STARTING FIVE

1. Americas’ Cup

Brazil, Mexico and Chile are three of the first four teams to have advanced to the knockout stage after having played all three games.

Argentina, Colombia and Costa Rica are already in.

The USA should be in, but they’re not, but they still may be.

Uruguay and Ecuador are not in, but they may still advance.

A total of nine of the 10 American countries at the World Cup could advance to the knockout round.

Only Honduras is out. But at least it remains the murder capital of the world. You cannot take that away from it. Personally, I feel that more people would cheer for Honduras if they could only pronounce or spell the name of its capital: Tegucigalpa.

2. Why Not Dante?

You already know I’d take Andrew Wiggins of Canada if I had the first overall pick.

I’d not take Joel Embiid, as much as I love his game, because of the Greg Oden/Yao Ming/Bill Walton. Big men with bad feet are a caution. Big men withe bad backs are a caution. Big men with both? Caution: Rip Tide.

I’d not take Jabari Parker, at all, because I see a little CarMElo Anthony in him. When you’re just done with your freshman year of college and, in the most pivotal time of your life, you arrive at a team workout overweight, as was reported with Cleveland, I’m out. Plus, Cleveland already selected an out of shape teenager with the No. 1 pick overall last year. How many do they need?

So my second pick, if not Cleveland’s first, might just be six-foot-six Australian guard Dante Exum. Read this story on him by Jeff Goodman. Or this one by Gary Washburn. I did not know that his pops, Cecil Exum, played on THAT North Carolina team.

3. Roger and Rafa

Rafael Nadal has won eight Grand Slam titles while Roger Federer has only won one since late 2009. Rafa is obviously closing the gap on the Swiss Mister. Nadal has 14 Grans Slam titles, Federer 17, which is the most all-time among the men (Pete Sampras also had 14). Federer turns 33 later this summer, while Nadal just turned 28. The good news for Federer is that he has won seven of the last 11 at the All England, while Nadal has only won there twice.

Enjoy. And if there’s one sporting venue you should visit before you kick it, make it Wimbledon. It’s grand. Me, I’ll be over here in the corner enjoying a Pimm’s Cup.

4. Where In The World?

Today, a new feature on “Medium Happy”, thunk up by our crack staff of writers and producers, in which we post a photo of a place and ask you to identify where it is located on planet Earth.

Answer at the bottom of today’s entry.

Clue: A national park whose name translates to “place of spirits.”

5. It Begins, In Earnest

So Jay Carney “quit” as White House press secretary and is replaced by future All-Inaptly Named Teamer Josh Earnest, whose first White House briefing did not go so well. That said, it wasn’t the worst first White House briefing ever by a guy named Josh.

You’d think that folks in the West Wing would have just realized who’s perfect for the job and hired that person long ago.

Remote Patrol

Uruguay vs Italy

ESPN Noon

Are you KIDDING me? Luis Suarez and Mario Balotelli on the same pitch? Loser goes home? I”m ALL in (and I’ll take Uruguay).

 

Answer for No. 4: Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador, Canada.