This is the first edition of Hurley Happenings. Well, at least the first edition for Third Down Thursdays. I wrote a few for the Philadelphia Sports Chronicle back in the day, and a couple for PTST. But hopefully, Hurley Happenings is here to stay at TDT.
We are witnessing greatness
Anyway, the NBA Finals were last night, and while you all have seen plenty of coverage on the series, But, I still have a few things to say nonetheless.
In case you weren’t aware, Wardell Stephen Curry is the greatest point guard to ever walk the earth. Don’t believe me? Here’s the resume.
4x NBA Champion
2x MVP (Only Unanimous)
1x Finals MVP
8x All-NBA
2x Scoring Champ
50-40-90 Club (2015-16 season)
NBA All-75 Team
All-Time 3PT Leader
Warriors Franchise Leader (PTS, AST, 3PT)
1st player ever with 500 Playoff 3PT
Curry has only shot below 40% from three-point range once in his career, and the Warriors don’t even touch dynasty level without his level of dominance over the last 13 years. For those that miss the old greats, please appreciate the greatness in front of you while you still can.
Packers make a move at QB
While most people don’t care about a QB3 on any NFL team, quarterbacks are scrutinized in Green Bay. After an infamous year of being adored by Packers fans, Green Bay waived Kurt Benkert today. There aren’t many football implications here, but I hope that the Halo legend finds his place as a backup somewhere.
Also, if the replies to the Packers official tweet announcing the move are any indication, the rest of the Green Bay fanbase will miss Benkert too.
Big Bird Out
After a long and storied WNBA career, Sue Bird is calling it quits after this season. The league’s all-time assists leader will retire at the age of 41 after dominating the league for a very long time. Bird was also a storied international player, helping the US to win her fifth straight gold medal, the seventh straight for the United States. After spending 22 years with the Seattle Storm, Bird will sail into the sunset with an easy career of basketball media ahead of her.
Who’s Father Time?
My favorite pitcher on the MLB 2K11 game for my Wii console was none other than Justin Verlander. Following his MVP season in 2011, Verlander was on the cover of the game, and on top of his game. 11 years later, Verlander is still as dominant as ever at 39 years old.
In his 18th year in the league, Verlander is the top Cy Young candidate for the American League. After missing 2021 due to Tommy John surgery, the 39 year old looks 28 again. While my general distaste for the Houston Astros will always stand, I will always root for Verlander to continue dominating the AL, and Father Time.
Ultimately, there is a lot of greatness in sports right now. From WNBA legends retiring, to NBA dynasties and 39 year old pitchers, sports are in a good spot. So in the words of Ferris Buehler,”Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”