From the Pressbox

Despite having multiple players sidelined due to Covid-19, the Yankees keep winning and gaining ground on the Red Sox in the AL East. Meanwhile, the Mets suddenly can't hit and have fallen out of first place and are behind both the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. Former Colts and Broncos QB Peyton Manning gave a fantastic speech at the NFL Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday. Barcelona legend Lionel Messi cried at a press conference to announce he was leaving the club -- while his agent was negotiating a two-year deal with Paris St. Germain.

The United States women's soccer team, a prohibitive favorite to win a gold medal, crashed out of contention in a shocking 1-0 loss to Canada early Monday morning. The Knicks didn't do well at the NBA Draft, twice trading down and gathering future draft picks to help in a possible trade for Portland guard Damian Lillard. The Nets picked up a scorer and some size. The Yankees and Mets both made some noise at the trade deadline, with the Yankees acquiring 1B Anthony Rizzo, OF Joey Gallo and SP Andrew Heaney. The Mets made a splash, dealing for SS Javier Baez.

The NFL wants all of its players to be vaccinated against Covid-19, to the extent that commissioner Roger Goodell has said teams may have to forfeit games and players would lose a game check if a game has to be cancelled due to a Covid-019 outbreak. The Mets went 5-2 last week to add a couple of games to their NL East lead, while the Yankees suffered another heart-breaking loss thanks to analytics and a worn-out bullpen. The Olympics have started with mixed results for the United States, as women's soccer was awful in a 3-0 loss to Sweden and swimmer Katie Ledecky had to settle for silver in the 400 freestyle.

The Mets survived an embarrassing play and Michael Conforto belted a two-run home run in the ninth inning for a 7-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates that allowed them to maintain a two-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East. Six players went on the Covid-19 IL -- including RF Aaron Judge -- but the Yankees took two of three from the Red Sox, with Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon pitching the Bombers to victory. The New York Islanders traded defenseman Nick Leddy to the Detroit Red Wings and the Milwaukee Bucks are one game away from an NBA title.

The Euro 2020 semifinals and final went exactly as Tim told listeners they would on last week's show, as Italy had to go to penalty kicks against England to win the title. Major League Baseball has reached the All-Star Break with the Mets hanging on to first place in the NL East and the Yankees continuing to struggle with inconsistency in the AL East. The Tampa Bay Lightning clinched the Stanley Cup in five games, another thing Tim predicted correctly.

Rob and Tim talk about how the New York Yankees are not a playoff team after some embarrassing and humiliating losses last week, including losing two of three to the Mets. Some kind of shake-up is needed. Of course, the Mets winning two of three allowed them to remain in first place in the NL East. The least is 3 1/2 games, five in the all-important loss column. Mets fans were thrilled about the seventh inning rally that saw the Mets push six runs across the plate for a surprising 10-5 victory in the first of two games on Sunday. The Euro 2020 tournament has moved into the semifinals, with Italy facing Spain on Tuesday and England meeting Denmark on Wednesday. Striker Harry Kane scored two goals to lead England to a 4-0 victory over the Ukraine. Italy has been playing as well as any team in the tournament, and Tim picked them to upset England in the final. There also was a conversation about NIL, which stands for "Name-Image-Likeness" and how college athletes now have control of their own. Some athletes already have benefitted by signing endorsement deals for everything from cellphones to sweet tea. Surprisingly, the biggest beneficiary of this new rule is expected to be a gymnast at LSU, Olivia Dunne, who has 1.1 million followers on Instagram. Track and field also was discussed after the ridiculous one-month suspension of United States sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson after she tested positive for marijuana. Richardson will not be able to run in the 100-meter dash at the Tokyo Olympics because of the suspension, but, to her credit, she owned her actions and took full responsibility for what transpired.

Rob and Tim talk about the New York Islanders saving their season in Game 6, but ultimately seeing it end with a 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of their Stanley Cup semifinal. Anthony Beauvillier scored in overtime to win Game 6, but the Islanders couldn't get the goal they needed in Game 7. Tim explained why the Yankees are a good team, but not really a contender this season. He also reminded Yankees fans that, if George Steinbrenner was still the owner, Aaron Boone would have been fired as the manager by now. Rob talked about the Mets and how they're still in first place in the NL East, mostly because the rest of the division is inept -- and under .500. There also was a discussion about the dope who caused a massive crash at the Tour de France, Serena Williams said she is skipping the Olympics and Euro 2020 continues.

Rob and Tim talk about defenseman Ryan Pulock becoming an instant legend for the Islanders by making a last-second save that clinched a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup semifinals. Tim compared Pulock's heroics to Derek Jeter's Flip Play for the Yankees. Pulock also was in the right place at the right time to make a spectacular, game-saving play. They also discussed the Nets disappointing overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference semifinals. Kevin Durant nearly won the game in regulation, but his toes were on the three-point line when he made a late jumper. That sent the game to overtime and the Bucks outdueled the banged-up Nets. The Yankees won five of six last week and Gary Sanchez has been crushing the ball. The Mets have lost four of their last five but remain in first place in the NL East. Also, Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen had successful surgery to correct his heart ailment and was released from the hospital.

Rob and Tim talk about the Islanders eliminating the Boston Bruins and then coming up with an impressive win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinals against the reigning champion Tampa Bay Lightning. They also discussed the frightening moment from Euro 2020 when Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field from cardiac arrest and had to be revived with CPR and a defibrillator. The Nets are in trouble against the Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Milwaukee won Games 3 and 4, and Nets guard Kyrie Irving suffered an ankle sprain in Game 4. James Harden already is sidelined with a hamstring strain, meaning the Nets face an uphill battle to keep their title hope alive. The Mets are putting some space between themselves and the rest of the NL East with interdivision games coming up over the next two weeks. The Yankees are 5-13 in their last 18 games. Back in the day, that would have led to someone being fired.

Rob and Tim talk about the Islanders facing a must-win Game 5 in their series against the Boston Bruins. Tim says winning consecutive games is the key to winning the series. The Nets were very convincing in their Game 1 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, even though the Nets lost point guard James Harden to a hamstring injury in the first minute of the game. How will Harden's injury impact the rest of the series? The Mets remain in first place in the National League East, but we are seeing historic greatness from Jacob deGrom, whose ERA stands at a microscopic 0.62. The Yankees are slumping and showing they can't hit. Too many players are too worried about hitting home runs, rather than making contact and getting basehits. It's an issue across the sport that is making baseball unwatchable. Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open, citing issues with depression.