For “First Call” on Monday, we try to wrap our minds around a brutal weekend in college basketball. The Flyers are on the brink. Marc-Andre Fleury went back in net and won. And two ex-Pirate pitchers square off for a third time this year.
Can’t take anymore
If you are a college basketball child of the 80s like me, this has been a terrible few days.
The sport lost three icons from that era.
Pitt great Demetreus Gore, Arizona coach Lute Olson and UConn star Cliff Robinson all died within the past week. And Monday morning The Team 980 in Washington D.C. reported the death of Georgetown’s legendary coach, John Thompson. He was 78.
Most germane to our readers is the loss of Gore. He was a part of the legendary Pitt basketball teams of the late 80s with the likes of Charles Smith, Jerome Lane, Sean Miller and Jason Matthews.
Today, I received a text that my college teammate Demetreus Gore died of a heart attack while working out in a gym. I just spoke to him this past Thursday. It felt like I got sucker punched in the gut. It was his play and attitude that made us who we were. Rest In Peace brother? pic.twitter.com/JUwodislzr
— CharlesDSmith (@CharlesDSmith54) August 30, 2020
RIP to a Panther great, Demetrius Gore. Another brother gone too soon! #H2P https://t.co/WNHRJXDzXK
— Jeff Capel (@jeffcapel) August 31, 2020
Big East fans from the 1980’s remember Pitt alum Demetreus Gore legit talent and Mr. Basketball out of Michigan in 1984. RIP pic.twitter.com/1S8Z6L1pdP
— Big East Hoops 24/7 (@BigEastTourney) August 30, 2020
Peaceful Journey to 2 of my @BigEastTourney @BIGEASTMBB Legends Brothers Cliff(Uncle Cliffy)Robinson and my big homie who I followed to go play in the big east Demetrius Gore#Lost for words pic.twitter.com/fJAuP9G6dH
— Derrick Coleman (@44TheLegend) August 31, 2020
Gore played at Pitt from 1984-88, scoring 1,555 points. He started 97 consecutive games from Feb. 1985 to March 1988.
Meanwhile, Thompson won the 1984 NCAA Championship and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999. He also reached the Final Four in 1982 and 1985.
Olson won the 1997 NCAA Championship (Arizona) and went to four other Final Fours (Arizona, Iowa). He was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2002.
Robinson’s No. 00 was retired at Connecticut after a fabled career with the Huskies from 1985-89. He was and NBA All-star in 1994.
One step away
Stay optimistic, Penguins fans.
While nothing can be done to get the Pens back into the 2020 NHL playoffs, maybe the hated Philadelphia Flyers can get bounced soon.
Philly is now down 3-1 in Eastern Conference semifinals to the New York Islanders. New York won Game 4 Sunday night, 3-2.
Pageau-Pageau-Pageau-Pageauuuu!
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) August 31, 2020
Pageau-Pageauuuuu! pic.twitter.com/2Z7vp4SugC
Game 5 is Tuesday night.
Fleury is back
Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner pitched a 3-0 shutout in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals.
But former Penguin Marc-Andre Fleury started Sunday, with his team up 2-1 in a best-of-seven series against the Vancouver Canucks.
And Fleury’s Knights won 5-3.
SHEESH ? pic.twitter.com/o9B0X8CCgZ
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) August 31, 2020
Fleury stopped 28 of 31 shots. Two of Vancouver’s goals were on the power play. His last game was a 2-1 win over Chicago on Aug. 15.
The Golden Knights can eliminate the Canucks with a win Tuesday night in Game 5.
Former Bucco battle
Monday night features a pitching matchup of former Pirates atop the American League East.
The Tampa Bay Rays are leading the American League with 24 wins. The Yankees are second in the East with 19. That’s 3.5 back in the division.
New York’s Gerrit Cole pitches against Tampa’s Tyler Glasnow in the Bronx Monday night. Glasnow is 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA and 48 strikeouts. Cole is 4-1 with a 3.51 ERA and 53 strikeouts.
Those are the fourth and fifth best strikeout totals in the American League.
These two met back on Aug. 8. Glasnow took the loss as New York won 8-4. Cole got a no-decision. Cole was taken out in the middle of the fifth inning. Glasnow didn’t make it through the third. The pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts.
They squared off on Aug. 19, too. Tampa Bay won 4-2 that night. Neither pitcher factored into the decision. But they combined for 18 strikeouts. Cole pitched into the seventh, allowing two runs. Glasnow pitched into the sixth allowing two runs.
