Hello, sports fans! It’s Austin filling in for Zach on this Thursday morning. Let’s get right to it.
Colts owner Jim Irsay dies at 65
Last night, Colts announced that longtime owner Jim Irsay died “peacefully in his sleep” at the age of 65.
Irsay worked under his father, Robert, as a vice president and general manager for 13 years before taking over as the Colts’ owner in 1997. Over the last 28 years, with Irsay at the helm, the Colts have experienced some of the best moments in franchise history.
- Drafted Peyton Manning at No. 1 overall in 1998
- Won 10 division titles
- Won two AFC Championships (2006, 2009)
- Won Super Bowl XLI (2006)
- Lucas Oil Stadium Hosted Super Bowl XLVI (2012)
Following the news of Irsay’s death, tributes poured in from everywhere, including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Reggie Wayne. Colts legend Peyton Manning honored Irsay with a touching post on Instagram.
Bryan DeArdo wrote a brilliant encapsulation of Irsay’s legacy as the “ultimate players’ owner.”
- DeArdo: “Regarding the Colts, Irsay’s legacy is being the ultimate players’ owner. He loved his players and wasn’t afraid to express it, whether it was in the locker room after a game, during a Hall of Fame ceremony or behind closed doors.”
With Irsay’s passing, his three daughters will likely follow in their father’s footsteps as they take over the Colts.
THE INDIANA PACERS
How are you feeling this morning, Pacers fans?! Down by 14 points with under three minutes remaining in the game, Indiana rallied to force overtime before beating the Knicks in a historic comeback, 138-135.
The late flurry was shocking, and it involved some dazzling individual efforts on the part of Indiana:
By the way, if you got a sense of déjà vu when Haliburton knocked down the tying shot, it was for good reason. Haliburton recreated Reggie Miller‘s iconic choking gesture after silencing MSG.
The moment — and game — is exactly what this rivalry and this league needed writes Matt Norlander.
- Norlander: “Haliburton’s carnival shot to tie the game and his neck squeeze will be what gets remembered, but it would have never happened if not for the brilliant shot making of Nesmith, who was 8-of-9 from beyond the arc, putting up 30 points in what he deemed the best game of his career.”
Yes, let’s press pause so we can discuss Nesmith’s late-game heroics. The man simply could not miss at all in the fourth quarter, and he also made some history, as Colin Ward-Henninger writes.
- Ward-Henninger: “It was the most 3s ever made in the fourth quarter of an NBA playoff game, and tied for the most made in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter in any game in the play-by-play era (since 1997), according to CBS Sports Research.”
Finally, we have James Herbert walking us through the incredible close from the players’ perspective.
- Herbert: “Initially, the Pacers thought Haliburton’s buzzer-beater was a 3. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have jumped onto him in jubilation and he definitely wouldn’t have channeled Reggie Miller’s choke celebration. After finding out they needed to play five more minutes, they had to “grab everybody by their jersey, their neck, their arm, whatever it takes,” Turner said. “Just get ’em in the huddle, tell ’em, ‘Let’s go, man. It’s not over. We gave ourselves a chance.'”
Is there anything the Pacers can do to top this in Game 2? I can’t wait to find out.
😃 Honorable mentions
😱 And not such a good morning for …
THE NEW YORK KNICKS
And on the other hand of that jaw-dropping finish, we have the New York side. The Knicks looked ready to cruise to a 1-0 series lead, but they bumbled, crumbled and stumbled in the final 2:45 of regulation, getting outscored 20-6 before taking the final somersault into the ditch in overtime.
Let’s put this meltdown into perspective (avert your eyes, Knicks fans). Going into Wednesday, teams up at least 14 points with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter were 994-0 in the play-by-play era — that’s 1997, folks.
Well, make that 994-1.
Historic losses require some disappointing performances, and the Knicks got a few of those in Game 1.
- OG Anunoby posted a minus-12 while shooting 40.0% from the field.
- Karl-Anthony Towns and Anunoby missed critical free throws that could have put the game away.
- Jalen Brunson did score 43 points, but he also turned the ball over seven times.
Suffice it to say, the Knicks were on the receiving end of a gut punch with brass knuckles. As Brad Botkin wrote in his postgame reaction, New York will have to find some intestinal fortitude before Game 2.
- Botkin: For the Knicks, to call this a gut punch would be an understatement. This already feels like a knockout blow. For a team to recover, mentally, to say nothing of the physical toll gone to complete waste, from a loss like this to win a series is almost incomprehensible.”
😟 Not so honorable mentions
🏈 Deion Sanders leaps 28 spots in CFB coach rankings
Colorado saw its win total rise substantially in 2024. As a result, Deion Sanders experienced a Rocky Mountain climb of his own in our latest edition of the college football coach rankings.
After leading the Buffs to a 9-4 mark last season, Sanders landed at No. 33 on the list, which was voted on by CBS Sports and 247Sports experts. Sanders remains outside the top 25 for now, but his 28-spot jump was the second-highest of any coach.
- Fornelli: “While the on-field results didn’t match the off-field hype in 2023, Sanders’ Colorado team improved to 9-4 and was in the hunt for a conference title until the end of the season. Oh, and Travis Hunter won the Heisman.”
Although Sanders flew up the rankings this year, he still has plenty to prove this fall. No Sheder Sanders, no Travis Hunter, no problem? We’ll find out in the coming months.
Beyond Sanders, Bill Belichick made his debut pretty far down the list. I mean, what do you do with a six-time Super Bowl winning head coach who is making the jump to college at 73 years old amidst offseason controversy?
We released Nos. 68-26 yesterday, so get caught up on those rankings before we unveil the 25 coaches later today.
⚽ Tottenham defeat Man U for Europa League title
After a rather poor showing in the English Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur needed something to feel good about. They got in on Wednesday when Tottenham defeated Manchester United, 1-0, in the UEFA Europa League final.
Brennan Johnson potted the only goal of the match, but he did have some help. The ball ricocheted off Man U left back Luke Shaw, and that summarized the season quite well for the Red Devils.
Not only did Tottenham need a win to wash the taste out of its mouth from a poor season in the EPL, but it had endured a lengthy trophy drought. This Europa League title is Tottenham’s first hardware since 2008.
Francesco Porzio says this was the “end of a nightmare” for the Hotspur.
- Porzio: “It feels like the end of a nightmare for the team coached by Ange Postecoglou who can now finally celebrate after a disappointing season, as they are currently 17th in the Premier League standings.”
📺 What we’re watching Thursday
⛳ Charles Schwab Challenge, Round 1, 4 p.m. on Golf Channel
⚾ Orioles at Red Sox, 6:45 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Fever at Dream, 7:30 p.m. on Prime Video
🏒 Panthers at Hurricanes (Panthers lead 1-0), 8 p.m. on TNT/truTV/Max
🏀 Timberwolves at Thunder (Thunder lead 1-0), 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
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Author: Zachary Pereles
May 22, 2025 | 10:25 am
