the field….Rory McIlroy is out with torn ankle ligaments…Bad weather is forecast for the Friday-Saturday rounds, heavy rain, and 60mph gusts.
British Open….Tee Times….(1:33am)-JSpieth-DJohnson…(1:55am)-TWoods-Jason Day…..(6:34am)-Mickelson-HStenson-MKuchar.
(Baseball)
Padres…Trade rumors are swirling that the club is entertaining trade offers for OF-Justin Upton….P-James Shields….P-Joaquin Benoit….Baseball trading deadline is July 31st.
Padres…Open 2nd half of season with 10G-homestand tomorrow night against the last place Colorado Rockies…Padres (41-49)..10-games behind LA.
Dodgers…Open 2nd half of season tomorrow night at Washington….LA is (51-39)
Angels…Start 2nd half in 1st place (48-40)…host the last place Boston Red Sox.
Phillies…Fielding offers for trading deadline deals for P-Cole Hamels-Jon Papelbon.
Reds…About to begin fire sale-shopping OF-Jay Bruce and P-Johnny Cueto-Aroldis Chapman.
Detroit…May being roster overhaul by dealing P-David Price-in final year of deal.
MLB…Trading deadline-July 31st.
MLB…Draft Pick deadline to sign choices is Friday-July 17th..Still unsigned Diamondbacks #1 pick-SS-Dansby Swanson-Vanderbilt University
MLB…All Star TV ratings a record all-time low (6.6) rating.
(Football)
NFL…Franchise Tag Signing Deadline.
Dallas..Signs WR-Dez Bryant (5Y-70M) 45M-guaranteed…2nd highest paid receiver in game.
Denver..Sign WR-Demaryius Thomas (5Y-70M) contract…avoiding boycott.
Kansas City..Sign LB-Justin Houston (6Y-101M) 52M-guaranteed.
New England..Sign K-Steve Gostkowski (4Y) deal.
Giants…DE-Jason Pierre Paul does not sign contract extension…will have to play under franchise tag fee of 13M this year..recovering from finger amputation surgery…Paul released from hospital after 10-day stay for injuries in fireworks explosion on July 4th.
Titans..QB-Marcus Mariota remains unsigned…only lst round pick not under contract…dispute over guaranteed money at end of contract.
Donovan McNabb..Phoenix police upgrade DUI-charges to ex-QB to “extreme DUI”…facing mandatory 3-month jail sentence.
Aaron Kromer..Bills OL coach facing child abuse charging for punching youth in face in argument over beach chairs in Florida.
SDSU…Aztecs-struggling to find non-conference opponents-sign 1-year deal to host New Hampshire-1AA power in 2016.
(Basketball)
NBA…Says it will not change the 9-Day Moratorium Calendar for free agent talks-despite Clippers tampering with DeAndre Jordan after he committed to Dallas.
NBA…Says it will intercede to resolve problems with new Milwaukee Bucks arena…club could move to Seattle.
NBA..Commissioner Adam Silver says Owners will look at proposal to seed playoff teams (1-8) each conference regardless of who is division winner.
Milwaukee…Wisconsin State Senate approves financing bill for new Arena-may help keep Bucks in that market.
76ers..NBA Summer League-Jahlil Okafor 18P-on-18 shots in game in Las Vegas.
Utah..Signs FA-F-JJ O’Brien-San Diego State to training camp contract.
Denver..Releases Jamal Russell-ex-Aztec in salary cap move.
(Hockey)
Ducks..Sign F-Ryan Kesler (6Y-41M) despite fact he is 31Y…Scored impressive 20-goals last year.
Dallas Stars..Sign D-Johnny Oduya-Blackhawks-2Y deal….Last week Stars traded for Chicago goal scorer Patrick Sharpe.
(General)
Del Mar…Opening day of the Summer Meet…44,000-expected today…Post time 2pm….Track goes back to dirt surface after continual problems witht the maintenance of the synthetic Polyturf, and a couple of years of high numbers of horse-injuries-fatalities.