Monthly Archives: September 2023

2023 MLB Breakout Stars in Review

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Caption: Luis Castillo pitching for Seattle this season.

By Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a fourth-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

September 30, 2023

In my previous articles, I reviewed my picks for who would be the breakout star for each team for the 2023 MLB season. I got through three divisions in that one leaving me the other half of the league to discuss. Let’s see how I did.

American League East

Red Sox: Starting off the second half of my reviews are the Boston Red Sox. Boston had a mixed bag of talent entering this season. Some young stars as well as a few established names like Rafael Devers, even after losing shortstop Xander Bogarts in free agency. I chose Triston Casas to be Boston’s breakout star this season and I think he was a good pick. I predicted he would slash .270/.380/.450 with 18-20 homers as well as 80+ RBI. As of today, Casas is slashing .263/.367/.490 with 24 homers and 65 RBI through 132 games. I think he has been able to make a big impact on Boston this year and should be there for years to come.

Orioles: The Baltimore Orioles had a huge crop of talent to choose from that could have been their breakout star. If you’ve followed the Orioles this season, you know the young stars like Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Kyle Bradish have all had amazing seasons putting up 4+ WAR around the board. Unfortunately for me, I thought that Grayson Rodriguez would put up great numbers. I predicted that he would go 10-6 with a 2.80 ERA and be getting votes for AL Rookie of the Year. So far this year, Grayson is 7-4 with a 4.35 ERA. A far cry from what I had anticipated, but as is the case with a lot of young pitchers, it takes a few season for them to truly hone their craft and begin to dominate.

Rays: The Rays were another team that gave me lots of options. Thank goodness I didn’t choose Wander Franco. I also considered choosing Shane Baz, but instead I went with Pete Fairbanks, expecting him to be the full time closer for Tampa. I expected him to throw at least 60 innings with a 2.50 ERA and 30+ saves. As of today Fairbanks has thrown 45.1 innings through 49 games, an ERA of 2.58 and 25 saves. I think this pick was another success, he has almost hit the saves mark I set in almost 20 fewer innings than I anticipated and has kept his ERA very close to 2.50.

Blue Jays: For Toronto, I selected an unorthodox pick in the catcher/outfielder combo, Daulton Varsho. He was traded to the Jays in the off-season and I expected him to have a breakout year alongside the other second-generation stars the Blue Jays have (Vladdy, Bichette, and Biggio). Daulton’s father Gary was an outfielder in the MLB for eight seasons and was a coach and manager around the league for another eight. I expected Daulton to bat .265 with 30 homers and at least 25 stolen bases. Looking back, expecting him to be in the 30-30 club was a bit wishful. But Varsho had a decent season, batting .220 with 20 homers and 16 stolen bases. While his average fell a bit flat, his homers and stolen bases give me a good outlook for Varsho’s future in the league.

Yankees: I predicted that Oswald Peraza would have a breakout year for New York and make himself a spot in the Yankee middle infield for many years to come. I expected a slash line of .275/.350/.400 with 50 RBI and no fewer than 25 stolen bases. Peraza had quite a disappointing year, only playing in 47 games to date (a long ways from the 80+ I expected) and is slashing .195/.273/.551 with 14 RBI and only 4 stolen bases.

National League East

Nationals: The Nationals have been bad this year. There’s no other way to say it. But, I looked for starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore to be a high spot for the club to look to. I predicted Gore would throw 150 innings with 200 K’s and an ERA around 3.40. Gore has struggled with going deep in games as well as recently being placed on the 15 day injured list. This season he has thrown 136.1 innings striking out 151 batters along the way with a 4.42 ERA. His K/9 rate has me feeling good about my prediction going forward as I believe Gore just needs more experience at the MLB level to figure out how to lower his ERA.

Marlins: For Miami, I predicted their breakout star to be someone who has struck fear into my heart for over a year with his impossible-to-hit-against card in MLB The Show 22, Edward Cabrera. I expected Cabrera to be a part of a nasty Marlins rotation that never completely came to fruition with 150+ innings, a 14-6 record and an ERA of 3.00. Unfortunately, Cabrera has struggled like most young pitchers do and has a 7-7 record with a 4.24 ERA in only 99.2 innings. He has really had troubles going late into games but I expect that to improve with age.

Phillies: The Phillies have had a great season and at the moment are looking forward to making a playoff run as they have already clinched a spot. I looked for outfielder Brandon Marsh to have his breakout season with them. I predicted Marsh to bat .270 with 130+ hits and to keep his fielding percentage elite. As of now Marsh is batting .276 with 110 hits, and while his fielding has suffered a bit to the tune of 5 errors this season. Nonetheless, Marsh is having a heck of a season and I look for him to become an all-star in the very near future.

Mets: The Mets spent a ton of money this off-season just to be fighting to stay out of last place in September. But, I predicted that one of their new imports, Kodai Senga would have a dominant first season in the MLB and he proved me right. I expected Senga to throw 100 innings with 125 strikeouts and a 2.75 ERA and as of today Senga has thrown 166.1 innings, struck out 202 and held an ERA of 2.98. Senga has probably been my best prediction in this whole series putting up absolute ace-level numbers this season. I think signing him was the best move the Mets made all off-season.

Braves: The Braves are annoyingly good and are going to continue being that way for the foreseeable future, which is unfortunate news for any fan of a team in the National League not from Atlanta. I predicted their 2022 Rookie of the Year winner to continue having a great start to his career and be their breakout star in Michael Harris II and again he did not disappoint. I looked for Harris II to slash .300/.400/.500 with 25 homers and at least 20 bags swiped. So far this season he is slashing .292/.330/.806 with 18 homers and 20 stolen bases on the dot. Now while he hasn’t had quite as good a year as I anticipated, he has been an incredibly valuable piece of one of the most dominant teams of all time in the 2023 Braves.

American League West

Athletics: Oakland, where to start. First and foremost, from every baseball fan we are sorry. I predicted starting pitcher Paul Blackburn to be the breakout star for Oakland this season, looking for him to make 25 starts and go 12-8 with a 3.50 ERA. As of today, Blackburn is 4-7 with a 4.43 ERA through 20 starts. In a season marred with letdowns for the A’s, this was no different.

Rangers: The Texas Rangers have had a great year and have been battling the Astros for first place in the AL West all year long. I predicted catcher Jonah Heim to continue making a name for himself as a premier catcher in the American League. My predictions for Heim in my previous article were that he would play 130 games, have a 30% caught stealing percentage and a 3+ WAR. This season Heim has had a 30% caught stealing percentage, played in 125 games and has a 2.8 WAR. Not to pat myself on the back, but *pat pat pat pat* I think I nailed this one.

Angels: The Angels have been an exciting team to watch as they have had arguably two of the greatest players of all time on the same team – Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. Unfortunately, again, for the team, this was another disappointing season as they look to miss the playoffs. At the beginning of the season, I predicted that Jo Adell would have a breakout season for the Halos. I expected Adell to slash .250/.300/.350 with 18 homers as well as 50 RBI and 20 stolen bases. To date, Adell has a slash line of .208/.263/.581 with 6 RBI and zero stolen bases. Adell has been sidelined for most of the season with an oblique injury which has really dampened his ability to get stats, but as you can see his slash line had him on pace for a really productive season.

Mariners: For Seattle, I predicted that a former Cincinnati Reds player would finally make waves and get his flowers for being as dominant as he has been. Luis Castillo was my selection to breakout for the M’s. I expected Castillo to go 15-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 180 innings, have 200 strikeouts, and win the AL Cy Young award. While his season hasn’t been quite up to those standards, he has had an amazing year nonetheless, going 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA, 194.1 innings and 215 punch-outs. Really the only aspect of my prediction that he didn’t meet was the record and even that is a flawed stat for starting pitchers. He still has a really good chance at winning a Cy Young Award this year.

Astros: The Astros have had another very good season and actually have some competition in their division for the first time in a while as they are currently pushing to keep their wild card spot. The Rangers have a 2.5 game lead over Houston in the division but I still expect the Astros to cause problems in the postseason. I predicted that Chas McCormick would be their breakout player. He is a very good hitter who has proven that he can send the ball to all areas of the field on top of the fact that he has a handy glove in the field. I expected Chas to slash .275/.360/.390 with 8-10 homers and 120 hits and he actually exceeded my expectations. Today he is slashing .278/.359/.499 with 22 homers and 110 hits. He has had a great season and gave me another correct prediction to add to my count.

This has been a hectic baseball season and it’s only going to ramp up for the postseason. I am happy to announce that of the 15 teams here, I believe 8 of my predictions were correct! Adding that to my total from the first half of this retrospective (7), that leaves me with 15/30 correct predictions! And as we all know, if you can bat .300 in the MLB that’s a great career.

5 Shocking Storylines Early in the NFL Season

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Caption: Unanticipated Storylines after Week 2 of NFL 2023 play.

By Sam Morris

Sam Morris is from Madison Heights, Michigan, and is an undergraduate student at BGSU majoring in Sport Management. He has a passion for sports writing and journalism. In his free time, he volunteers in the strategic communications department at BGSU at various sporting events and he also performs, writes, and produces his own rap music.

September 23, 2023

Although the 2023-2024 NFL season is still very young, there have been many intriguing and shocking storylines in just the first two weeks. In this article, I will be summarizing and analyzing these storylines as they currently stand through these first two weeks and will predict how these storylines might develop as the season goes on. I will follow-up on this article and its predictions at the end of the regular season to describe how these early storylines developed throughout the year and how they affected the teams’ seasons that were involved. These storylines will be ranked by me below from 5 to 1 in terms of how surprising I feel the storyline is.

5.  Sam Howell’s Success

Caption: Commanders tab Sam Howell as starting QB for 2023 NFL Season.

Sam Howell, a second year QB for the Commanders was selected in the 5th round out of UNC last year. Howell only played 1 game last season as Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinecke split most of the season as starters and he was looked at as more of a bridge QB for the franchise to pick someone in the top of the loaded QB 2024 Draft Class next year. However, the Commanders’ front office and coaching staff felt that Howell didn’t get a chance to prove himself last year and deserved at least another year to become the Commanders QB of the future. The decision to pass up on selecting a QB in the 2023 NFL Draft was in spite of fan pressure to select one of the top 4 QBs with their 16th pick.

Come draft day, with QB Will Levis still on the board, the Commanders selected Emmanuel Forbes, a CB out of Mississippi State instead. Because of this decision, Sam Howell has been under constant media attention during the offseason as a deciding factor for the Commanders’ regular season success. Despite many doubters, Ron Rivera and new OC Eric Bienemy strongly believe in Howell and gave him high praise throughout training camp, OTAs, and during the Commanders’ undefeated preseason.

In the first two weeks, Howell has proven the doubters wrong and has not only brought the Commanders to an early 2-0 record but has been a large reason why they have won both games. He’s in the top half of the league in passing yards with 501 (11th in NFL), total touchdowns, with 4 (11th in NFL), and in completion percentage by completing 65.7% of his throws (16th in NFL).

As of right now, Howell is certainly making his case to stay as the starter next season, however his talent and skill will truly be tested in the coming weeks. There’s no doubt that the Commanders’ schedule will get much harder than the Cardinals and Broncos as they play the Bills, the reigning NFC Champion Eagles twice, as well as arguably the best two NFC teams, the Cowboys and 49’ers. In my opinion, as good a start as this has been for Howell, I think he will start to be overmatched by the elite defenses they have to play. He could become a good QB in the future, but at this stage of his young career I would be truly shocked if he led the Commanders to a winning record this season. I’m predicting a decent season for Howell but anticipate that he will slow down as the season progresses, leading Washington to a 4th place NFC East finish.      

4.  NFC South’s Undefeated Teams

Caption: NFC South predictors did not anticipate 2-0 starts for Saints, Bucs, and Falcons.

Heading into the 2023-2024 season, many experts predicted the NFC South to be the worst division in football. Early into the season, the NFC South has instead looked like one of the best divisions, having a combined record of 6-2, which is second only behind the NFC East’s 7-1. The only team not currently undefeated in the NFC South is the Carolina Panthers, who have lost games to their NFC rivals, the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.

Besides dominating Carolina, Atlanta also had an impressive come from behind victory against Green Bay. Despite Jordan Love lighting up Atlanta’s defense through the first three quarters, throwing for 140 yards with 3 TD and no interceptions, the Atlanta front seven pressured Love out of the pocket for much of the 4th quarter, holding Green Bay scoreless. Down 12 in the 4th, Ridder led the Falcons on an 8 play, 65-yard drive that was capped off with a Ridder rushing touchdown.

Although Ridder had a decent game, throwing for 237 yards with 2 total touchdowns, and 1 INT, it was rookie running back phenom Bijan Robinson who stole the show. Robinson ran for a monstrous 124 yards on 19 carries, with an additional 48 receiving yards on 4 receptions.

New Orleans has also had an impressive start, with a close MNF win against Carolina and a one-point week 1 win over Tennessee. Although their combined margin of victory was only 4, the Saints defense has looked like the best in the division so far, only giving up 16 ppg through their first two contests. Cam Jordan has anchored the front 7, which has a combined 7 sacks, which ranks 10th in the NFL, while Marshawn Lattimore and the defensive back rotation have 3 interceptions, which is tied for 3rd in the NFL.

The Saints offense on the other hand, has been below average. Although Derek Carr has given the Saints a veteran presence at QB and has led some game winning drives, he also has a 1:2 TD:INT ratio (28th in NFL) and a 47.5 QBR (21st in NFL). Despite Carr’s slow start, I expect him to bounce back in the upcoming weeks, especially once Kamara comes back from suspension and Jamaal Williams returns from injury, to give the New Orleans’ offense a more balanced attack.

Tampa Bay is possibly the biggest 2-0 surprise in the division. They’ve defeated the Bears by 10 and the Vikings by 3 while overperforming on both sides of the ball. Their secondary, despite being relatively inexperienced, has forced 5 turnovers (2nd in NFL), and offensively, the Buccaneers passing attack has been a force to be reckoned with. Mike Evans continues to prove why he will go down as one of the most consistent receivers in NFL history, as he is currently 4th in the league in receiving yards. The guy throwing Evans the ball has also been the best QB in the division through the first two weeks. Baker Mayfield has bounced around the league the past two seasons, going from the Panthers to the Rams, and now to the Buccaneers.

We saw a resurgence in Mayfield at the end of last season, when he was fighting for playing time in Los Angeles, and this new confidence has continued to grow through the first two games in South Florida. Mayfield ranks top 10 in the league in QBR, passing TDs, and completion percentage, all while committing zero turnovers. Although it is early, Tampa Bay is playing with a balanced, team-oriented energy, that isn’t relying on one superstar to get the job done. Their chemistry and competitiveness should be a great sign for Buccaneers’ fans as they transition into playing tougher opponents.

Overall, my prediction for these three 2-0 teams is that none of them will be true Super Bowl contenders simply because they each have major holes in one part of their roster (Atlanta’s inexperienced defense, New Orleans’ offensive line, and Tampa Bay’s rushing attack). I do think that each of these three teams will overperform their preseason expectations and that it will be a battle for the NFC South crown until the end of the year. I think the Saints will barely edge past the Buccaneers and Falcons because I think they have the most experienced and deepest roster in the division.        

3. Vikings, Chargers, and Bengals Going Winless

Caption: Joe Burrow’s Bengals and and Justin Herbert’s Chargers have 0-2 records.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, three teams have started off the season 0-2 who all made the playoffs last season; the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers, and Cincinnati Bengals. The Vikings had a lot of skeptics heading into the season as to whether or not they would repeat as NFC North champions. This was mostly because the Detroit Lions were one of the most hyped teams the entire offseason, but also because they lost all three preseason games, and they won most of their games by one score last season.

All these fears have come true through the first two games for Minnesota fans. Not only have the Lions looked like the favorites early on, but Minnesota has flipped the script and lost both games by one score. The Vikings’ offense has become one-sided and predictable with Dalvin Cook out of the picture. Nobody can seem to stop the passing attack, with Jefferson leading the league in receiving yards and Cousins being top 5 in the league in completion percentage, TD:INT ratio, and QBR. But this isn’t enough to win them games when they have 69 total rushing yards as a team (Last in the NFL), only 2 rushing first downs, and a leading rusher who isn’t even in the top 50 for rushing yards. The defense also has major holes at cornerback and on defensive line.

Overall, if the Vikings want to repeat as NFC North champs, they need to figure out a way to get the run game going and also need to be able to stop the run on defense. In my opinion, I don’t see both of those things happening unless they trade for some major pieces on defense, and I am predicting the Vikings will fall short in the division and will not make the playoffs.  

Although it is surprising for the Chargers to be 0-2, this is less shocking than the Vikings and Bengals because of the quality of their opponents (Dolphins and Titans). Even with these opponents, the Chargers have played really well on offense, losing 34-36 against the Dolphins and 24-27 to Tennessee in OT. Herbert and Ekeler have looked fantastic so far and Quentin Johnston has looked like a solid draft choice.

What Is really concerning for LA, especially with them being in the Chiefs’ division, is that they can’t execute in close games, and that their defense has been horrible. The late game execution was a big problem for the Chargers in their loss to the Jaguars in the playoffs and it has carried over to this season, as they have scored just 10 points in the 4th quarter through the first two games combined. The defense has also given up the 3rd most points in the NFL, just ahead of the Bears and Giants.

In order for the Chargers to reach the playoffs they need to fix both major issues quickly. In my opinion, I think the defense will begin to improve throughout the year and Herbert will be able to lead the Chargers to a 6 or 7 seed in the playoffs.

Lastly, the Bengals are trying to copy their team from last year and have once again started the year off 0-2. Last year, Burrow bounced back and took them to the playoffs and eventually the AFC Championship, where they barely lost to the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs. As the new highest played player in football, Burrow is attempting to lead them back to the playoffs this year, but right now it is not looking good. Burrow has struggled mightily thus far, ranking 30th in passing yards, throwing for just 2 touchdowns while throwing 2 interceptions, and ranking 22nd in QBR. Against the Browns, the Bengals’ offense tallied just 3 points as their offensive line caved in and defense was shredded by Nick Chubb and the rushing attack. The Ravens had a similar game plan with Lamar Jackson. If the Bengals want to make the playoffs they need to fix this run defense quickly and also need Burrow to get back on track.

Good news for Cincinnati is that the rest of the division is currently extremely low on depth. Baltimore, despite being 2-0 have a whopping 17 players injured, including stars, C Tyler Linderbaum and RB J.K Dobbins, while the Browns have lost 2 of their starters in the secondary as well as RB Nick Chubb for the season. Because of these injuries and my faith that Burrow will be able to regain his productivity, I am predicting that the Bengals make the playoffs. However, I do think the Ravens will win the division and that the Bengals will be the 5 seed in the AFC.   

2.  Puka Nacua

Caption: Rookie Puka Nacua has record 15-catch performance in LA Rams’ loss to 49ers

Where in the world did this guy come from? Puka Nacua, a WR out of BYU, was selected in the 5th round by the Rams in this year’s draft and he has not looked like a 5th round caliber player. So far, Nacua has 25 receptions for 266 receiving yards, along with 111 yards after the catch. These statistics have given him some historic NFL records. His 25 receptions is a new NFL record for a rookie through his first two games, his 15 receptions against San Francisco is the most receptions ever by a rookie in a single game, and he is the first player with at least 10 receptions and 100 yards in each of his first two games. He also has the most yards after the catch in the league as well as the second most receiving yards in the league, behind Justin Jefferson.

Nacua not only is having a great start to the year individually, but he has also propelled the Rams’ receiving core. His play has spaced out the field for Tutu Atwell and Ben Skowronek to be more productive, while giving Stafford a legitimate #1 WR while Kupp is dealing with injuries. When Kupp comes back, sometime around week 5, the Rams will have a scary 1-2 receiver punch, with a veteran QB, a talented young RB in Kyren Williams, and a defense anchored by Aaron Donald and Byron Young. Although the Rams are a young team that was predicted by many to be at the bottom of the NFC, I think they were overlooked and will shock some people throughout the year.

I am predicting Nacua to continue to be a great receiver after the catch and in open space this season. I think he will finish second in the rookie of the year voting to Bijan Robinson. As for the Rams, I see them hovering around .500 this year and just missing the playoffs by a game or two. If Nacua continues putting up these top 5 WR in the league type numbers though, I could easily see them sneaking in as a 7 seed.

1.  Season-Ending MNF Injuries

Caption: Aaron Rodgers (Jets), Nick Chubb (Browns), and Cooper Cupp (Rams) injured

Despite there being many intriguing and shocking storylines so far, the Monday Night Football Injuries to Aaron Rodgers and Nick Chubb have by far been the most league altering. New York Jets fans spent the entire offseason waiting for Rodgers to save their team and for them to finally end the longest active playoff drought in the NFL. However, just one play into the Jets first drive, Rodgers dropped back and was sacked for a loss by the Bills LB, Leonard Floyd. On impact with the turf, Rodgers tore his achilles tendon and was later ruled out for the season.

This monumental loss leaves the Jets in disarray as backup QB Zack Wilson has arguably been one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory. Although Wilson led the Jets to a comeback victory Monday Night against Buffalo, he was absolutely decimated by the Cowboys’ defense in week 2. The Jets still have one of the best defenses and wide receivers in the NFL but without a quality QB, their Super Bowl hopes have been destroyed and I am predicting them to miss the playoffs this season. Since Rodgers is on a 3-year deal, he will likely return to the Jets next season, but all the hype and Super Bowl dreams will be delayed. Once Rodgers is healthy, the biggest worry for Jets’ fans will be if he can ever perform at an elite level again, which will depend on how well his achilles heals.   

One week later, again on Monday Night Football, Nick Chubb, Cleveland’s superstar running back, suffered a season-ending knee injury. Steelers’ safety Minkah Fitzpatrick hit him low, causing his leg to twist sideways into the turf. The injury was so severe and gruesome looking that it wasn’t even shown on the broadcast. Browns’ fans watched as Chubb broke down in tears as he was getting carted off the field. Chubb had previously torn three ligaments in his knee causing him to miss the remainder of that season as well, so his career being shortened by this new injury is even more likely.

I personally know many Browns fans who have experienced a wave of emotions over the last two weeks as their team handily beat the Bengals but now sit at 1-1 with their best player on the sideline. Chubb’s absence is catastrophic for the Browns as he is essentially who their entire offense is based upon. Watson will have to be exceptional this year for them to make the playoffs, which I believe they will not.

Overall, these MNF injuries have sparked two additional storylines, the pressure by the players’ union to get rid of artificial turf and the increasing pressure to pay running backs more money, as they are extremely valuable to their teams.

To wrap up this article, it is safe to say that the NFL has brought us an exciting and shocking first two weekends of football. With 15 weeks remaining, it will be interesting to see which of these storylines becomes the most impactful, which will ultimately become flukes, and which will remain a steady topic discussed throughout the year.

Calling Lines: The 1973 Battle of the Sexes

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Caption: The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ at the Houston Astrodome featured Bobby Riggs (L) and Billie Jean King (R). The author called the center service line and is seated to the right of King.

By Nancy E. Spencer

Nancy E. Spencer is Professor Emerita in Sport Management and taught in the SM program for 25 years. Before joining the faculty of BGSU’s SM program, Dr. Spencer taught and played tennis professionally. She is currently writing a book on Professional Women’s Tennis, with portions of this article appearing in the Introduction.

September 19, 2023

On September 20, 1973, Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs played the most famous “Battle of the Sexes” in tennis history. While some thought it a farce to pit an aging former champion (a man) against a woman in the prime of her career, that woman comprehended the gravity of the moment. Ted Tinling, who designed Billie Jean’s dress, believed it was the most important match in women’s tennis history. Ken McAllister, a Texan who called lines for the match, thought it played a big role in kicking off a tennis boom that has not been matched since. An estimated crowd of 30,492 set a record for the largest audience ever to view a live tennis match, as they packed the Houston Astrodome with some paying $100 to sit courtside and drink champagne. The attendance record stood until 2010 when Belgium’s Kim Clijsters played Serena Williams in an exhibition match before 35,681 in Brussels.

In 1973, I was an Assistant Teaching Professional at the H.E.B. (Howard E. Butt) Tennis Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Several weeks before the match, I received a phone call from Tim Heckler, a teaching pro in Houston and President-elect of the Texas Professional Tennis Association (TPTA). As consultant/director for the King vs. Riggs match, Tim was putting together a crew to umpire and call lines for the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ at the Astrodome. He wanted to secure an equal number of male and female line judges and asked if I would call lines for the match. Initially, I was noncommittal, since I was still reeling from the outcome of an earlier male vs. female match played on Mother’s Day, 1973. That match had featured Bobby Riggs vs. the Australian Margaret Court, although she was not Riggs’ original choice to play such a match.

After Billie Jean King earned more than $100,000 in 1971, Riggs had begun to pester her about playing a winner-take-all match (Lichtenstein, 1974). He was convinced that the best senior man could easily defeat the best woman and it irked him that a woman could make so much money. King was the perfect foil – the outspoken women’s libber pitted against the self-proclaimed male chauvinist pig. When King rejected Riggs’ repeated challenges, he turned to Margaret Court (then the No. 1 ranked woman), who believed she could make an easy $35,000 by playing him. Unfortunately, Court did not realize until it was too late that Riggs was hustling her. After Riggs won easily (6-2, 6-1), the match became known as the “Mother’s Day Massacre.”

Court’s lopsided loss was infuriating to Billie Jean King and other women on the nascent Virginia Slims’ tour. But Margaret’s loss to Bobby was also demoralizing to me and countless other women teaching pros since the outcome undermined our legitimacy. Roberto Chavez, a college player at the University of Corpus Christi, boasted that he could beat me playing left-handed. Of course, he was right-handed… and he was right. After losing to Roberto and witnessing Margaret’s loss, I was none too eager to invest my hopes and/or time in another male vs. female spectacle that could further erode my self-confidence as a teaching professional.

I shared my hesitation with Tim, who countered by telling me the benefits of calling lines. Each linesperson would receive two free tickets to the match plus a pass to go anywhere in the Astrodome. Houston was a 4-hour drive, not that far in light of the geographical expanse of Texas. I reasoned that I could visit friends if I made the trip and agreed to the gig. Later, I wrote to my family, reporting that I had purchased an “outfit with brown-checked pants and brown blouse that was comfortable and just right for being a lineswoman.”

On September 20, I left for Houston before noon, a day that was especially hot – even by Texas standards! Halfway to Houston, I stopped at a dusty gas station where the attendant filled the tank of my 1964 red Plymouth Fury. It cost less than $5 to fill the tank, thanks to the ‘gas wars’ of the early seventies that lowered the price at one point to less than 20 cents a gallon. The attendant asked who I thought would win the ‘big match’ that night. Did he know I would be calling lines? Once again, I was noncommittal, but said I hoped Billie Jean would win.

The linespersons needed to be at the Astrodome by 4:30 p.m. When I arrived, Billie Jean was warming up before a smattering of spectators. In my letter home, I wrote, “We had a meeting of linesmen and women to go over details. They told us that Riggs had agreed not to have any linesmen removed, but Billie Jean hadn’t agreed… so they would comply if she requested” to have someone removed.

Around 6:00 p.m., there was a ‘Pro-celebrity’ Mixed Doubles exhibition featuring singer Andy Williams and his former wife Claudine Longet vs. the game show host Merv Griffin and Sandra Giles. An actor in the mold of Marilyn Monroe, Giles was “Bobby’s starlet girlfriend” (Lichtenstein, 1974, p. 232). I noted that the celebrities “were really nervous and not such experienced players but they… lobbed a lot and moved well in covering the court.” The set lasted just 20 minutes, with Williams and Longet winning 6-1. I called the center service line, but there were no calls for me to make in the exhibition, so “I wasn’t exactly ‘warmed up.’”

We had about 40 minutes after the mixed doubles before we needed to return to our assigned seats, so I spoke with the three other lineswomen. I already knew Betsy Blaney, an assistant pro at Brookhaven Tennis Club in Dallas (Betsy’s article is posted at this link on Maxwell Media Watch). I had played her that spring in the Maureen Connolly Brinker tournament on the USLTA Pro Tour in Dallas, where she beat me 6-4 in the third set. Another lineswoman named Dee Dee Dally had long dark hair and glasses; she traveled on the spring circuit as “a volunteer linesperson” whose expenses were sometimes paid. The fourth woman, Jean, was a friend of Riggs from San Diego, and she said he was not as bad as he sounded. We admitted to each other that we were nervous, knowing that some 40 million people were expected to tune in to the live broadcast on TV.      

Before King and Riggs entered the court, the University of Houston band played, accompanied by dancing clowns. I described the ambiance as “quite a carnival atmosphere.” The ‘carnival-like atmosphere’ was “accompanied by horns, dancers and outrageous costumes in a spectacle worthy of an end-of-times bonanza.” There were plenty of celebrities and movie stars surrounding the court, including George Foreman, Jim Brown, Glen Campbell, JoAnne Pflug, Stefanie Powers, Robert Stack, and Ron Ely (a.k.a., Tarzan). A woman from Corpus Christi who attended the match later gave me copies of her photos that revealed even more celebrities who attended – the recently-wed Lee Majors, the ‘six-million-dollar-man,’ and Farrah Fawcett, who had played tennis at Corpus Christi Ray High School.

Caption: Billie Jean King escorted onto the court by two of the Rice University athletes.

Coverage of the match described the atmosphere as something “right out of a Cecil B. DeMille movie,” more like a circus than a sporting event. Before the match began, the two protagonists entered the court with a flourish – “Mrs. King came first on a Cleopatra-style gold litter that was held aloft by four muscular track-and-field athletes from nearby Rice University.” Among the toga-clad carriers was “Dave Roberts, one of the world’s finest pole vaulters.”

Caption: Bobby Riggs holding Sugar Daddy before gifting it to Billie Jean King. 

Meanwhile, six professional models (dubbed “Bobby’s Bosom Buddies”) wearing tight red and gold outfits transported Bobby Riggs onto the court in a rickshaw with gold wheels (Amdur, 1973). During courtside introductions, Riggs presented King “with a two-foot Sugar Daddy and made a tongue-in-cheek reference to suckers,” while King gifted Riggs with “a squealing baby pig,” a tribute to Riggs’ touting himself as a “Male Chauvinist Pig” (Roberts, 2005, p. 119).

The match between King and Riggs was far different from the one-sided ‘Mother’s Day Affair.’ Billie Jean refused to let Bobby intimidate her. Although I thought Riggs looked helpless from the start, I still was not sure that King would win decisively, especially since Jean had said Riggs might let her win the first set just to make it more interesting. When he double-faulted on set point in the first set, I thought that might be happening.

During the match, I made 5 or 6 line-calls, including 2 serves that hit lines. I can still envision one of Billie Jean’s serves that Bobby questioned after I made my call. King must have served with slice, because for a split-second, I thought it was going to be wide to the left of the deuce court, but the spin made it curve enough to catch the center service line. When the chair umpire looked to me for confirmation, I put my hands out to show that the serve was good. Riggs immediately spun around and looked at me incredulously, questioning my call. Again, I put my hands out parallel to the court to signal that it was good. He shook his head, clearly disagreeing with my call. I was sure that my heart palpitations were loud enough for people seated behind me to hear. 

Fast-forward to 1998, when ESPN aired footage of the Battle of the Sexes. It was the 25th anniversary of the famous match and ESPN’s coverage. It was the first time I had seen the match and it coincided with my first year of teaching the History & Philosophy of Sport class at BGSU. Not only did I get to show the students primary evidence of an event most had never heard of, but also I could give them my first-hand account of being there. I still remember a question that a student, Greg Berkmeier, posed: “Was the match rigged?” I was stunned that someone would even ask! I said then, and again in 2013, when Don Van Natta, Jr. asked me the same question in an interview, that I firmly believed it was not rigged. Based upon his research for ESPN, Van Natta argued that Riggs threw the match.

Later, I came across a quote that provided further evidence to support my initial impression. It was made by one of Bobby’s good friends, Jack Kramer, who wrote in his autobiography, “Billie Jean beat him fair and square” (Kramer & Deford, 1979, p. 87). I can see no reason why someone who hyped the match and put his reputation on the line would proceed to throw the match. If anything, I wondered why no one asked if Margaret Court had thrown the Mother’s Day match against Riggs!

If you never saw the match, or you want to see it again, after all these years, you can see the match in its entirety by clicking here. Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 20, 2023, is the 50th anniversary of the celebrated match.

Caption: Billie Jean King lifts trophy for winning the storied Battle of the Sexes over Bobby Riggs, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

References

Amdur, N. (1973, September 21). Mrs. King defeats Riggs, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, amid a circus atmosphere. The New York Times, pp. 1, 31.

Lichtenstein, G. (1974). A long way, baby: Behind the scenes in women’s pro tennis. New York, NY: William Morrow & Company.

Outlaw, A. (2010, July 9). Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams draw record crowd in Belgium. TennisNow.com. http://www.tennisnow.com/News/Kim-Clijsters,-Serena-Williams-Draw-Record-Crowd-I.aspx

Roberts, S. (2005). A necessary spectacle: Billie Jean King, Bobby Riggs, and the tennis match that leveled the game. New York, NY: Crown.

Tinling, T. (1983). Sixty years in tennis.  London: Sidgwick & Jackson.

Van Natta, Jr., D. (2013, August 25). The match maker. ESPN.com. http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/9589625/the-match-maker

2023 MLB Breakout Stars in Review

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By Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a fourth-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

September 17, 2023

Around six months ago, I wrote a series of articles detailing who I believed would be the breakout star for each team in Major League Baseball. Well, here we are in September and the regular season is coming to a swift conclusion. But before we get into the fun and grittiness of playoff baseball, I wanted to look back at those breakout stars I predicted and see how well I did.

National League Central

Pirates: My first pick aged much like milk left outside in the middle of the summer. Only nine games into his 2023 season, Oneil Cruz broke his left fibula causing him to miss the rest of the season. While there were talks about him coming back for a few games at the end of the season, the Pirates decided to keep him shut down so that he can continue to regain his strength and come in to Spring Training 2024 at 100%. Ke’Bryan Hayes probably would have been a better pick for the Pirates as he led the team with a 3.5 WAR.

Reds: My second pick was only marginally better in that Hunter Greene managed to play a few more games than Cruz. Greene was also struck by the injury bug this year, being put in the IL in early June and only returning last month. The Reds, while being a very pleasant surprise, suffered multiple big injuries to their pitching staff which led them to lose more games than they should have. Cincinnati brought up multiple prospects who made massive impacts that I could have chosen. Matt McClain or Elly De La Cruz would have been better choices.

Cubs: I chose Nick Madrigal as my breakout star for Chicago this season, and while he wasn’t the best pick, I think I could have made worse decisions. Madrigal has played 90 games so far and is batting .263 whereas I predicted .280 if he played a full season. This was another team with a lot of surprises. Cody Bellinger has returned to his MVP form, and they may have found their middle infielder of the future in Nico Hoerner.

Brewers: For the Brew Crew, I chose Rowdy Tellez to be their breakout star… BOY was I wrong. In 94 games, Tellez is batting .213 with only 13 homers and 44 RBI. Those numbers placed him far behind the .240 pace with 40 homers and 100 RBI that I so boldly predicted. He is striking out more than twice as much as he is walking which doesn’t bode well when trying to put the ball in play. Their best player has been Corbin Burnes, which is almost to be expected from their ace, as they continue to dominate the NL Central.

Cardinals: I’m pretty sure I got this one right. My selection for the Cardinals breakout star was Lars Nootbaar and I think he lived up to my expectations. He had the second highest WAR on the team only behind Paul Goldschmidt by .1. I predicted he would bat .260 with 20 homers and 80 RBI and as of today he is batting .271 with 13 HR and 67 RBI. I’m happy with that choice.

American League Central

Royals: My pick for the Royals breakout star was Maikel Garcia. This was another pick that I feel pretty good about. He was fifth in WAR on the team, and I predicted that he would bat .270 with 120 hits and 60+ RBI. As of today, he is batting .273 with 113 hits and 49 RBI. I do believe that he will be a part of the Royals infield for many years to come if he is able to keep producing at this level.

Tigers: I selected Akill Baddoo to be the breakout star for Detroit this season. This was a team that had lots of promising young talent from all sides of the ball which made this an especially hard decision. I predicted that Baddoo would bat .280+ with 25 homers and possibly 20 stolen bases, but after a very hot start to the season he cooled off substantially and hasn’t hit any of those marks. Currently he is hitting .223 with 10 homers and 12 stolen bases. A much better choice as the Tigers’ breakout star would have been their young star, Spencer Torkelson.

Twins: For the Minnesota Twins, I chose pitcher Pablo Lopez to be their breakout star. At 27, Pablo was one of the oldest players on this list and had the most big-league experience as well. Nonetheless, he looked primed for a breakout year and that was exactly what we got. I predicted that Lopez would go 16-8 with an ERA of around 3.00. As of today, he is sitting at 10-8 with a 3.58 ERA. So, while he wasn’t able to get quite enough run support to get to 16 wins, he has been a great pitcher for Minnesota. He also got the first All-Star nod of his career this season, so I’m counting this one as a win.

White Sox: The Chicago White Sox were another team with a lot of young talent to choose from when deciding on a breakout performance, and I chose another pitcher in Michael Kopech. I have been a huge fan of his ever since I heard his name in 2017 but injuries have really derailed his career thus far. I predicted that he would have north of 15 wins with a sub 2.75 ERA and 200+ strikeouts (as long as he threw around 200 innings). This was another one that I entirely missed. As of today, Kopech is 5-12 with a 5.47 ERA. The only thing I will take credit for getting right is his K/9IP stat as he has 133 punch-outs through 128.1 innings.

Guardians: For the Guards, I chose Steven Kwan to be their breakout star. I anticipated that he would follow up on his great rookie year and bat over .300 with 175+ hits and 20+ stolen bases. Kwan hasn’t quite lived up to my expectations although he has had a good year regardless. Kwan is batting .275 with 163 hits and 20 stolen bases on the dot.

National League West

Rockies: The Colorado Rockies were a tough team to choose from, there is some promising talent but ultimately it has been another disappointing year for Rockies fans. My prediction for their breakout star was Brendan Rodgers. A former first round pick in 2015, Rodgers has been bitten by the injury bug throughout his career and this year was no different. Only playing in 30 games thus far, Rodgers has been on the shelf for the majority of the season. I predicted him to slash .290/.350/.460 with 20 homers, bring in another Gold Glove, and even receive MVP votes. Through his 30 games played, he is only batting .218.

Diamondbacks: Arizona is another team with lots of young talent to choose from. I landed on Gabriel Moreno as my choice. I anticipated him to split time behind the plate as he has done, and I predicted a .290/.360/.400 slash line and 100 games played. Right now, he has played 98 games and is slashing .276/.325/.407. He is having a great season all around and probably would have been the best bet for breakout Diamondback if not for Rookie of the Year shoo-in Corbin Carroll.

Giants: For San Francisco, I chose a pitcher with some experience similar to that of Pablo Lopez. Entering his fifth year of big-league baseball, Logan Webb was my pick to break out for the Giants. I predicted that he would throw 200+ innings, keep an ERA around 3.00, and punch-out around 140 batters. Right now, Webb has thrown 201 innings and has 183 strikeouts with a 3.31 ERA. He is having another great season, and this is another prediction I would consider a win.

Padres: For the Padres breakout star, I predicted Brent Honeywell Jr. would have his star making season. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition. Honeywell has been relegated to pitching out of the bullpen and is actually no longer even with San Diego as he was sent to the White Sox in a trade. So far this season Honeywell has thrown 52.1 innings with a 4.82 ERA and 45 strikeouts. This was one of the most disappointing picks I made but I think that he can still become a very effective major league pitcher.

Dodgers: I made a relatively easy pick with the Dodgers, choosing their dominant closer from last year Brusdar Graterol. I expected him to throw around 75 innings with 40+ saves and an ERA of around 2.50. Graterol has shown no signs of slowing down from his brilliant last season and is currently at 62.1 innings pitched with only 7 saves, BUT his ERA on the season is a miniscule 1.30 and he is having another phenomenal year.

Looking back at the first half of my predictions, I think I’m 7 for 15 which is a lot better than I had anticipated. In the coming days, I will be wrapping up my retrospective for my 2023 MLB predictions!

Lines of Life

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Caption: Bobby Riggs hits a backhand while linesperson Betsy Blaney looks on.

By Betsy Blaney

Betsy Blaney is retired and lives in Lubbock, Texas. She spent about 20 years as a tennis professional before becoming a journalist. She worked for The Associated Press and the Lubbock affiliate of NPR during her 29 years in journalism. Now she teaches tennis to kids, plays a lot of Pickleball and volunteers with a local hospice.

September 16, 2023

I was a ball girl for her in the 60s.

I (remarkably) called lines for her in the 70s.

I played her and her partner in doubles in the 1980s.

And, as a newspaper and wire service journalist, I wrote two first-person anniversary pieces (in the 1990s and the 2000s) from my unique, on-court vantage point for her triumph over Bobby Riggs.*

It’s an understatement to say that Billie Jean King has been a steady part of my life’s timeline as a tennis player and a journalist. My serve and volley game is a direct result of watching her play in Milwaukee in the early years of my tennis playing.

No one I knew foresaw the long-lasting implications of the Battle of the Sexes match in Houston’s Astrodome on Sept. 20, 1973.

I sure didn’t. I was a somewhat meek 19-year-old – living in Dallas and learning how to teach tennis – who lucked into calling lines on the historic match.  And I will always remember her circling back near my chair to tell me I’d blown a call on Riggs’ serve. It wasn’t a pretty admonishment.

The influence she’s had in my life, in the lives of millions of women – athletes of all sports and just generally – can’t be quantified. 

As the match anniversary approaches, it’s important to remember she is also responsible for women receiving equal prize money at the four Grand Slam tournaments. The first Grand Slam was the 1973 US Open, which recently honored her and 50 years of her efforts to elevate women in all arenas. 

I had the great good fortune of taking in the entire fortnight of Wimbledon this year. I was nearby the media building one day and spotted Billie Jean. I approached her, shook her hand as I re-introduced myself to her. She remembered the supposed blown call and our two interviews for the anniversary pieces. I just wanted to wish her a happy 80th birthday in November. She wished me the same for my 70th next spring.

It was a nice bookend to how our paths have crossed since I ran after tennis balls as she played the Virginia Slims tournament in Milwaukee 60 years ago.

*Note: Another article entitled Line Judge Turned Reporter, by Brooke Sjoberg, appeared in the Texas Standard: The National Daily News Show of Texas on September 20, 2018.

The “Summer of Coco” Culminates with 2023 U.S. Open Title

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Caption: 19-year-old Coco Gauff captures first Grand Slam title at 2023 U.S. Open

By Nancy E. Spencer

Nancy E. Spencer is Professor Emerita in Sport Management, having taught in the SM program for 25 years. After competing and teaching tennis professionally for over 25 years, she went to graduate school at the University of Illinois to become a sport sociologist. Her research focuses on professional women’s tennis.

September 11, 2023 [updated: September 12, 2023]

Five years after playing in her first professional tournament, 19-year-old Coco Gauff had the tournament of a lifetime at the 2023 U.S. Open, where she won her first Grand Slam title. She became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam tournament since Serena Williams did so in 1999. She credited Venus and Serena for inspiring her – showing her that a Black player could reach the top. After winning the match, she reminisced about attending the U.S. Open when she was 8-years old.

How did she go from being that excited dancing little 8-year old girl to a 19-year old Grand Slam winner? Read on.

It was Coco’s father who took her to the U.S. Open when she was 8, and she credited him for being there, coaching her until recently when she added Pere Riba as her coach and Brad Gilbert as a consultant.

In 2017, at age 13, Gauff signed a contract with Team 8 to play professionally. Team 8 was a sport agency founded by Tony Godsick (husband of former U.S. player Mary Joe Fernandez) and his former client Roger Federer. The 20-year-old newcomer Ben Shelton is another player who signed as a client with the agency. Coco had to wait until she was 14 to play in her first event, the $25,000 Osprey tournament near her home in Florida. There she won three qualifying matches to advance to the main draw, where she got her first win as a pro by beating Moldavian Alexandra Perper, 6-2, 6-3.

Caption: Coco Gauff turns pro after winning 2018 Orange Bowl title.

In 2019, I caught my first glimpse of Coco at the U.S. Open, thanks to my Illinois friend and fellow grad student, Jessie Daw who had an extra ticket. The player I most wanted to see was Coco, who had won her first match at Wimbledon against none other than Venus Williams earlier that summer. My favorite photo from the 2019 Open shows Naomi Osaka hugging Coco after beating her 6-3, 6-0 in the third round. While Coco’s lopsided loss left her in tears, Naomi hugged her, told her it was okay to cry, and invited her to join in the post-match interview with Mary Joe Fernandez. That moment has since gone viral.

August 31, 2019 – Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka speak after their match at the 2019 US Open. (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/USTA)

In Coco’s first year as a pro, her talent and determination suggested that she could become the new face of American women’s tennis.

Fast forward to 2023, when Coco dominated play during the summer. In the intervening years, Gauff had continued to show signs of promise, although some wondered if she would ever realize her full potential. By the 2023 season, she had won three WTA singles titles, had reached the 2022 French Open final to climb to a top 10 ranking, and also reached the world No. 1 ranking in doubles. Some called 2023 the “summer of Coco.” Expectations could not have been higher for her entering the US Open.

Besides her string of victories, Coco brought something else to the 2023 US Open – a new perspective on life that enabled her to deal with the pressure of expectations. On a sign at the entry way to Arthur Ashe Stadium there is a quote that says: ‘Pressure is a privilege;’ it is the title of a book by Billie Jean King.

When Coco was asked about how she dealt with pressure to win the Open, she said she knew life brought a number of different kinds of pressure, adding “There are people struggling to feed their families… People who don’t know where their next meal is going to come from, people who have to pay their bills. That’s real pressure, that’s real hardship, that’s real life.” As a professional tennis player, Coco recognized that she was privileged, that she was paid to do what she loves and has been supported for it. And that is something she no longer takes for granted.

Coco would need her new outlook to persevere through her draw at the U.S. Open. In the first round, she outlasted her German opponent, Laura Siegemund, in a match that Coco later described as “slow!’ Siegemund regularly used the full 25 seconds on the serve clock before serving. Gauff eventually addressed the official in the chair, saying that it wasn’t fair that Siegemund often went beyond 25 seconds without a warning from the umpire. It was the first time that I can remember Coco voicing a complaint to an official during a match. Given the partisan nature of the US Open crowd, fans began cheering Laura’s errors. After the match, Siegemund criticized the crowd for their partisanship.

In her next 6 matches, Gauff would be pushed to 3 sets by Elise Mertens (3rd round), Caroline Wozniacki (4th round) and Aryna Sabalenka (final). She also had to endure a 50-minute delay in her semifinal against Karolina Muchova when 4 protesters wearing shirts that read “End fossil fuels” were escorted out of the stadium. Three protesters left without further incident. It took longer for the fourth person who had glued their bare feet to the concrete, meaning that “NYPD and medical personnel were needed in order to safely remove this individual from the stadium.”

Entering the final, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka was the clear favorite and was about to become the World No. 1 since Iga Swiatek lost earlier in the tournament. But Coco seemed to have momentum going into the match. In the first set, Sabalenka came out firing on all cylinders, outhitting her young opponent and making few unforced errors. Aryna is arguably the hardest hitter on the women’s tour and brings an intimidating presence to her play. However, Coco later disclosed that she had practiced against an American player, Chris Eubanks, who had advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals earlier in the summer. She acknowledged that he helped her to deal with Sabalenka’s pace. But Sabalenka’s power, placements, and consistency were too much for Gauff in the first set, which Sabalenka won 6-2.

After going down 2-0 in the second set, Gauff slowly climbed back into the match. As she began retrieving more of her opponent’s hard-hit placements, Sabalenka started pressing and making more errors. Coco won 6 of the next 7 games to take the second set, 6-3. The match would go to a third and Coco was beginning to feel the momentum with the crowd enthusiastically supporting her.

In the third set, Gauff showed her determination and concentration by pulling out to a 4-0 lead before Sabalenka could get a game. Even then, Coco kept the pressure on to take the set 6-2 and win the match on her first match point. Afterwards Coco laid on the court, in obvious relief and joy, before rising to embrace her opponent at the net, and celebrating her hard-fought victory with her parents, coaches and fans.

When Billie Jean King presented her with the trophy for winning the 2023 US Open Women’s Singles championship and the $3 million first prize, Coco was quick to credit King for her efforts to bring equal pay to women at the 1973 US Open.

As the adage from the seventies goes, it seems we “have come a long way, baby!”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 09: Former American tennis player Billie Jean King presents the winners trophy to Coco Gauff of the United States during the ceremony after Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in their Women’s Singles Final match on Day Thirteen of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 09, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

*Notes: Thanks to commenters Jessie Daw who pointed out that the shot clock allows 25 seconds instead of 30 seconds, and to Jessie, Sharyl Ginther, and Montana Miller for noting that one protester had glued their feet instead of their shoes to the concrete.

CM Punk Fired From AEW

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Caption: Punk stands in the ring with his “real” World Championship on Collision

By Ryan Harless

Ryan Harless is a fourth-year undergraduate at BGSU from Hillsboro, Ohio. He is majoring in Sport Management with a Journalism Minor. Baseball and golf at all levels are his primary interests but he is also interested in combat sports, hockey, basketball, and football.

September 11, 2023

Let’s go back in time to August 20th, 2021. It is the first ever episode of AEW Rampage airing live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Fans are restless in their seats awaiting something huge, something that has had no formal announcement to this point. Just pure speculation.

Suddenly, a familiar guitar riff hits the PA system in Chicago, and we hear the intro to Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality”. As soon as that all too familiar song starts, it is instantly drowned out by the loudest cheers I have ever heard while watching wrestling. Finally, CM Punk has returned to wrestling after seven long years.

And that was just about as good as it got.

CM Punk stepped out into the arena and challenged fan favorite Darby Allen to a match at the nest Pay-Per View which Punk would go on to win. Next, he entered a feud with longtime rival both in the ring and outside of it, Eddie Kingston. Punk would go on to defeat Kingston at AEW Full Gear.

Following his program with Kingston, Punk entered what some might consider the best feud of his career with a young star named Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF). This feud was built on the fact that Punk was MJF’s idol growing up as part of the reason he got into the wrestling business.

They provided some of the best TV I have ever watched with promos tearing down one another for their past actions. MJF called Punk a quitter for walking away from the wrestling business seven years before and never looking back to care about his fans, and Punk retorted calling MJF a flash in the pan.

Their feud culminated in a bloody, violent, and beautiful dog collar match at AEW: Revolution.

After this the issues began. Punk started a program with the AEW World Champion at the time “Hangman” Adam Page, a homegrown fan favorite. The two had very heated promos against one another and Punk seemed to be taking more of a “shoot” angle with it (In wrestling, a “shoot” is when something is happening for real and wasn’t planned by anyone. The inverse to this is a “work”).

Punk made comments about Page’s mental health and even his professionalism. The two finally met in a match for Page’s title at AEW: Double or Nothing. After a lackluster match where Punk didn’t look smooth and even got injured, Punk managed to defeat Hangman and become the AEW World Champion.

The following week, Punk announced that he had to take a hiatus from in-ring action to heal from injury but there would be an interim champion to be determined in the coming weeks. That interim champion ended up being Jon Moxley.

Shortly after AEW’s Forbidden Door PPV that ran alongside New Japan Pro Wrestling, Punk returned to TV to challenge Moxley to determine the true champion. Two weeks later, the two faced off on AEW Dynamite and Moxley QUICKLY dispatched Punk. This match made many people question what was happening with CM Punk behind the scenes because this dominating victory made no real sense in storyline terms.

Moxley laid out an open challenge for AEW All Out and the challenge was accepted by CM Punk. The two had a decent match and Punk ended up getting the victory and becoming a two-time AEW World Champion.

Now we swiftly enter the dark times.

Instantly following the show, AEW held a press conference where the owner of the company Tony Khan as well as a revolving door of wrestlers who were on the show, answered questions from wrestling journalists. This is commonplace for AEW, as they have been doing so for years.

In a now infamous incident, CM Punk joined Khan at the conference with a muffin from catering in tow and let loose. He began talking about his frayed relationship with another AEW talent Colt Cabana. The two had been best friends for years but had an ugly falling out following comments made by Punk at Cabana’s expense.

Punk said, “It’s 2022, I haven’t been friends with this guy since at least 2014, late 2013. And the fact that I have to sit up here—because we have irresponsible people who call themselves EVPs and couldn’t (expletive) manage a Target; and they spread lies and (expletive) and put into a media that I got somebody fired when I have (expletive) all to do with him. Want nothing to do with him. Do not care where he works, where he doesn’t work, where he eats, where he sleeps. And the fact that I have to get up here and do this in 2022 is (expletive) embarrassing. And if y’all are at fault, (expletive) you, if you’re not, I apologize.”

Now those EVP’s Punk mentioned are The Elite (Kenny Omega, Nick and Matt Jackson) who are wrestlers for AEW who actually were the driving force behind starting the company up.

Punk then turned his attention to Hangman and the fact that he felt Page had taken liberties with him throughout their match as well as in promos in the weeks prior saying, “What did I ever do in this world to deserve an empty-headed, (expletive) dumb (expletive) like Hangman Adam Page to go out on national television, and (expletive) go into business for himself? For what? What did I do?”

This stemmed from an incident where Punk felt slighted by Hangman because Hangman didn’t seek Punk out for wrestling advice. Keep in mind, Page has been active in the business since 2009 and probably knows his fair share about it.

Punk continued, “I gave him a (expletive) chance, it did not get handled and you saw what I had to do, which is very regrettable, lowering myself to his (expletive) level. But that’s where we’re at right now, and I’ll still walk up and down this hallway and say ‘if you have a (expletive) problem with me, take it up with me. Let’s (expletive) go.’”

“I’m hurt, and I’m old and I’m (expletive) tired, and I work with (expletive) children,”

These remarks sent shockwaves through the wrestling industry, but the worst was yet to come. Following the comments made by Punk, The Elite (the three EVP’s from earlier) went to Punk’s locker room to talk about what had happened.

What transpired next is something that only those involved will know the truth of. However, what we do know is that there was a brawl between the parties. Alongside Punk in this battle was longtime friend Ace Steel, someone who AEW had to sign alongside Punk as a request from Punk himself.

Punk and The Elite were suspended, and things went back to schedule for nine months. With Punk having issues with a large portion of the locker room, AEW decided to essentially give him his own show with a locker room of folks that he wouldn’t treat poorly. Punk returned to AEW Collision on June 17th of this year.

After a few weeks of shaking off the ring rust, Punk declared himself the current AEW World Champion since he was never defeated for the title but was only stripped after being suspended. After declaring himself the “real” world champion, Punk set his belt down, grabbed a can of black spray-paint and painted a massive “X” (one of Punk’s signature displays is an X due to his straight-edge lifestyle) over the face of the belt.

AEW was preparing for their show All Out which they touted as the biggest wrestling event of all time as it was being held in a sold-out Wembley Stadium in London to the largest paid crowd in wrestling history. They turned to Punk and an old rival of his, Samoa Joe to put on a match for Punk’s “real” world title to open the show. These two had one of the most acclaimed rivalries in Ring of Honor wrestling in the mid 2000’s and prior to All Out, Punk had never managed to defeat Joe.

For this next part of the saga, I need to provide some context. Jack Perry, another AEW wrestler, had issues with Punk in the recent past when they were scheduled to feud for a few weeks. Apparently, there was a segment they wanted to shoot involving glass of some sort. Perry suggested using real glass for the shot, but Punk resisted resulting in an argument that led to the feud being dropped.

Perry had the last match on the All Out preshow against HOOK. During the match, Perry dragged HOOK over to the limo in which Perry made his entrance, knocked on the windshield, and said into the camera, “Hear that? Real glass, go cry me a river.” And then they continued with the match as planned.

Well, someone took offense to that (Punk, of course) and following his match against Joe, headed backstage to confront Perry. Punk reportedly went nose-to-nose with Perry and asked if he had a problem. Perry responded saying the comment was a way for him to get a reaction from the crowd as he was playing the heel.

Punk then allegedly sucker punched Perry before putting him in a chokehold before the two were separated. Punk then lunged at boss and AEW owner Tony Khan while allegedly yelling “I quit!”

The parties were again separated, and the show went on. But as word got out about the incident, people could feel that something big was going to happen. It came out before AEW Collision began its taping that AEW had severed ties with Punk and that the two would no longer be working together.

Kahn came out and explained the situation to the folks in attendance at Collision but wasn’t received well. Kahn said that he wished he didn’t have to make the decision, but Punk made him and others backstage fear for their safety and that has no place in AEW.

Now where do we go from here? Punk could go back to WWE but many people there have already expressed their disdain for him. Most notably, Seth Rollins calling him a cancer in an interview. He could go back to the UFC where he fought a few bouts and was made to look a fool.

I’d say that with who Punk is, he will likely never return to pro wrestling. I could see him starting a podcast where he could spill all of the drama from his side, but we already know the information. All I know is that the CM Punk saga looks to be over for the time being. What a wild ride it has been!