😲 It’s An All-You-Can-Watch Sports Bonanza

Whether it’s the NBA playoffs, European soccer championships, or must-see boxing matchups, there are no dog days this summer. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider with Martin Rogers: We are at a point where sports are back in your face, on your screens, in your life and here, all the time, leaving no gaps in the schedule and no chance for a break ... we take a look at how Steve Nash has his team of superstars eyeing an NBA title ... and we celebrate the birthday of Allen Iverson. Sorry if this is too much of a peek behind the curtain on the inner workings of this column, but there have been more than a few occasions over the past year and change when the prevailing thought has been: “hmm, what is there to write about today?” Days when reporting on NASCAR drivers competing in video game races was under serious consideration, when the screening of sports-themed documentaries were treated as a live event in the absence of all else and even a day when a sports columnist (me) wrote about what sports writers do when there’s no sports. But not now, not any longer, and, phew, my goodness, not today. After a weekend packed with an embarrassment of riches, the process is flipped. Over the past couple of days, there was so much going on it was difficult to keep up. And, with so much of it providing mouthwatering drama, narrowing a weekend of sports down to a single topic proved to be an insurmountable challenge. When it comes to a weekend in sports, there isn’t just one prevailing storyline. There is a menu full of them. [STORY IMAGE 1] This past weekend ended with an absolute thriller, a truly spectacular, sometimes vicious, heated, hostile and intense inaugural Nations League men’s soccer final between the United States and Mexico. There are few things quite as good as a battle between two teams that are evenly matched and don’t like each other. The 3-2 home victory in extra time was as good a reminder as any that hey, the World Cup is just over a year away and the U.S. has a team to be reckoned with. The NBA playoffs had everything and more, a potential title shifting injury to James Harden that may or may not derail the Brooklyn Nets, the magnificent effervescence of Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young lifting his team to a 1-0 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers and finally, finally, the LA Clippers starting to look like they might be a true championship contender. “Kawhi Leonard responded in Game 6 with the finest game of basketball he has played, maybe of his career,” [FS1’s Nick Wright said on “First Things First.”]( “It ended with another Game 7 performance by him that was brilliant.” [STORY IMAGE 2] Most of what we saw was real sports, but simultaneously there was a ton of people watching a strange and extremely modern piece of entertainment too, that barely falls under the same category. Social media was ablaze when undefeated former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather stepped into the ring against Logan Paul of YouTube fame, but before long, fans in Miami booed the lack of action, and post-fight Mayweather gloated about having lined his pockets, with home purchasers charged $49.99 for the, ahem, privilege. “When it comes to legalized bank robbing, I’m the best,” Mayweather said. [STORY IMAGE 3] There was the heartbreak of poor Jon Rahm, forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament that he was leading by six strokes after a positive COVID test. In the NFL, there was a sad yet inevitable goodbye to Atlanta Falcons star wide receiver Julio Jones, finding a landing spot with the Tennessee Titans. All that, plus the Boston Red Sox completing a sweep of the New York Yankees, Serena Williams and Roger Federer seeing the end of their French Open runs, three intense series (and a one-sided one) in the NHL postseason and a bunch of wildly entertaining games in the Women’s College World Series. If there are certain parts of this you might be hearing for the first time, because there was just too much to stay abreast of, that’s fine. It doesn’t need to cause the kind of frustration that leaves you kicking the wheels of your car after a tire failure – that actually happened too over the weekend, when Max Verstappen booted his own vehicle after spinning out while leading Formula 1’s Azerbaijan GP. Admittedly, it can be overwhelming to be suddenly presented with an endless supply of something you’ve been deprived of. On a pre-pandemic trip to Las Vegas, a friend once decided to end an intermittent fast with a trip to an all-you-can-eat buffet. The results weren’t pretty in that instance, but with sports, and the way it is bombarding us with ceaseless worthwhile activity, the outcome can be far more satisfying. Too much of a good thing is a puzzle that must be managed correctly, like when Chuck Daly had to figure out how to get Michael, Magic and Larry enough minutes on the Dream Team in 1992. The best way is to lean into it. [STORY IMAGE 4] Become a master of scheduling and of flipping the screens. Get the DVR in there as a backup. Base your schedule around sports instead of sports around your schedule. Make frequent and plentiful use of food delivery services. Talk and argue and tweet about it all with your friends. Keep yourself busy, set alarms to remind you when the next thing is starting, take a couple of enjoyable diversions to check out smaller sporting events happening on the fringe channels, get ready for the big stuff, and have coffee on hand – no lazy Sunday afternoon naps now, not while so much is happening. Because, here’s the thing, there is more coming. Sports, almost a year from when it seriously started to return, is still playing catch-up. There aren’t going to be dog days this summer, not with the NBA playoffs running into the European soccer championships, and then the Olympics. We are back at a point where sports is all-encompassing once more, perhaps even more so than before. It’s in your face, on your screens, in your life and here, all the time, leaving no gaps in the schedule and no chance for a break. But, when it’s as good as this, why would you want one? [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Colin Cowherd, The Herd: “Do I like the Clippers? Not really. I think it's a strange franchise and it was a bizarre series and totally fitting.” Skip Bayless, Undisputed: “Because I do have so much respect for Floyd as a boxer, that was embarrassing for him. It hurt my eyes to watch it. I would've said to him: That was not worth it.” Shannon Sharpe, Undisputed: “I told you the Sixers were in big trouble. This is going to be a long series. The Sixers are going to need Embiid to have big numbers every game, because I wouldn't hold my breathe waiting for the Hawks to cool off." [IN OTHER WORDS] - Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports have found a new gear, and the rest of NASCAR is struggling to keep up. [FOX Sports NASCAR Writer Bob Pockrass has the story](. - While Julio Jones is a nice upgrade, the Titans still aren’t a threat to the AFC’s top three contenders, [FOX Sports NFL Analyst Geoff Schwartz writes](. - With the same traits he had as a player, Nets coach Steve Nash has his team of superstars eyeing an NBA title. [FOX Sports NBA Writer Yaron Weitzman has the story.]( [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Happy Birthday, Allen Iverson. To celebrate, we are sharing one of the most iconic plays in NBA playoff history. In Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers, Iverson hit an incredible fadeaway jumper over Lakers guard Tyronn Lue and then proceeded to step over Lue on his way back up the court. Iverson finished the game with 48 points while leading the Sixers to an impressive overtime win over the Lakers. Sit back, relax and watch this video over-and-over again. Wishing you a happy, healthy 45th birthday, Allen Iverson! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Milwaukee Bucks at Brooklyn Nets (TNT, 7:30 p.m. ET) Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks take on Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 of this Eastern Conference semifinals matchup. Monday Night Raw (USA, 8 p.m. ET) Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley are set for a WWE Title Contract Signing this Monday. Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns (TNT, 10 p.m. ET) Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets open this second round Western Conference playoff matchup against Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns: OVER 221 Has anyone been more impressive throughout this postseason than Nikola Jokic? The only answer could be Devin Booker, and the two All-Stars are set face off in a much-anticipated second round playoff matchup. The Nuggets have been outstanding so far this postseason, scoring 120-or-more points in four of six games. On the other side, Phoenix knocked off the defending champs behind the outstanding play of Booker, who has averaged 29.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and five assists per game this postseason. FOX Bet has set the over/under for Game 1 at 221 points. Taking the over looks like a nice play. [WHAT THEY SAID] “Winning means your willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else.” — Vince Lombardi [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [Google Play]( [App Store]( [Fire TV]( [Roku]( [App Store]( [Google Play]( Also available on these devices: [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] [fireTV | AppleTV | ROKU | Google Chromecast | XBOX ONE | SAMSUNG Smart TV] Trademark & Copyright Notice: ™ and © 2021 Fox Media LLC and FOX Sports Interactive Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Please do not reply to this message. If you do not wish to receive emails like this in the future, please [unsubscribe](. FOX Sports respects your privacy. Click [here]( to view our Privacy Policy. Fox.com Business & Legal Affairs - Manager Digital Media P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, California 90213-0900