The Norfolk State and Old Dominion men’s home-and-home basketball series scheduled for the next two years is a welcome and overdue addition to the local sports calendar. But what if the games were moved to Scope to create more seating for fans of both schools along with more activity and business for downtown Norfolk? Yeah, I understand that neither school wants to give up a home date. Just a thought.

Key ingredient: Maybe NFL owners who retained the tush push, along with coaches who didn’t speak out against the play, understand that its days as a short-yardage weapon will end when Jalen Hurts leaves the Eagles or decides the scrum is no longer worth his risk. Hurts’ powerful lower body — extraordinary for a quarterback — is the secret to the play.

Stunning: Even in a sport where big leads aren’t safe, the larceny perpetrated by the Pacers Wednesday night was astonishing. How many casual fans were familiar with Aaron Nesmith before his playoff record six three-point field goals in the fourth quarter helped wipe the self-satisfied looks off the faces of the Garden’s front row celebrities?

Down to the wire: Someday — maybe even this year — someone else will come along to make six three-point shots in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. But do all that in the final five minutes? Not unlikely.

Idle thought: Greatest comeback in NBA history is the flip side to greatest choke job.

Ragged: The Pacers-Knicks instant classic aside, it’s surprising, disappointing — almost inexplicable — how many NBA playoff games have dissolved into tedious trouncings. Let’s hope the New York-Indiana series continues to be the antidote for that.

Note check: The Celtics’ failure to repeat as NBA champions this season was taken as a major failure. But while the Bird-McHale-Parish Celtics of the ’80s won three titles, none were back-to-back. It’s hard to repeat.

Counting the years: With 26-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continuing the NBA trend — now seven years running — of foreign-born MVPs, and 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama waiting in the wings, the next American MVP is in fifth grade.

You don’t say: Former Tar Heels football coach Mack Brown doesn’t appear to be the type to troll a colleague, so let’s assume he was just telling it like it is when he said on radio this week that in addition to committing more money to Bill Belichick’s football program, North Carolina has “lowered those (academic) standards some.”

Fun couple: An acknowledgment in Belichick’s new book that invites major cringe is the reference to girlfriend Jordon Hudson as his “idea mill and creative muse.”

Moneybags: Mets gazillionaire Juan Soto loafed a double into a single on a ball off Boston’s Green Monster on Monday, one game after failing to run hard on a potential infield hit against the Yankees. This left his manager, Carlos Mendoza, in the unenviable position of trying to explain why the game’s highest paid player sometimes goes through the motions. Mendoza’s response was to make excuses for Soto, the wrong message to send.

Downfall: With 20-20 hindsight, it’s easy to see that the Orioles’ decline began at last season’s All-Star break. Not that anybody could have anticipated the current scenario that’s featured some of the sloppiest baseball the franchise has ever played.

Say it ain’t so: A potential casualty of nonsensical college conference realignment is the century-old football series between USC and Notre Dame, with Southern Cal balking at continuing the rivalry after this year. The Trojans’ travel schedule and competition grew more daunting when they joined the Big Ten. Funny how that happened. Playing at South Bend every other year would add to both challenges. But this is USC-Notre Dame, a rivalry dating back to 1924. Is nothing sacred?

Risky business: It’s a mystery why any NFL team would allow a player to risk a torn Achilles or ruptured ACL competing in flag football at the 2028 Summer Games. It’s not as if the league needs this to draw more attention. On the list of sports that don’t belong in the Olympics, flag football is near the top.

Bob Molinaro is a former Virginian-Pilot sports columnist. His Weekly Briefing runs Fridays
in The Pilot and Daily Press. He can be reached at bob5molinaro@gmail.com and via
Twitter@BobMolinaro.