Monday’s Hot Clicks: ‘The Mountain’ Loses World’s Strongest Man Crown
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First he lost to The Hound, and now this
Thor Bjornsson is no longer “The Mountain” and now he’s no longer the World’s Strongest Man.
The hulking Icelander (6'9", over 400 pounds) best known for playing the enormous Gregor Clegane on Game of Throneswon the World’s Strongest Man competition last year for the first time in his career. This year, though, he’ll have to settle for being only the third-strongest man in the world.
This year’s WSM competition was held over the weekend in Florida and the winner was 28-year-old Latvian-born American Martins “The Dragon” Licis, who earned his first-ever podium finish at the event. Bjornsson took third, while Mateusz Kieliszkowski of Poland was runner-up.
A crucial moment for Bjornsson came in the loading race against Kieliszkowski, when he let time slip off the clock by dropping an anvil.
A third-place finish is still incredibly impressive for Bjornsson, who battled through a torn plantar fascia suffered on the first day of competition. His bronze medal gives him eight straight top-three finishes at the World’s Strongest Man. He told SI.com in December that he wanted to do “at least one more year of strongman,” so we’ll see if he’s back in 2020 to try to take back his crown.
A meltdown of epic proportions
Auburn had one of the worst ninth-inning collapses you’ll ever see in its College World Series opener against Mississippi State.
The Tigers led 4–1 headed into the bottom of the ninth, but the Bulldogs tied the game when third baseman Edouard Julien airmailed a throw to first that would have been the final out.
DRAMA IN OMAHA!
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 17, 2019
TIE GAME!
ESPN2. NOW.#CWS | @HailStateBB pic.twitter.com/HY0CATOSSW
Four batters later, Marshall Gilbert drove in the winning run for MSU with a chopper up the middle that bounced off the pitcher’s glove.
WALKS. IT. OFF. #CWS | @HailStateBB pic.twitter.com/MiXi7GbhMb
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 17, 2019
Here’s what the celebration looked like on the field after Dustin Skelton crossed the plate.
The moment.#CWS | @HailStateBB pic.twitter.com/uN75gnXvcq
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 17, 2019
“It sucks,” Julien, a sophomore from Quebec City, told reporters after the game. “I mean, we lost because I couldn’t make a throw.”
The loss sends the Tigers into the losers bracket, where they face Louisville in an elimination game on Tuesday.
The best of SI
Despite a population of only 65,000 people, Bermuda’s men’s soccer team could shock some people at its first Gold Cup. ... The Anthony Davis trade is only the start of the Lakers’ shift toward contention. ... After a medical diagnosis derailed his NBA dreams, former Baylor star Isaiah Austin is chasing his dream in China.
Around the sports world
U.S. Open winner Gary Woodland was once a college basketball player. ... A game-worn Babe Ruth jersey sold at auction for $5.64 million, making it the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever. ... A 10-year-old girl is the youngest person ever to climb 3,000 feet up the Nose route of Yosemite’s El Capitan. ... Caroline Wozniacki and former NBA vet David Lee were married in Italy over the weekend. ... The Rockies and Padres played a wild four-game series that broke all sorts of offensive records.
This guy is a plant and he’s eating yogurt
Hold the phone. What is he eating? pic.twitter.com/9T3qKzlgDK
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) June 16, 2019
Just another day at the office
.@Machete1224 decided to go formal for #FathersDay.#AlwaysRoyal pic.twitter.com/hg3WMlGdDJ
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 16, 2019
Father and son exchange lineup cards
A #FathersDay to remember for @LinoDeShields. 💙 pic.twitter.com/3zPHxNnAWZ
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 16, 2019
I hope Brett Hull drank plenty of water before going to bed
Brett Hull is absolutely wrecked, wants fans to chant "We Went Blues" instead of "Let's Go Blues" and the TV crew is amused pic.twitter.com/9cWLU8JLPi
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 15, 2019
Carli Lloyd claps back
WHAT A GOAL FROM CARLI LLOYD! 💪🇺🇸
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 16, 2019
Dream start for the USA! pic.twitter.com/txYUkQTCTN
The Mets are still behind on analytics
Good guy Mike Trout
Why @MikeTrout is the best in baseball: pic.twitter.com/fe22NwAv8J
— Ken (@ken_burke2) June 16, 2019
Pete Alonso is the real deal
Kenley Jansen intentionally balks a runner over
Sometimes it’s better to just say you’re a pro golfer
I’ll let u in on a little secret. In Ubers I lie about what I do so I don’t get bombarded with questions. I say I’m a realtor & for the first time ever, the Uber driver is in the market for a home & I am so deep in this web of lies I think I’m actually working for him now
— max homa (@Maxhoma) June 15, 2019
Joey Votto offers Kawhi free subway rides to sign with the Raptors
Dear @FredVanVleet, @pskills43, @DGreen_14, @MarcGasol, @sergeibaka, @Klow7, @kawhileonard and the @Raptors... pic.twitter.com/6B4Wq9BY7x
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 14, 2019
Such a cool feature
What other sport do you see this in?
— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) June 15, 2019
Matt Kavanagh scores a behind the back goal and then gets interviewed IN GAME about the play 🤯
The Future. @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/MTGxJnm55l
A challenger appears
This dude is the Brazilian Ed Hochuli pic.twitter.com/AXPX7s0APD
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) June 16, 2019
Not sports
An alligator was spotted in a lake in Texas swimming with a knife sticking out of its head. ... A teenager pulled over for driving 105 mph said he ate too many hot wings and needed to use the bathroom. ... Count Lena Headey among those who wished her Game of Thrones character had a more satisfying ending.
And they wonder why people hate Boston so much
"My friend made it. I have no idea why she did it."
— Boston Magazine (@BostonMagazine) June 14, 2019
Introducing: The clam chowder popsicle. https://t.co/R1NwWkTt0F pic.twitter.com/dGsuO4zjpz
It’s the thought that counts
My cousin in England told her colleagues she wanted a Mariah Carey birthday cake. They misunderstood, and is the cake they made her instead. It’s Marie Curie, looking very festive. pic.twitter.com/LMHJnMATqD
— Harriet Alida Lye (@harrietalida) June 14, 2019
Sounds about right
I saw a man walking around my terminal playing a flute for 40min and was losing my mind because I thought it was André 3000. And then it WAS André 3000!!! 😍😍😍😭😭 pic.twitter.com/tqQ4C8HBh1
— Antonia Cereijido (@antoniacere) June 14, 2019
A good song
Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.