Good Morning, Stumpers!

The two greatest words in sports. Game Seven! We had one yesterday (GO NUGS), and now we’ve got one more today! Not only did we have a high-stakes Game 7 last night, but we had the Kentucky Derby, a Scottie rampage, and an inspirational story from the Houston Roughnecks! Let’s get down to brass tacks!

Today’s Rundown

What’s in today’s edition?

• 🏈 A Story of Perseverance!

• 🏀 Denver Nuggets Obliterate Clippers in Game 7!

• 🏇 KENTUCKY DERBY RESUTS!

• ⛳️ Scottie. Is. On. A. HEATER.

On This Day

On This Day…

🤠 Cowboy Invents a “Sport”

I only put this in quotations because I’m not sure how much of sport is it. I mean, by definition it is, but it’s more of a dangerous activity that we call a sport to make it seem less terrifying.

On this day in 1893, legendary cowboy Bill Pickett invented the sport of bulldogging, the skill of grabbing cattle by the horns and wrestling them to the ground. I don’t know what these cowboys put in their cheerios to wake up and want to do this, but I want some. This must be one hell of a ticket to sit there and watch a man wrestle a cow to the ground.

Today’s Trivia

🧠 Test your sports knowledge…

Yesterday’s Trivia Answer: A. 12! There are twelve pentagon’s on a soccer ball!

Before We Dive In…

👀 Yesterday’s Must See’s

• 🏇 Sovereignty PULLS AWAY at the Derby

• 🚨 Dallas is ELECTRIC after a big Game 7 win over the Avalanche

• 🥊 Russ with some fighting words for the Clippers

• 💪 Roger Clemens son, Kody, homers at Fenway Park

🔍️ Stump Spotlight

Never Give Up, Boys and Girls

👏 No Starts in College for this Pro QB

We can sit here and argue about whether spring football league is a good thing or bad thing, but I’ll tell say this: it is an absolute factory of cool stories about never giving up on your dreams.

Jalan McClendon is absolutely a prime example of this. The Houston Roughnecks Quarterback is 29 years old and still chasing after his dream of becoming a NFL QB.

McClendon was a big time recruit coming out of high school in Charlotte, North Carolina and chose to stay home and sign with the NC State Wolfpack. His career at NC State was highlighted by many a quarterback battle where he came up just short. He lost the job in 2014 to transfer QB Jacoby Brissett, who went on to become one of the better QBs in school history in his two years as the starter.

McClendon was given another shot at the job heading into the 2016 season, but another transfer QB, this time by the name of Ryan Finley, would beat out McClendon. With Finley at the helm, Jalan would only appear in three games, attempting only three passes. Following the 2017 year, he decided to transfer, ending up at Baylor with one year of eligibility left.

Fast forward to the Baylor QB competition, head coach Matt Rhule ended up choosing Charlie Brewer over McClendon. But on November 3rd, 2018, he would finally get a chance to start after 4 years in college football. Despite his effort, McClendon was benched in favor of Brewer, who led a comeback win over Oklahoma State and won the starting spot for the rest of the year. With just one college start under his belt, you’d think McClendon would just hang it up. Wrong.

After two short stints on NFL rosters in the offseason of his rookie year, McClendon found his way to the XFL. After one season with the LA Wildcats and no starts, he found himself without a home again. Fast forward to 2023 and the revival of the United Football League, McClendon was a member of the Vegas Vipers. He finally had a chance to shine, although he only managed to go 1-3 in 4 starts. The next year, it was back to the bench with the DC Defenders, only attempting 21 passes in 5 games.

This brings us to yesterday. Now a member of the Houston Roughnecks, McClendon was slated to start just his 6th game since graduating high school in 2014. 6 games in 10 years. Believe. The Roughnecks went up early when McClendon connected on a thirteen yard touchdown pass, but the job wasn’t finished yet. Up by just one point in the fourth quarter, McClendon orchestrated a fantastic drive, including a pivotal 4th down conversion, to drain the clock. All in all, McClendon went 20-28 with 149 yards passing and a touchdown.

Since Jalan graduated high school, he has lost quarterback battles, fought through injuries, waited his turn, and finally, he has a big win to celebrate. Never have I ever trusted the process that much. 6 starts since graduating high school is an absolutely insane stat. I am surely rooting for this guy to keep going, earn the starting role, and make a name for himself.

The Hot Stove

🏀 Nuggets Roll in Game 7

NUGS. NUGS. NUGS.

This one was an absolute treat! Man, if this series showed anything through 6 games, it showed that Game 7 would be close, and it would be a hard-fought war for 48 minutes. Well, it was in fact close, but only for two quarters. The Nuggets took a small into the half, but absolutely erupted in the third going on a 15-2 run to start the quarter. This included MPJ threes, Christian Braun layups, and Aaron Gordon Dunks. It was flat out special.

What I would have paid to been in Ball Arena last night! Man! Hopefully there are some more wins their soon! The Nuggets now move on to face an absolute juggernaut of a team, the OKC Thunder! The 2 MVP candidates face off in a series, what more could you want!

🏇 Race for the Roses

On a sloppy track in Louisville, Kentucky, a horse named Sovereignty etched his name in history as the winner of the 151st Kentucky Derby.

Sovereignty gave trainer Bill Mott a second Kentucky Derby victory as the horse outdueled 3-1 favorite Journalism down the stretch to secure victory at the most renowned race in the USA. Mott won his first derby in 2019 when Country House was elevated to first after Maximum Security was disqualified. Sovereignty is owned by Godolphin, a racing stable of Dubai Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The victory was worth $3.1 million from the $5 million purse. The race had a rocky start, with the muddy conditions causing some congestion out of the gates. Coming around the last corner, Sovereignty and Journalism were neck and neck, but Sovereignty surged ahead with 147,406 fans in attendance. Jockey Junior Alvarado, 38, wins his first Derby in six tries.

⛳️ Scottie Heads into Sunday with BIG Lead

It feels like we’ve just been waiting all season for Scottie to break through and just remind everyone how much of an animal he is, he’s doing just that this week in Texas.

Scottie has an eight-shot lead after a 5-under 66 capped by birdies on three of the final five holes. After three rounds, he only has two bogeys on the tournament. He two-putted on the 18th hole for the biggest 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour since Rory McIlroy also led by eight on the way to winning the 2011 US Open. Scottie is quite familiar with the course, as he and Jordan Spieth are both Dallas residents and have played this course pretty much their hole life. He surely is comfortable this time around. This is the 14th time he’s entered the final round of a tour event with a lead in the last five seasons, twice as many as any other golfer over that span.

⬇️ Quick Links

• 👏 Fan who fell at Pirates game making progress

• 🙏 Jim Dent, pioneering Black golfer, passes at 85

• 💸 Canes extend Frederick Andersen before second round

• 🏀 Caitlin Clark returning to preseason lineup

What To Watch

🏀 NBA Playoffs - Western Conference Game 7 / Eastern Conference Game 1

• TNT: Pacers vs Cavs (6:00 PM), Warriors vs Rockets (8:30 PM)

⚾️ Major League Baseball

• ESPN Sunday Night Baseball: Dodgers vs Braves (7:00 PM)

• More to Watch: Royals vs Orioles (1:35 PM), Padres vs Pirates (1:35 PM), Rays vs Yanks (1:35 PM), Guardians vs Blue Jays (1:35 PM), DBacks vs Phillies (2:05 PM), Mariners vs Rangers (2:35 PM), Mets vs Cardinals (6:15 PM), full schedule

🏒 NHL Playoffs - ONE GAME 7

• ABC: Blues vs Jets (7:00 PM)

⚽️ Soccer

• MLS: New York City FC vs Cincinnati (3:00 PM), Sporting KC vs LA Galaxy (7:00 PM)

• Premier League: Brentford vs Man United (9:00 AM), Brighton vs Newcastle (9:00 AM), West Ham vs Tottenham (9:00 AM), Chelsea vs Liverpool (11:30 AM)

• NWSL: Gothan vs Chicago FC (1:00 PM on CBS), San Diego vs Bay FC (8:00 PM)

⛳️ The CJ Cup Byron Nelson coming at you LIVE from TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, TX. Last day from TX, and Scottie has surely kept his lead, up 8 strokes going into the last 18.

The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For

Thanks for sticking to the end! Share The Daily Stump using this link, it would go a long way. Appreciate the hell out of you all. Trees may get chopped. Stumps hold strong 🌴