Drama returns to The Match, part four
The Match IV. Yes, four. Do you remember the first three? It began back at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas with Phil Mickelson taking on Tiger Woods, right around Thanksgiving 2018. Mickelson was +130, and I bet on him as I felt it should be priced as a Pick ’em. Phil won on an extra hole, a par three, in the darkness and played under the lights.
The Match II was during the quarantine in the summer of 2020. Tiger and Phil opposed one another once again, but Tiger partnered with Peyton Manning and Phil with Tom Brady. Woods and Manning were favored. I bet on them and won again.
Honestly, the Match III, with Mickelson and Charles Barkley against Manning and Steph Curry, I do not remember. These made for charity golf competitions aren’t exactly Game 7 of the World Series.
But the fourth edition of The Match does come with more drama than usual, and drama that can possibly be used as a legitimate handicap. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is teaming up with 2020 U.S. Open Champion, Bryson DeChambeau, and they will take on the familiar pairing of Mickelson and Brady. Are there two athletes on the planet right now more involved in headlines, questions and controversy than Rodgers and DeChambeau?
Rodgers is spending much more time playing golf right now than he is at OTAs with the Packers. In fact, he may not even be a Packer for the coming season. In defending his U.S. Open title at Torrey Pines less than three weeks ago, DeChambeau had the lead in the championship, until he walked off the green on the 11th hole. He shot a 44 on the back nine, nearly having to play a shot off of a 12-pack of beer at one point because he was so off-line. He ended up in a tie for 26th place.
Just moments before teeing off at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, also in defense of his 2020 title, DeChambeau parted ways with his caddie. See ya later to a guy that had been with him for all eight of his PGA Tour wins. Bryson went on to shoot 1-under par for the first two days with a temp on his bag and missed the cut by two shots.
This is all amidst the ongoing social media trash-talk battle between he and Brooks Koepka that really kicked into high gear at the PGA Championship back in May — that was won by Mickelson, by the way.
Speaking of Phil, he is never too far from a good gambling story is he? And this week at the Rocket Mortgage in Detroit, he did not at all take a liking to an article that was written about him by a local scribe. The story centered around a Detroit bookie Mickelson was involved with 23-years ago. Phil felt the story was old, no longer newsworthy and was simply selfindulgent on the part of the reporter.
Is squeaky clean Brady the only participant that is not in the news? One can’t deflate a golf ball, can they?
Rodgers and DeChambeau are the better golfers currently. Rodgers is thought to be roughly a 4-handicap golfer, Bryson is ranked sixth in the world, and we all saw Brady in The Match II when he looked a whole lot like one of us that shoots in the 90s. Team R&D opened as -185 favorites and since DeChambeau’s episode with his caddie and the missed cut, they have been cut to -175 favorites. I believe you will see the line continue to drop as casual bettors jump on this storyline.
While I did bet on Phil in The Match I and on Tiger in The Match II, I think I will probably sit this one out — but if one is so inclined to put some entertainment money on The Match IV and keep the Fourth of July fireworks going, I think I would wait for that price on the favorites to continue to drop and then jump in on Rodgers and DeChambeau. I think under -150 would be the go point.
Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died Sunday night from what the organization described as a “tragic accident” with fireworks.
Kivlenieks, 24, died of chest trauma after he was struck by an errant fireworks mortar during a party at a private home. Police in Novi, Mich., said the firework tilted slightly and fired toward a group of people.
Kivlenieks was in a hot tub and tried to escape the oncoming firework, police Lt. Jason Meier said, but was hit in the chest.
Authorities earlier said the Latvian had died of an apparent head injury during a fall, but an autopsy clarified the cause of death.
“At the moment, we’re pretty certain this was a tragic accident,” Meier said.
EMTs arrived at the home shortly after 10 p.m. and transported Kivlenieks to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“We are shocked and saddened by the loss of Matiss Kivlenieks, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his mother, Astrida, his family and friends during this devastating time,” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said in a statement. “Kivi was an outstanding young man who greeted every day and everyone with a smile and the impact he had during his four years with our organization will not be forgotten.”
Kivlenieks, who had recently competed for Latvia at the IIHF World Championships, started two games for Columbus this past season. The undrafted netminder made six NHL starts and eight appearances dating back to 2019-20. He was expected to compete for more playing time next season.
“Life is so precious and can be so fragile,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen tweeted. “Hug your loved ones today. RIP Matiss, you will be dearly missed.”
After signing with the Blue Jackets as a free agent in 2017, Kivlenieks made his NHL debut against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 19, 2020. He turned aside 31 of the 32 shots he faced to lift Columbus to a 2-1 victory.
Kivlenieks, the 2017 USHL Player of the Year, had a 2-2-2 record in his NHL career.
“The National Hockey League was saddened to learn of the sudden and tragic passing of goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks,” NHL commissioner
Gary Bettman said in a statement. “On behalf of the NHL family, we extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and teammates in both the Blue Jackets organization and his native country of Latvia. His love for life and passion for the game will be deeply missed by all those who have been fortunate to have him as a teammate and a friend.”