Sunday Morning Coffee — June 28, 2026 — Sunday Morning Scramble
By Roy Berger, Las Vegas, NV
Good morning. We haven’t Scrambled in almost a month and stuff is piling up higher than Iranian ceasefire agreements so let’s get going:
Well, this sure didn’t go as planned. When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, they no doubt figured to make short work out of what was anticipated to be a undermanned and unprepared foe. Not so fast my comrades. Reports have Ukraine gaining momentum and not giving up the fight as the Ruskies might have envisioned. The war has now been raging for four years and four months. In perspective, World War I was fought and over in four years and three months.
Been casually watching the World Cup over the past couple of weeks. Glad to see the US acquit ourselves well and advance, but I’m pulling for England to win it all at odds of 6-1. I backed it with a few quid. Overall, I’m impressed with the athleticism of the world’s best of the best. However, I’m really taken by their superb and award worthy thespian skills. Every injury, or likely feigned one, finds the offended player prone on the pitch, writhing with pain and seemingly waiting for ICU admission on The Pitt. Then miraculously a commercial break or two later it’s like it never happened.
Soccer viewership ratings, never a bonanza in this country, get a few extra eyeballs every four years when the World Cup takes center stage. This year it’s more so than ever with North America the host and a majority of the early matches played across the United States—Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philly, San Francisco and Seattle. The championship will be at MetLife Stadium, home of the Jets and Giants, on July 19. So what’s missing? Well, the best host city in maybe the world, right here in Las Vegas. Over a million international visitors are expected to our shores for the seven-week run of the event. Vegas has more hospitality outlets and hotel rooms than any of the host venues. So why not on Las Vegas Blvd? Well, that decision was made easy for the tournament planners when the 65,000 seat Allegiant Stadium, home to the Raiders and UNLV football, was opened in 2020. The dimensions of the stadium playing field do not conform to international soccer standards. The actual field tray width is three feet too narrow and in tandem there isn’t enough extra space around the field that international soccer demands for player safety, photographers, security personnel and advertising boards. Because of that, millions of dollars of potential Southern Nevada tourist revenue was kicked away.
In that same vein U.S. News and World Report this past week in its first ever rankings of the nations ‘Best Conference Cities’ named Vegas number one in class to host a conference/trade show. Rounding out the top ten are Chicago, Orlando, Phoenix, Houston, New York City, Washington DC, Anaheim, San Antonio and San Diego.
According to The Wall Street Journal, budget conscious travelers left on the tarmac by Spirit Airlines folding are harkening back to a 1956 advertising slogan…. ”Go Greyhound and Leave the Driving to us.” Bus ridership is up 30% on some of the shorter air routes that Spirit used to service.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us that cigarette smoking in the US has dropped to an all-time low with one in 11 adults saying they are current smokers.
These are George Steinbrenner employment numbers: Great Britain’s Parliament will shortly install England’s sixth prime minister in seven years.
Elevator ride to the top. Some of you older folk remember singer Vic Damone. Way back in 1947 Damone, then Vito Farinola, took a job at the Paramount Theater in New York City as an usher and elevator operator to help support his family in Brooklyn. Singer Perry Como got on the elevator and Damone, looking to break into show business, immediately recognized him. They were the only two on the elevator. Heading up, between floors, Damone stopped the lift and sang for Como. Perry was so impressed he referred Damone for an audition. Two years later, in 1949, Damone recorded “You’re Breaking My Heart” which, like the re-started elevator, took off and sold over a million records.
Boss, I need a raise. That’s what Russian hockey player Pavel Dorofeyev was about to tell the Vegas Golden Knights before he hit the free agency market this coming Wednesday. He was Vegas’ leading goal scorer the past two years making a rather paltry salary of only $1.85 million. Before he had a chance to beg for a few more rubles Vegas, knowing they were salary cap strapped and couldn’t afford to keep him, traded Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers. Now the 25-year-old is rolling in borscht. The Rangers signed him to a seven-year deal at $11m a year.
The New York Post reports that there’s mixed news for those who practice in the family law sector. The not-so-good news for lawyers in the field is the national divorce rate is dropping. The good is ‘gray divorces,’ those 50 years and older, are booming, with 40% of the overall divorce rate now going gray. However, that’s not necessarily the end of relationships. For those over 60, 14% go right from the courthouse to various dating apps.
Birthday candles the past couple of weeks for Frank’s little girl, Nancy Sinatra celebrating her 86th; Paul McCartney is 84 and still can do a three-hour show with no breaks and best wishes to basketball’s Dick Vitale at 87 fighting his fifth cancer diagnosis and his toughest opponent—melanoma in his lung and liver cavity. A final goodbye to David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat & Tears who passed on Thursday at 84. He was the signature voice leaving us songs for the ages—Spinning Wheel, You Made Me So Very Happy and prophetically When I Die.
The New York Knicks’ NBA championship celebration parade in lower Manhattan had over two million attendees. Remembering both previous Knicks championships before this season, what I didn’t realize was when the Knicks won in 1970 and again in 1973 there were no parades in front of the orange and blue masses down the fabled ‘Canyon of Heroes.’ In the 70s embattled NYC mayor John Lindsay decided against the parades for fiscal reasons, ie. business interruption and the labor and overtime needed staffing the route and then cleaning up the ticker-tape. In 1970 the mayor hosted the team at his official residence; in 1973 there was a public celebration on the steps of City Hall. So this one, on June 18, was long overdue.
The Knicks comeback from 29 points down in Game 4 of the NBA Finals will become a rallying point for every basketball coach of every level. No matter the score at halftime and the deficit they might face, coaches will try to rally their troops by the “Remember the Knicks in ‘26” mantra.
If anyone thought Knicks’ playoff tickets at Madison Square Garden were expensive, can you imagine the price if there was a public sale for the upcoming Swift/Kelce nuptials rumored to be the at the Garden on July 4?
The keg has run dry. After 177 years of production and classic advertising campaigns including “The beer that made Milwaukee famous” and “When you’re out of Schlitz, you’re out of beer” Pabst, who purchased the brand in 1999, ceased Schlitz production in May.
A tip of the cap. Hats off to my nephew Robby, a social media influencer under the Bob Does Sports domains. Robby used ‘Have A Day’ as his signature to launch an entry into the podcast field six years ago; his group also markets an energy drink by the same name. The national exposure it received on NBC last weekend when Wyndham Clark won the PGA golf championship goes far beyond a price tag. Clark’s caddy, Dave Pelekoudas, sported the Have A Day hat the entire weekend. Can’t buy that kind of exposure and street cred.
Thank you Golden Tempo. For the past couple of months, we have lamented the decline of horse racing’s Triple Crown series because of scheduling: the Preakness two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, then the Belmont three weeks after that. It’s too tough on the animals’ welfare to run all three legs in that relatively short period of time. We suggested running each leg on the first weekend of May, June and July. Three weeks ago, Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo validated our concern and recommendation. After winning the Derby on May 2, Tempo’s handlers decided not to run him in the Preakness on May 16 because it was too fast a turnaround. So instead, Golden Tempo rested, entered the Belmont and won the race. Because of the advancement in animal welfare precautions and the stale Triple Crown scheduling, the sport and all sports fans were denied one of the greatest thrills in American sports.
Retirement kudos on a job well done. Linda Cohn signed off as an ESPN SportsCenter anchor this weekend after 34 years behind the nightly desk and over 5,500 shows. More for talent than longevity, she has earned a key spot on ESPN’s Mt. Rushmore of anchors. Ms. Cohn, 66, first came into our homes in 1992 and has been a credible staple ever since. She grew up on Long Island and parlayed her father’s love of sports into becoming a hockey goalie on her high school’s boys team. She attended a state college in upstate New York—Oswego—where a warm summer’s day hits about 40 degrees—it’s hockey season just about year round. She was the goaltender on Oswego’s women’s team. Her love of New York sports- the Giants, Mets, Rangers and of course Knicks- would come to the fore during the good times which lately was just about nil until the Knicks. Linda Cohn was an anchor that we trusted without needing silly hijinks or fanfare. A pro’s pro.
And finally, how’s this for championship consistency? Last Monday night the University of Oklahoma baseball team won the College World Series beating North Carolina 13-2. When Oklahoma won the college football championship in 2000 they beat Florida State by the very un-football-like final score of 13-2. Boomer Sooner.
I’m proud that Medjet is sponsoring Sunday Morning Coffee. I spent 20 wonderful years with Medjet in Birmingham, Alabama, and can tell you unequivocally they are the standard-bearer for medical assistance membership programs. A talented staff, who cares about its members, is at the forefront of the company’s success. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, domestic or international, a Medjet membership should be an important part of your travel portfolio before you leave home. Check out the Medjet website at medjet.com or just tap on the Medjet logo and you’ll be able to get a look at Medjet’s services, rules and regulations, pricing, and an overview of the organization. And remember, any opinions expressed in Sunday Morning Coffee content or comments belong to the author and not the sponsor. Safe travels with your Medjet membership! — Roy Berger
Surprising that LV didn’t design the stadium to accommodate soccer too. Also ironic in view of all the soccer jersey betting platform sponsorships. Quite a good World Cup so far!
Now the arguments begin...who is the greatest Knick ever? Frazier or Brunsun?