STARTING FIVE

1. Going Viral

An incurable virus that has taken the lives of more than 700 people now has hosts in Atlanta, as two U.S. health-care missionaries who were infected in Africa have returned for treatment at the National Institute for Health. One has to ask, Is this more a lost chapter from “World War Z” or the prequel of “The Walking Dead?”

Another pressing question: Which was the better film, “Outbreak” (1996)starring Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Morgan Freeman, or “Contagion,” (2011) which boasted Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Lawrence Fishburne –along with Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Bryan Cranston, Kate Winslet and, of course, Demetri Martin?

Finally, if you’re a fan of irony (and you should be), you have to admit that there would be something ultimately ironic about a potentially apocalyptic –to mankind, at least– disease emanating from Africa, which is also the cradle of human evolution. Something to laugh about as you’re donning your HAZMAT suit.

2. Bye, George

Haven’t seen video of Paul George’s injury and I don’t want to –although it is interesting how exponentially many more times I am able to catch video of Eric Garner’s death on TV than the Pacer All-Star’s injury. Anyway, it’s a terrible mishap that will sideline him at least for one year. No need, at least from this camp, to speculate on the why of it, but I think we can all say with certainty now that neither team from last year’s Eastern Conference finals will be returning in 2015: the Pacers are now minus George and Lance Stephenson, while the Heat are without LeBron.

Wizards-Cavs, anyone?

One thing to wonder: Will there be another televised USA Basketball scrimmage any time soon? Methinks not. You can call this a fluke injury, and it was, but somewhere (probably in Larry Bird’s office) people are wondering whether the energy of the scrimmage might have been different had it taken place without any cameras.

3. Tiger’s Back (but like, not, returned)

It may not be the most aerobic activity (that Aqua Boot Camp class I took this weekend was more so), but golf is a discipline that rewards players who are more limber, especially in the lower back. Look at Rory McIlroy’s swing (above). Then note that Tiger Woods withdrew from Sunday’s Bridgestone Invitational with lower back pain after rushing to return to the course from back surgery in March.

Tiger is done for 2014. He won’t be playing in next week’s PGA Championship and he won’t play in the Ryder Cup, because hopefully someone with sense will tell him that if he ever hopes to return to close to the form he once showed, he needs a long period of rest to fully recover. You know who might be able to advise that? His girlfriend, Lindsey Vonn, who over-ambitiously attempted to return from a torn ACL in time for Sochi last winter.

The easy story is Tiger’s demise and Rory’s ascent (and Sergio now playing the role of Phil Mickelson?). But Rory is 25 and flexible, while Tiger is 38 and stiff. If you have or have had lower back pain (raises hand), you know how impossible it is to expect Woods to play this game well with it. And four knee surgeries in 20 years don’t help.

4. Bale to the Victors!*

That’s right, a U.S. record crowd of 109,318 spectators packed Michigan Stadium on a Saturday afternoon in August to spectate –that’s what spectators do–for a friendly pitting Manchester United of the English Premier League versus Real Madrid of La Liga, which proves a couple of things:

1) It’s not yet American Football season.

2) Those members of the national media who trolled the popularity of the World Cup and tried to paint it as a fad by using Major League Soccer attendance and viewership numbers either don’t understand the hierarchy of soccer or were simply being disingenuous. American sports fans, like KISS fans, “wanted the best, and they got the best.” If you put the world’s best soccer players on a stage in the USA in 2014, people will come. In this case that translated to Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale of Real Madrid and Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young and Chicharito of Manchester United.

Keep in mind, this was only an exhibition, in America’s heartland, and yet more than 100,000 people paid anywhere from $45 to $189 to view it. On the other hand, let’s not forget: Real Madrid and Man. U were recently named by Forbes as the world’s 1st and 3rd most valuable sports franchises, respectively. The revolution hasn’t begun; in some respects, it’s already been won.

What’s next for soccer’s growth? Could they go all NFL/NBA and even MLB (the Dodgers opened the season in Australia versus the D-Backs, recall) on the USA and stage a regular-season EPL or La Liga match on our soil? It’s a great idea.

In the interest of fairness, I will note that 67,000 people attended an open practice for the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field that same evening.

*Yes, I am aware that Gareth Bale’s team lost.

5. The Dutch Master

New York Mess rookie pitcher Jacob de Grom took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night in Queens and in some respects it was the six-foot-four stud’s worst outing in more than a month. Consider that it was the first time deGrom allowed more than one earned run in his past five starts…although it might have been zero if second baseman Daniel Murphy didn’t use an iron mitt.

I remember first seeing deGrom back in May when both he and opposing pitcher Chase Whitley of the Yankees were both making their Major League debuts on the same night. deGrom took the loss, but he allowed just one run in seven innings –and also broke the Mets’ pitchers’ 0-for-64 streak from the plate–and it was clear that he had the superior potential.

deGrom is now only a pedestrian 6-5, but his ERA is 2.45 and he has only allowed more than 3 runs in one of his 10 starts. If the Mess get Matt Harvey back next season in similar form, this rotation has heft.

Where in the World

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