Memorial Day Monday Became A Manic Monday

News events, sports results, one following the next. Recapping a newsy holiday that honors those who served…

*The Stanley Cup playoffs opened with the Pittsburgh Penguins, seeking a second straight championship, blowing a 3-0 lead but outlasting the Nashville Predators 5-3. Jake Guentzel scored the game-winner with 3:17 left; it was the Penguins’ first shot on goal in 37 minutes. The series continues in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

*Tiger Woods was released from jail after his DUI arrest in the wee hours in Jupiter, Florida. Woods, 41, had written on his website last week of his steady improvement after back surgery in April. He faces arraignment on July 5. The Palm Beach Post reported: In a statement sent Monday night to several media outlets, Woods said alcohol was not involved and blamed his arrest on “an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications. I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.”

*Sports journalism lost a giant when Frank Deford, 78, died in Key West, Florida. The star of long-form features at Sports Illustrated and a commentator at National Public Radio for 32 years had recently been treated for pneumonia; he gave up the NPR gig recently. He wrote a number of books and also appeared on HBO’s Real Sports. President Barack Obama awarded Deford the National Humanities Medal in 2013.

*College lacrosse’s champions reside on the same campus. The University of Maryland’s men’s team snapped a 42-year title drought and also broke a string of nine appearances in the championship game without a win by beating Ohio State 9-6 in Foxborough, Mass. That followed Saturday’s 16-13 triumph over Boston College by the women’s team for its third title in four years and 14th overall.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman