Author: Luke Reimer

Today in sports history (1954), the legendary Hank Aaron replaces an injured Bobby Thompson, and the rest was history. The newly-acquired Milwaukee Braves outfielder Thompson had just broken his ankle. Thompson was known for his “shot heard round the world.” Many Braves fans believed that the season was lost after this injury. Little did Braves and MLB fans know that Thompson’s replacement would go on to be one of the greatest MLB players ever. Transition From Bobby Thompson to Hank Aaron Thompson was the key piece in a seven-player trade. Looking to get a fresh start, many, including Thompson himself, were excited.…

Ivy League basketball is finally back for another NCAA Tournament. They did not compete last year, as the conference decided to cancel all winter sports in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision included men’s college basketball. Like other years, this year, only four teams will compete in the Ivy League Tournament. Princeton, Cornell, Yale and Penn will all be vying for conference representation in the NCAA Tournament. Princeton leads the way in the conference, finishing with a 12-2 record in the Ivy League basketball standings. Believe it or not, the last Ivy League Tournament winner was Yale way…

Today in sports history (1985), Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird set the team points record, scoring 60 points in one game. Bird is easily one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was not your prototypical player. Bird was tall, lanky and un-athletic. What Bird did have though was an incredible mind. It can be debated that Larry Bird has the greatest basketball IQ of all time. He was always in the right spot at the right time and made the right play, whether it was him or a teammate taking the shot. Bird would often trash talk not only…

Today in sports history (1986), the NFL adopted a rule that would go on to change the landscape of the league. The NFL adopted a limited instant replay rule. Prior to the introduction of the instant replay rule, coaches had no capacity to challenge a ruling made by a referee. This gave officials a better opportunity to control the game. The only chance that coaches had to overturn a call was hoping that refs would discuss the call during a game. Even though this was a limited instant replay rule, this would lay the foundation of what we see in the NFL…

Today in sports history (2012), the Louisville Cardinals defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats to automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Louisville basketball entered the Big East Tournament as the seven seed. They beat Seton Hall and the ninth-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles to reach the championship. The Cardinals were led by Russ Smith, Peyton Siva, Kyle Kuric and Gorgui Dieng. With legendary coach Rick Pitino at the helm, many had penciled Louisville in as a team looking for an upset in the NCAA Tournament. This championship, along with Louisville’s 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, was vacated due to the sex scandal within the university. Louisville…

Today in sports history (1995), an ownership group led by Vince Naimoli was approved for an expansion team in Tampa Bay. After three unsuccessful decades of trying to bring a team to Tampa Bay, the Devil Rays were approved. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ first season was 1998. In late 1997, Larry Rothschild was named the first manager of the team. In the expansion draft in 1997, the Devil Rays selected 35 players, including Tony Saunders. Later, the Devil Rays were able to acquire Kevin Stocker, Wade Boggs, Fred McGriff and Wilson Alvarez. Tampa Bay Rays Get Off to Rocky Start Most…

Believe it or not, SWAC basketball had seven teams with double-digit wins and seven teams at .500 or better in the conference. The leader of the pack this season was Alcorn State, who finished with a 14-4 conference record. The best overall record in the conference came from Southern who went 17-13. The following contains the SWAC Tournament bracket and schedule, as well as a preview of what we can expect to see. The top eight teams will be competing for an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Check out the FlurrySports Conference Tournaments Hub for wall-to-wall college basketball coverage throughout the…

The Big East may have made its claim as the most fun conference in college basketball this season. With teams like Villanova, Marquette, Providence and UConn in the top 25 for most of the year, the Big East just may be the best conference in college basketball. The following contains the Big East Tournament bracket, standings and schedule, as well as a preview of what we can expect to see. Check out the FlurrySports Conference Tournaments Hub for wall-to-wall college basketball coverage throughout the leadup to March Madness! Big East Basketball Conference Standings SchoolConf. RecordOverall RecordSeedProvidence14-324-41 SeedVillanova16-423-72 SeedConnecticut13-622-83 SeedCreighton12-720-104 SeedSeton Hall11-820-96 SeedMarquette11-819-115…

Today in sports history (1971), the greatest fight in boxing history occurred at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The 26-0 heavyweight champion Joe Frazier was looking to defend his championship against 31-0 and former champ Muhammad Ali. This fight was the most anticipated match in history, as both men were at the top of their games. Both men were also two of the greatest boxers of all time. Ali was recently stripped of his championship titles for refusing to fight in Vietnam. Because of this, the Americans against the war sided with Ali. The Americans in favor of the war…

The Big 12 once again proved that they are the best college basketball conference in the country. With teams like Kansas and Texas Tech being fixtures in the top 25 this year, this has become one of the most competitive conferences in the nation. Texas is the reigning champion of the Big 12 Tournament. Of course, Baylor made the run to the championship last year, winning the NCAA Tournament over Gonzaga. Can the Bears win the Big 12 Tournament en route to attempting back-to-back tournament wins? The following contains the Big 12 Tournament bracket and schedule, as well as a…