What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:
1
New Haven, the final tennis stop prior to the U.S. Open, no longer has a title sponsor or a men’s draw, but organizers say they are confident of the tournament’s future because it does have a very big name behind it — Yale University.
The WTA’s inaugural New Haven Open at Yale is being held this week at the 15,000-seat Connecticut Tennis Center, which has hosted a pro tournament, first the Volvo and then the Pilot Pen, every year since it was built in 1990.
But this year, Yale will be taking on a much bigger role than host, becoming one of five major sponsors of the tournament.
Yale stepped in financially to help save the tournament after Pilot Pen ended its 15-year run as a title sponsor last year.
Smart money? Yale figures anything that will benefit the university, it’s image and the town all at once is a good investment.
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2
A condensed version of Seattle Times reporter Larry Stone’s blog item from Sunday’s Mariners game:
That was walk-off loss No. 11 for the Mariners, who are trying, so far unsuccessfully, to keep from lapsing into another long losing spell.
This is five straight losses.
They have lost a staggering 20 of their last 23 on the road. As young as they are, and as rocky as their bullpen is right now, it’s easy to forecast more rough times ahead.
The two big issues today seem to be why Michael Pineda was taken out, and why Dan Cortes was left in.
Here’s the stark truth, though: Whoever came in for the Mariners in the ninth would have had a difficult time getting past the veteran Rays who are on a terrific roll right now.
