Happy Tuesday! We were all over the emotional spectrum when it came to the sports world yesterday. From Mutombo and Rose, to the Mets and the Braves, it was a little bit of an odd day. But I’ll say this, nothing like a day where things get put in perspective. We’ll cover it all, and more, in today’s edition of the Daily Stump!

Quick shoutout to some new readers of the Stump! Jace from Florida and Gene, a Yankees fan! Welcome aboard!

We keep the feedback form active, so don’t be afraid to let us know what you think!

(answer at the bottom of the Stump!)

🥊In 1975, the THRILLA IN MANILLA! Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier went FOURTEEN rounds in Quezon City, Philippines.

Ali was able to defeat Frazier and retain his WBC/WBA heavyweight title. This was the pairs third and final bout. It is touted as one of the greatest boxing matches of all time. The two boxers were never the same after this one.

A man who was more than just a basketball legend, Mutombo helped grow the game into an international product. Mutombo passed away yesterday at the age of 58.

To start, we’ll talk about his basketball career, but what Mutombo did off of the court shows you way more about who he was than just stats and accolades ever could. Mutombo played 18 NBA seasons after a successful college career at Georgetown University.

He was a member of the Nuggets, Hawks, 76ers, Nets, Knicks, and Rockets, before retiring after the 2008-2009 season. He ranks second all-time in career blocks, and 20th all-time in career rebounds. He is most known for his signature finger wag that would come after all of his blocks. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Mutombo was named the NBA’s first Global Ambassador and was truly a humanitarian at heart, hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He worked tirelessly to grow the game, particularly in Africa, and was a key partner in the development of the Basketball Africa League.

He spoke nine languages and served on the boards of a variety of nonprofits, including the Special Olympics, the CDC Foundation, and the US Fund for UNICEF. He was not just a basketball player, he was a giver, a lover, and someone who simply cared about others.

I don’t know about you guys, but I could get used to this Monday night doubleheader. If my only option was watching Titans-Dolphins last night I don’t know what I would’ve done. Regardless, two Football games, here’s what went down!

Let’s talk Detroit-Seattle first. The Lions got the win 42-29, showcasing their limitless array of weapons. The Lions are absolutely one of the powerhouses of the NFC and as the divisional matchups start to roll around, the NFC North is going to be extremely fun to watch! One of the most impressive stats from the game was that not only did Jared Goff catch his first-ever touchdown pass, but he also did not throw an incompletion for the entire game! He threw a perfect game! 18/18 for 292 yards and 2 TDs!

Seattle came into this game with some questions despite being 3-0. Their competition hadn’t been the best and this was their first real test. The score may not show but Seattle showed a lot of good things throughout the game. When they had to, Geno was able to move the ball down the field with ease! Even in a loss, I think it can be said that Seattle will be no pushover this year in the NFC.

And now for the Dolphins-Titans game.

The Titans won.

When people talk about Pete Rose, they often think of the bad, but the good was ohhhhhh so good. Rose passed away yesterday at the age of 83.

Pete Rose may be baseballs biggest “example” player. What do I mean by this? He was banned from baseball as an example. To warn other players.

Rose was found guilty of betting on MLB games, other games but mostly bet on the Reds, the team he was on, to win. He was banned for life from baseball. Whether you think of Rose as the player or the gambler, you can’t deny he was one of the best to ever do it.

His status into the Hall of Fame was always questioned and a point of debate, but Rose the man never made it himself into the Hall. Rose is a 17-time All-Star, he won three World Series’, one MVP award, holds the record for games played and plate appearances, and the NL record for longest hitting streak (44).

None of these milestones hold a candle to his biggest one, his 4,256 career hits, the most in major league history. He even had a famous quote about himself, “Every summer, three things are going to happen, the grass is going to get green, the weather is going to get hot, and Pete Rose is going to get 200 hits and bat .300.”

In August of 1989, Rose was officially banned for life. Rose was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 2015 and has a statue outside of Cincy’s Great American Ball Park. Rose was the example that not even baseball greats are above the rules. Any conversation about baseball GOATS that doesn’t include Rose, is a invalid conversation.

About 19 people were arrested by Italian police accused of criminal ties to a powerful mafia group in Milan, but what does this have to do with soccer?

Prosecutors said at a news conference that these individuals had ties with the ‘Ndrangheta mafia group, and were charged with the use of mafia methods, extortion, assault, and a variety of other serious offenses. Many of those arrested were known as AC Milan and Inter Milan “ultras”, or massive fans with connections to the club.

Police searched the homes of over 50 people, including well-known AC Milan superfan Giancarlo Lombardi, or “The Baron”. Luca Lucci and Renato Bosetti were also arrested, both were known as leaders of AC Milan and Inter ultra groups.

The ‘Ndrangheta mob was actively trying to take control of all the lucrative business activities around Milan’s Giuseppe Meazza Stadium—known more globally as San Siro— including parking, food, tickets, and souvenir sales. Some suspects may also have been involved in drug trafficking.

This is absolutely bonkers. Imagine the mob trying to take over MetLife Stadium? And then the most famous Jets and Giants fans were the ones basically leading the charge? That’s like Fireman Ed becoming a mob leader! NUTS!

The best of both worlds yesterday if you’re a Mets or Braves fan. Diamondbacks fans however, we’re sorry. The double-header was electric in every facet of the world, so let’s get into it.

CHAMPAGNE FOR EVERYONE! After one of the most entertaining games of the year, the Mets were victorious and punched their ticket into the 2024 MLB Postseason. The Braves, however, needed to win game two of the day to make it in.

The first game was honestly pretty boring until the 8th inning. With the Mets down 3-0, the boys needed to rally. New York managed to get to batshots and score in BUNCHES! They put up SIX runs to take a 6-3 lead. That didn’t last long, as the Braves responded in the bottom of the 8th and took a 7-6 lead. Brutal.

The Mets needed one more jolt of magic, and it came in the form of Francisco Lindor. A two-run BOMB from the Mets MVP put them up 8-7, a lead they managed to hold onto.

The Braves went into the next game with all of their best out their, but the game stayed tight. A two-RBI hit by Marcell Ozuna late in the game gave the Braves a 3-0 lead. Enough for a Braves postseason trip.

With that, the Arizona Diamondbacks miss out on the big dance. Both World Series teams from last year will NOT be in the playoffs this year, CRAZY!

🏈 Catch an interception with you… LEGS?

⚾ LINDOR. IS. HIM! LETS GO METS!

🏈 A full somersault for a FIRST DOWN!

🏈 DK Metcalf is an ALIEN!

🏀 Best block of Dikembe Mutombo’s career!

💯 Full Scoreboards: MLB, Soccer, PGA, NFL, WNBA, NCAAF

Trivia Answer:

C. Miami Marlins! Okay, maybe this is a little of a trick question. The Marlins have a 60% win percentage in the playoffs, but they’ve only appeared in 40 games. The New York Yankees are second on the list with 244 wins in 423 games (57.8%), followed by the Mets (56.5%) and Red Sox (54.3%).

Can’t thank you enough for sticking to the end of this thing we call The Daily Stump. If you know anybody who might want this bit of daily sports news in their life, send them this link! It would go a long way! Appreciate the hell out of you all!

Trees get chopped. Stumps hold strong!