Comings and Goings, April 30: NFL Draft, empty stands, Monica Seles, Al Stern
This is where I'll run down at least five things -- some from the previous day and some looking ahead -- that you might want to know.
They may not be the biggest five things, just the five I feel like throwing out there.
Here are the Comings and Goings for April 31:
1. The NFL draft
The first round of the 2015 NFL draft in Chicago starts at 8 p.m. Thursday and will be televised on ESPN.
It looks like The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston with the first overall pick.
The real question is at No. 2. The Tennessee Titans have the pick, but a lot of people believe there's a trade to be made here. Several teams are said to covet Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in this spot.
Barry Wilner of the Associated Press gives us five things to look for in the first round.
2. The game nobody saw
The Baltimore Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox 8-2 on Wednesday in an empty stadium.
Baseball played the game without the fans as a result of violent clashes between protesters and police in Baltimore.
Here's a rundown of what happened in the game, and here's my take on baseball's decision.
3. TBT: Seles stabbed
On this date in 1993, 19-year-old Monica Seles, the No. 1 women's tennis player in the world at the time, was stabbed in the back in an on-court attack by a disturbed fan in Germany.
Seles' physical injuries weren't severe, but she was out of tennis for 28 months and never fully returned to the level that saw her win eight grand slam singles titles before her 10th birthday.
4. Rockets social media manager fired
As the Houston Rockets were beating the Dallas Mavericks 103-94 on Tuesday to win their first-round NBA playoff series, their social media manager, Chad Shanks, posted a tweet with an emoji of a gun pointed at a horse's head that read, "Shhhhh. Just close your eyes. It will all be over soon."
The tweet was soon deleted, but on Wednesday, the Rockets confirmed the dismissal of Shanks.
5. Jackie Bradley comes and goes
Former South Carolina Gamecocks College World Series hero Jackie Bradley Jr. mad his return to the major leagues this, week, but it was over as soon it started.
Recalled by Boston from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday, Bradley was returned on Wednesday when the Red Sox needed more arms in the bullpen.
In 164 games over the past two seasons, Bradley is hitting .196 in the major leagues. He is hitting .325 in 19 games at Triple-A this season.
6. Bluffton's Al Stern hangs up the whistle
One of the classiest high school coaches in the area is stepping down.
Bluffton volleyball coach Al Stern, 80, has decided he can't meet the demands of the job anymore.
He will be missed.
Here's the story by Kendall Salter.
Follow sports editor Mike McCombs on Twitter at twitter.com/IPBGsports.
This story was originally published April 30, 2015 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Comings and Goings, April 30: NFL Draft, empty stands, Monica Seles, Al Stern."