Sarasota was the sports capital of the world on Friday night. The Dickie V gala raised millions of dollars for cancer research.
It was a a great night at the Gala. We raised over $4.3 million for kids battling cancer. Reaching our goal was an incredible feeling, and it is a year-long project. The event is top-shelf at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, and the grant money raised has made a big difference.
Each year I present the All-Courageous team, and you see the Dollars paying off, saving young lives. Over 14 years, we have totaled just under $30 million.
Thanks to our special honorees, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, former Alabama coach Avery Johnson and ESPN’s Chris Fowler. Also receiving the John Saunders courage awards were Lee Corson and Holly Rowe. A social grant was given in the name of courageous Purdue student Tyler Trent, who died of bone cancer in January.
Thanks to all of the guests in attendance. Over 77 celebrities came on their own dime to support the cause. This was a night I will always treasure.
The Kentucky Derby ended in so much controversy.
Maximum Security crossed the line first. Then two jockeys protested the race. Twenty minutes later, 65-1 shot Country House was awarded the Derby win.
It was one of the biggest upsets in the races history.
The NFL draft, the NBA playoffs, the NHL playoffs, baseball…a great sports weekend.
Kyler Murray went first overall to the Cardinals, not a surprise. Dwayne Haskins going 15th to the Redskins was a bit shocking.
The Warriors and Celtics were impressive Sunday, going out to 1-0 leads.
Carolina is a surprising 2-0 leader over the Islanders in their series.
The Rays saw Tyler Glasnow move to 5-0 with a win over the Red Sox.
We need your help! Join us in supporting the legacy of Tyler Trent and have your donation matched until my gala on May 10!
Donate at jimmyv.org/matchfortyler.
This is an exciting week as the NFL draft starts Thursday.
The Final Four is set and I cannot wait to go to Minnesota.
There are so many great storylines. Texas Tech, picked seventh in the preseason Big 12 poll, is going to its first Final Four. Chris Beard has done an incredible job leading the Red Raiders. Defense got them to Minnesota, stopping Michigan and Gonzaga.
Virginia made up for last year's disappointing first-round loss to UMBC. Tony Bennett is a class act who is making history. His father, Dick, led Wisconsin to the 2000 Final Four, meaning the Bennetts are the second father-son duo at the Final Four, joining John Thompson and JT III.
The field of 68 is set. It is time to start dancing.
Congrats to the top four seeds: Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke and North Carolina.
The bubbles burst for: Texas, TCU, Indiana, NC State and Alabama.
Let the fun begin, the best three weeks in sports.
It was also a busy week in the NFL as free agency and a numbers of trades happened too. The Browns acquired Odell Beckham Jr.
The Jets landed LeVeon Bell and CJ Mosley. The Ravens added Earl Thomas and Mark Ingram. The Jaguars signed Nick Foles. The Redskins signed Landon Collins. The Lions added WR Danny Amendola. The Bills signed Frank Gore. The Eagles acquired DeSean Jackson. The Chiefs landed Tyrann Mathieu. The Cardinals landed Terrell Suggs. The Niners acquired Dee Ford.
The Titans got Cameron Wake.
I had a great time calling the Tennessee-Auburn game. It was a great win for Bruce Pearl’s team and it was a great environment.
Championship Week should be special. I am excited to call the WCC and SEC tournaments.
It will be interesting to see how the bubble teams fare and see which teams earn the !-seeds.
I enjoyed another super college game on Saturday. Florida State edged NC State in an ACC showdown.
A busy weekend of college hoops. I loved being at Duke as Mike Krzyzewski earned his 1123rd win, setting an NCAA record.
Kentucky got a big win over Tennessee.
Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500.
The NBA All-Stars put on a show.
I had a great time calling to Florida State-Louisville game. Leonard Hamilton had a good week with a win at Syracuse and an OT Thriller over Louisville.
Duke swept Virginia wil RJ Barrett scoring 26 points.
The NBA trade deadline was a number of moves. The Sixers added Tobias Harris to their stacked lineup.
Will this be the week that Bryce Harper and Manny Machado sign?
Congratulations to the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. Julian Edelman had a special game. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick got ring number six.
In college basketball, there were several surprises. Indiana snapped a seven-game losing streak, stunning Michigan State in East Lansing. LSU lost to Arkansas. Michigan fell at Iowa.
Zion Williamson put on a show against St. John’s with 29 points. Duke beat the red Storm by 30.
Patrick Mahomes was named NFL MVP. Ed Reed and Tony Gonzalez headlined a new Pro Football Hall of Fame class. James Harden kept putting up ridiculous numbers.
The two championship football games were classic.
Duke showed why it is number one, winning at Florida State. With Zion Williamson hurt, RJ Barrett scored 32 points. Cam Reddish hit the game-winning trifecta.
The NFL postseason got under way. I was really impressed with Andrew Luck and the Colts, with an impressive win at Houston. The Chargers hung on to beat the Ravens in Baltimore. The Cowboys got past the Seahawks.