Morning Jolt: Friday, June 24
Friday, June 24
Today's must-see content delivered straight to you.
Ed Reed admitted he wasn't quite fully healed earlier this week in New Orleans, but another admission was also worthy of a headline in Baltimore. [Reed admitted] that he and other players wanted the Ravens to hire Rex Ryan as head coach instead of John Harbaugh. We have heard that some in the Ravens locker room were pulling for Ryan to get the job in 2008, but it's interesting that Reed would bring it up now. "[Ryan was] like a dad, like a brother, man," Reed [told ESPN]. ... "It hurt when he left. We knew he was a great coach. There was a reason why that defense was the way it was. I would play anywhere with Rex -- in a dark alley, on the street, in high school football, sandlot, anywhere -- because he makes it fun. He loves this game." (The Baltimore Sun)Comment
Pistons show Twitter love for pick
What were the Pistons supposed to do when Brandon Knight fell into their laps? Knight, who attended Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., visited Yale before landing at Kentucky. "He could go to any school in the country without bouncing a ball," David Beckerman, his prep coach, told the Kentucky Advocate-Messenger in 2010. "He has a 4.3 grade-point average at the No. 1 academic school in Florida. He could not bounce a ball and go to Harvard." ... Twitter reaction to Knight * Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva: "Great pick up, I like the pick." * Teammate Austin Daye: "Yesss siiiirr." * Braylon Edwards: "I'll take that pick! The kid can ball." * Mateen Cleaves: "A good young talent with a lot of potential. Over all I think this is a good safe pick for the Pistons." (Detroit Free Press)Comment
Oswalt's career may hang on MRI
Philly might be down an ace for the foreseeable future. Roy Oswalt left Thursday night's start -- an ugly 12-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals -- after two innings with lower back soreness. He said he's been bothered by the condition "for a while." He said, "I feel it when I sit down, stand up, walk, pitch, sleep." He doesn't know when he'll pitch again. If ever. "You throw as long as you can and when you can't throw anymore you don't," the 33-year-old pitcher said after the game. "Hopefully it's not to the point where I can't throw anymore. If it's at that point, you just have to accept it." Oswalt said he will have an MRI on Monday ... and if the examination brings the type of news that puts his career in jeopardy ... "I've had a pretty good one," Oswalt said with resignation. (CSNPhilly.com)Comment
Must-See Photo
Bryan Clay soars through the air during the long jump event at the U.S. Championships. (AP)
Must-See Video
SI.com's Maggie Gray and Chris Mannix break down the trades at the 2011 NBA Draft.
Game To Watch
Indians at Giants, 10:15 p.m. ET, STO, NBC Bay Area
- Cleveland Indians
- San Francisco Giants
SI Vault: More Sammy Sosa
This Day in Sports
- 1995 -- The New Jersey Devils sweep the Detroit Red Wings to win their first Stanley Cup.
- 1998 -- The Cubs' Sammy Sosa hits his 18th home run of the month, tying the MLB record.
- Year -- John Isner wins the longest match in tennis history, beating Nicolas Mahut in the first round at Wimbledon 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68. The match takes 11 hours, 5 minutes over three days.
