Hot Button: England devastated, Italy wins Euro 2020 ... Djokovic ties historic record with Wimbledon win ... Yelich ejected after out call

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Hot Button is a 'round-the-clock feature that covers anything across the scope of sports. We're here to bring you everything hot: News items, highlights, takes — everything but hot meals — whether local, national or international. Better yet, it’s interactive. Share your thoughts in comments, and even post your own links to interesting, safe-for-work sports stories.

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ITALY WINS EURO CHAMPIONSHIP
OVER ENGLAND IN WEMBLEY

Sunday, July 11: England scored the fastest goal in UEFA European Championship finals history when Luke Shaw scored in the second minute, but Italy eventually prevailed, winning 1-1 (3-2) on penalty kicks Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London. It was Italy's first European championship since 1968. England has never won it and have now not won a major international tournament since the World Cup in 1966. 

Despite a sluggish start, Italy carried the play for much of the match, particularly in the second half, and were rewarded when center back Leonardo Bonucci scored from inside the goal box in the 67th minute:

England had and early 2-1 lead on penalties, but their next three players missed, one hitting the left post and two nice stops by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was named player of the tournament. England's keeper Jordan Pickford was equally impressive but got no help from his teammates, but two penalties were taken and missed by players subbed in just at the end of the second extra-time period for that exact purpose.

There was more fan mayhem, too, which marred the final, as England fans broke barriers to enter the stadium early. Security officials admitted after the match that an unknown number of unticketed people got through the gates. 

My take: England got the early goal, but played tentative and seemed to be waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it did. Some questionable late decisions by England's coach Gareth Southgate, too, bringing on two cold players just for penalties and having teen Bukayo Sako take (and miss) the deciding penalty. He also failed to take the team out of a defensive posture after the game was tied. C'est la guerre. — Bob

DJOKOVIC NOW HAS
20 GRAND SLAM WINS

Sunday, July 11: Novak Djokovic won Wimbledon Sunday, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Matteo Barrettini, his third consecutive and sixth overall title at the All England Club. The victory ties him with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 Grand Slam men's singles titles.

Djokovic has won nine Australian Opens, six Wimbledons, three U.S. Opens and two French Opens. At 34 years old, he is the youngest among the group of 20 slam winners — Nadal is 35 and Federer will be 40 in 28 days.

My take: It's going to be fun to see which player gets to 21 Grand Slams first. My money's on Djokovic, who's the healthiest of the bunch, so his chances are good at the U.S. open in August. — Bob

YELICH EJECTED ON 'MOVE
TOWARD SECOND' CALL

Sunday, July 11: Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich was ejected in the sixth inning Saturday against the Reds after first base umpire John Libka called Yelich out on the bases after beating out a bunt. Yelich stood next to the first-base line and casually chatted with Cincinnati second baseman Jonathan India, who had the ball after backing up the wild throw to first and playfully tags Yelich. Libka then called Yelich out for making what he deemed a baseball move toward second base. Yelich twitched a bit when he saw the throw go wide of first but made an egregious move toward second base:

Yelich was quickly ejected for arguing the call and Brewers mamager Craig Counsell was susequently ejected for taking Libka to task.

My take: Just a brutal call. Yeah, there's that twitch I mentioned, but Yelich never even turned to face second and never went more than three feet from his original path through the base. We had all those awful "outside the basepath" calls at the beginning of the season, I just hope this won't be the next rash of ridiculous calls. What say you? Do you think Yelich made a "baseball move" toward second base? — Bob

ACUNA JR. DONE FOR SEASON, 
CARTED OF WITH ACL INJURY

Saturday, July 10: Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is done for he 2021 season after an MRI confirmed he suffered a complete tear of his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He was carted off the field in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Marlins, when he landed awkwardly while attempting to make a catch on a Jazz Chisolm Jr. liner. Chisolm Jr. ended up with an inside-the-park home run. Acuna Jr. attempted to walk off the field on his own but stopped halfway and laid in obvious pain on the field with what appeared to be a right leg or knee injury:

Acuna Jr. was voted an All-Star starter for the National League and now must be replaced.

My take: That's terribly tough luck, two days from the All-Star break. It's a huge blow to the Braves, too, currently four games behind the Mets for first place in the East. Hopefully, he can return to full health for the 2022 season. — Bob

ARGENTINA WINS FIRST
COPA IN DECADES

Saturday, July 10: Argentina defeated Brazil, 1-0, Saturday night at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro to win the Copa America for the first time in 28 years.

In what was built up to be a legendary battle between two of the world's greats — Lionel Messi of Argentina and Brazil's Neymar — it was attacking midfielder Angel Di Maria who scored the lone goal in the 22nd minute on chip over goaltender Ederson, finishing a terrific long lead from center-mid Rodrigo DePaul:

Brazil had the better of possession and had 13 shot attempts, but only two went on goal. Argentina had eight shot attempts of its own to produce collectively an action-packed final.

For all his individual greatness and club team titles, Messi had never led his national team to a championship. Now that box is checked and Argentina has confidence heading into 2022's World Cup in Qatar.

My take: A good match. National team titles are essential to a great player's legacy and now Messi finally has one. — Bob

MINGO POSTS BOND, RELEASED
AFTER ABUSE CHARGES

Saturday, July 10: Falcons defensive end Barkevious Mingo was relased on $25,000 bond in Tarrant County, Texas, for the charge of "indecency with child sexual contact," a second-degree felony in the state which carries a maximum 20-year sentence. No other information regarding specifics of the case has been reported. The Falcons released a statement confirming their knowledge and seriousness of the charges, and a commitment to thoroughly investigate the matter.

Mingo, 30, is entering his ninth National Football League season. A former first-round pick of the Browns — sixth overall — in 2013, he has played for a different team in each of the last five seasons and is entering his first with the Falcons. He has 2.5 sacks and three tackles for a loss in 16 games, three starts, for the Bears in 2020.

My take: Obviously, more information is needed and I will reserve comment until then, but that kind of charge is sickening to read. For context, it's similar to the charges Felipe Vazquez faced, though Mingo faces only one count to date. — Bob 

UEFA DELIVERS SMALL FINE
FOR DANGEROUS FAN BEHAVIOR

Saturday, July 10: The English Football Association was fined €30,000 ($36,000 USD) for three incidents inside and outside of Wembley Stadium during the Euro 2020 semifinal match between England and Denmark: an England supporter aiming a green laser pointer into the eyes of Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel during a crucial penalty kick in an overtime period, booing during the playing of the Danish national anthem, and the dangerous setting off of fireworks by individuals outside the stadium. 

My take: Wow, what a deterrent. The EFA's really going to have to rummage the sofa cushions to pay that fine. Maybe if Schmeichel had actaully been temporarily blinded or had his vision permanently affected by the laser, it would have been .. what ... €50,000? The 60,000 spectators ready to pour into Wembley tomorrow for the final are surely shaking in their collective boots. — Bob

OHTANI KEEPS SLUGGING,
CRUSHES ONE IN SEATTLE

Saturday, July 10: Angels outfielder Shohei Ohtani crushed his 33rd home run of the season Friday night into the upper deck in Seattle's T-Mobile Park, 463 feet from home plate at an exit velocity of 116.5 miles per hour:

That's not Ohtani's longest of the season, which was 470 feet on June 8 against the Royals — the longest in the majors this season. This bodes well for some long home runs in Monday's All-Star Home Run Derby. The humidors have been turned off, meaning Ohtani alone could hit a few over 500 feet in the mile-high altitude.

My take: It's criminal that Ohtani is having this type of season in relative obscurity, leading the league with 33 home runs in 82 games and pitching to a 4-1 record, a 3.49 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 67 innings, while touching 100 miles per hour with his fastball. SI's Tom Verducci yesterday penned an article Thursday claiming Ohtani is better than Babe Ruth, something I find ridiculous with half a season remaining and out of context with the times, but it underscores how woeful Major League Baseball is in marketing the sport when an individual player is challenging the legend of the game's greatest player. I mean, Trout and Ohtani are on the same team and could walk down the street completely unrecognized anywhere outside Southern California. — Bob

CLARK CHARGED FOR
POSSESSING ILLEGAL UZI

Friday, July 9: Two-time Pro Bowl Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark has been formally charged with felony possession of an assault weapon and faces a potential three-year prison sentence. The charges stem from a routine traffic stop on June 20 in Los Angeles, when police noticed an uzi submachine gun sitting in an open duffle bag inside Clark's Lamborghini. At the time of the traffic stop, Clark claimed the uzi belonged to one of his private security personnel.

The National Football League has not formally commented on the charge, but it does fall under the league's personal conduct policy so Clark may be subject to suspension, pending a legal outcome, or given paid leave on the Exempt List.

Clark has been to each of the last two Pro Bowls with the Chiefs after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Seahawks. He had six sacks and eight tackles-for-loss in 15 games last season.

My take: An uzi in a Lambo? That's some "Scarface" stuff there. The degree of dumb some athletes are prone to is astounding. I don't expect Clark to serve any time, but he's going to have to plead guilty not to, and that means a suspension is headed his way. — Bob

LOCAL STAR YOUNG PLAYING
AT COORS FIELD FRIDAY NIGHT

Friday, July 9: Infielder Cole Young of North Allegheny H.S. is among 39 of the top high school players eligible for the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft who will be playing the All-American Game at Coors Field Friday night, to begin MLB's All-Star weekend festivities. Outfielder Elijah Green of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla,, considered the top 2022 prep prospect, will play and also participate in the high-schoolers' home run derby. Top prep pitching prospect Dylan Lesko of Buford High School in Buford, Ga., will take the mound. Outfielder Paxton Kling of Central H.S. in Blair County will also be representing Western Pennsylvania.

There's a bit more Pittsburgh connection to the game. Former Pirates manager Clint Hurdle and former shortstop Clint Barmes will manage the squads, though they were obviously selected because of their former ties to the Rockies organization.

The game will be streamed live only on MLB.com at 7 p.m. The finalists of the home run derby will compete in the downtime during MLB's derby Monday night, so there's a chance to see some top young power hitters if that is shown during that broadcast.

My take: The Pirates are barreling toward another top-5 pick in the 2022 draft and might even land in the top 2 after Frazier and any competent veteran pitchers are moved at the deadline, so it might be worth tuning in to get a preview. Green, in particular, would have been the consensus 1-1 in the 2021 draft, had he declared himself eligible, and the Pirates may get another shot at him. — Bob

UPDATE: Young played the entire game at second base and shortstop in the field, and went 1 for 2 with three walks and a stolen base, batting second for the winning American side. Kling played the entire game for the National squad, going 1-for 4 with two strikeouts. BOX SCORE

FAN KICKED OFF COURSE AFTER
TAKING, SWINGING MCILROY'S CLUB

Friday, July 9: As Rory McIlroy stood by his bag chatting with his caddie and group partner Jon Rahm on the tenth tee — starting the second round of the Scottish Open on the back nine Friday — a spectator walked right onto the tee and grabbed a 6-iron from McIlroy's bag and walked off with it:

Reports say the man went past the tee box and took a few swings with the club before McIlroy's caddies and security got it back — and a driver cover — and returned it to McIlroy. The man was then escorted off the grounds without incident. McIlroy later quipped, "It's alright. We knew he wasn't a golfer because of his grip."

My take: Dear fans, I know it's been a while because of the pandemic, but causing one of the worst crashes in Tour de France history, shining a laser into the eyes of a soccer goalkeeper and now leisurely taking clubs from a pro golfers bag? And that's just in the last two weeks! Start getting your s**t together, OK? Warmest regards, Bob

UPDATE: McIlroy shot an even-par 71 and missed the cut. Maybe he should have let the guy keep the 6-iron, he won't be needing it this weekend.

KUCHEROV PAYS
RESPECT TO IDOL

Friday, July 9: According to his son, Hall of Fame forward Igor Larionov got a phone call late Wednesday night from Stanley Cup champion forward Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning:

Larionov was one of the trailblazers for Russian players in the NHL and knows something about back-to-back Cup championships, joining Sergei Fedorov, Slava Kozlov, Slava Fetisov and Vladimir Konstantinov as the "Russian Five" which helped the Red Wings accomplish the feat in 1997 and 1998.

My take: Junior's right, it's the "coolest thing" and awesome to see Kucherov reach out to his idol, particularly after his controversial press conference following Wednesday's game. If you haven't seen the documentary "The Russian Five," I can't recommend it highly enough — an outstanding chronicle of truly remarkable players and men. Last I checked, it was available free on Amazon Prime Video, FuboTV and Peacock. — Bob

TAPPEN, HOST OF NHL ON NBC FOR
EIGHT YEARS, SAYS GOODBYE TO FANS

Thursday, July 8: Kathryn Tappen, who was the studio host for The NHL on NBC and  NBC Sports network for the last eight seasons, penned a heartfelt thank you and goodbye to NHL fans, following the Lightning's Stanley Cup victory over the Canadiens Wednesday night, the last NHL game to be broadcast by NBC or an affiliated network:

The NHL begins a new broadcast and streaming agreement with Disney (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+), Hulu and Turner Sports next season, lasting a minimum seven years. There was speculation on whether Tappen would join one of the new broadcast teams as a studio host, but she confirms in the letter that her home is NBC Sports and that she will continue with the parent network in other capacities — NBC Sports will no longer exist by year's end, as NBC transitions its sports coverage to USA Network and steaming service Peacock. Tappen can be seen next as studio host for the upcoming Summer Games in Tokyo.

My take: A class act all the way. Tappen was magnificent as studio host, going all the way back to her NHL Network days. A consummate professional who brought energy and posed knowledgable and pointed questions to the analysts. Gonna miss her on NHL coverage, for sure. — Bob

TARASENKO WANTS
OUT OF ST. LOUIS

Thursday, July 8: The Athletic is confirming that Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko requested a trade from St. Louis last month and has given management a list of teams to which he would accept a trade. The 29-year-old has two years remaining on an eight-year, $60-million contract and is due $9.5 million and $5.5 million in the next two seasons.

Tarasenko might be difficult to move at that price. The former perennial 30-goal scorer injured his shoulder in 2019 and has played only 34 games combined over the last two seasons, scoring seven goals and 17 assists in limited action.

My take: If I'm Ron Francis, I might kick the tires (and poke the shoulder) on Tarasenko who, if healthy, immediately would give the Kraken a Cup winner with high-end skill and 30-goal pedigree. And he's just 29. At that price, Francis wouldn't even have to give up much, maybe a late-round draft pick. Not knowing his list, what's another good landing spot for Tarasenko? Dare to dream: How would he look on Malkin's right wing? — Bob

LASER, ANTHEM DISRESPECT
BEING INVESTIGATED BY UEFA

Thursday, July 8: The Union of European Football Associations has stated it will penalize England for a fan's alleged use of a green laser, which was pointed at the face of Denmark goalkeeper Jasper Schmeichel as England's Harry Kane was set to take a penalty kick in the 104th minute of the Euro 2020 semifinal match at Wembley Stadium in London. Schmeichel, who ironically plays club football for Leicester City in the English Premier League, made the initial save on Kane's penalty, but the midfielder put in the rebound for a 2-1 England win.

UEFA is also upset about disturbances by England's fans during the pregame playing of the Danish national anthem, and the setting off of fireworks from the stands.

My take: I'm sure the penalty will be a steep fine of some sort, though FIFA just banned Mexico's fans from attending two home matches because of repeated homphobic chants at the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup. It would be a bold move by UEFA to ban England's fans from the final on Sunday, but their patience is already worn thin after dealing with all the Super League nonsense this spring. Would you ban England's fans from the most important home game for the national team swince 1966? — Bob

NO SPECTATORS AT OLYMPICS
... AND THAT'S FINAL

Thursday, July 8: Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics and the International Olympic Committee have now banned all fans from attending the Summer Games, set to begin July 23, as Japan is in a national state of emergency, which will remain in effect until August 22, due to the ongoing pandemic. As such, there is no possibility of a reversal and the Olympics will be held for the first time without any spectators. The Paralympic Games begin August 24 and a decision on attendance for those events will be made at a later date.

Just two weeks ago the IOC and Tokyo officials announced venue attendance — Japanese citizens only — at 50-percent capacity, not to exceed 10,000 spectators. 

My take: Ugh. It's difficult to see packed sporting venues around the globe, only to have the world's greatest sporting event reduced to the chirp of birds. Japan's ongoing difficulty in getting its citizens vaccinated made this decision inevitable. Gonna be a boring Games. Will you be watching? — Bob

BOLTS REPEAT WITH
SHUTOUT OF HABS

Wednesday, July 7: The Tampa Bay Lightning have repeated as Stanley Cup champions, beating the Canadiens in Game 5, 1-0, at Amelie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Andrei Vasilevskiy was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs, the first goaltender to win it since Jonathan Quick of the Kings in 2012. He went 16-7 in the 2021 playoffs, never losing two games in a row for the second consecutive playoffs (14-0 after a loss in 2021).

FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS

Ross Colton scored the game-winning goal on a net-front deflection at 13:27 of the second period, but the story was Vasilevskiy, who turned in his fifth career shutout in a series-deciding game, including each of the last two Stanley Cup clinchers. He ended each round of these playoffs with a shutout for Tampa Bay.

Montreal put forth another game effort and another stellar performance by Carey Price kept the team in the game, but it could not manage an equalizer on any of its 22 shots on goal. In all, an impressive run for the team that made the playoffs with the fewest regular-season points.

My take: The Canadiens were outclassed and finally ran into a team that didn't take them for granted. It was outstanding to see the best trophy in all of sports raised in front of fans again. Kudos to the Lightning for consecutive Cup wins through a pandemic. Many feel there should be an asterik assigned to the repeat based on abbreviated schedules the last two seasons and modified playoff formats in each, but all teams were playing under the same conditions, even if it was untraditional. There is, of course, the inside-the-rules salary cap manipulation that enabled Tampa to get Nikita Kucherov on the playoff roster. What say you? Asteriks for the Lightning? A more impressive achievement because of the pandemic? Or just a legit back-to-back? — Bob

HR DERBY ROSTER
SET FOR MONDAY

Wednesday, July 7: The eight-man roster for Monday's All-Star Game Home Run Derby at Coors Field is set after the Nationals' Juan Soto and Rangers' Joey Gallo agreed to participate. Soto, the National League's reigning batting champ is struggling a bit in 2021, with 10 home runs in 74 games, while Gallo has 21 in 81 games. Both players are All-Stars in their respective leagues.

The competitors are Shohei Ohtani (Angels), Pete Alonso (Mets), Trey Mancini (Orioles), Salvador Perez (Royals), Matt Olson (Athletics), Trevor Story (Rockies), Soto and Gallo. Story is the only participant not on an All-Star roster.

My take: Kind of a "meh" field, to be honest, though Ohtani and Alonso have the potential to put on a show. I'll take Ohtani because he's done everything else this year, and Soto as my dark horse. Who do you think will take the HR Derby? Who's your dark horse? — Bob

KANE BURIES REBOUND TO
SEND ENGLAND TO FINAL

Wednesday, July 7: Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel made a trmendous save on a penalty kick by England midfielder Harry Kane in the 104th minute, but Kane followed his shot and buried the rebound to send England to the Euro 2020 final, with a 2-1 victory over the upstart Danes.

There was some controversy suurrounding the penalty kick. There was a second ball on the pitch just outside the box when the penalty occurred, and many not rooting for England compained about the foul inthe box that led to the kick. There are also pictures showing what appears a green laser being pointed at Schmeichel's face before the penalty kick — very dangerous — but fortunately it did not impede him on the initial save.

Denmark held its own against England for much of the first half at a raucous Wembley Stadium, entering the second half level at 1-1. The Danes had no answer for Kane, however, who dominated the midfield throughout, creating in space and setting up many scoring chances — Schmeichel was forced to make nine saves. 

Denmark captured the imagination of soccer fans around the world, getting to this stage despite the tragic on-field collapse of defender Christian Eriksen in the first match of the tournament.

England plays in the Euro 2020 Final at Wembley Sunday against Italy, which advanced Tuesday with a victory over Spain on penalties. England has never won the quadrennial tournament and Italy has not won it since the third playing in 1968

My take: A great semifinal, if you can catch it on replay — terrific action at both ends. It'll be wild at Wembley Sunday as the home fans will be looking for their nation's biggest tournament win since the World Cup in 1966. — Bob