New England Patriots

Morning sports update: Tom Brady posted a message of support for Ryan Shazier

Also: A mistaken Celtics chyron, a historic home run anniversary, and basketball trivia.

Tom Brady Super Bowl LIII
Tom Brady during Super Bowl LIII. Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

By Hayden Bird

3 minutes to read

Mitch Moreland’s solo home run in the seventh inning was the difference in the final game of the Red Sox’ season-opening road trip. Following the 1-0 victory over the Diamondbacks, the defending World Series winners now return to Boston for the home opener (and the celebration of another championship).

The Celtics lost to the Magic, 116-108, but have now clinched the fourth seed in the playoffs (as well as a first-round matchup with the Pacers).

Tom Brady among those cheering Ryan Shazier: Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier hasn’t played football since sustaining a 2017 spinal injury. Since that time, Shazier has been rehabbing to regain full use of his legs. His progress has been remarkable, leading to a recent video Shazier posted in which the former first round pick completed a box jump.

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Tom Brady was among the many to praise Shazier. The Patriots quarterback tweeted his support:

Brady wasn’t the only Patriots player who noticed Shazier. The McCourty twins’ Twitter account also quote-tweeted the video.

Trivia: The last time the Celtics faced the Pacers in the playoffs came in 2005. Indiana emerged triumphant. In Game 7, one of the 10 starting players was also a college basketball national champion. Who was it? (Answer at the bottom).

Hint: His college coach was also his NBA coach for three and a half seasons.

More from Boston.com:

The Celtics could be poised for a playoff run

: Though the regular season has been underwhelming, the Celtics are set now for a first round playoff clash with the Pacers. This matchup in particular favors Boston, given the injury to Indiana star Victor Oladipo. [The Boston Globe]

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Possibly not the intended chyron:

An overlay of Rays reliever Jose Alvarado’s fastball and slider is terrifying for hitters:

Meeting your hero (again): Massachusetts native Samantha Mewis is by no means an unknown in the soccer world. The 26-year-old midfielder literally started for the U.S. (and scored) on Sunday in a pre-World Cup friendly against Belgium (the Americans won in a 6-0 rout). Still, she was as nervous as anyone to meet Mia Hamm for the second time.

On this day: In 1974, Henry “Hank” Aaron smashed the 715th home run of his remarkably consistent MLB career, passing Babe Ruth for the most all-time. The long anticipated moment came in Atlanta, ending what Sports Illustrated would call Aaron’s “Glorious Ordeal.”

Aaron – who at the time of his retirement in 1976 was the last Negro League player on a Major League roster – never hit more than 47 home runs in a season. But his ability to churn out 20 consecutive seasons of at least 20 home runs put him into rarefied territory. And his eight seasons of at least 40 home runs, including the last in 1973 at the age of 40, helped put him on the threshold of Ruth’s record.

After receiving death threats from people who did not want to see a black man become the home run king, and after overcoming the increased scrutiny and inevitable pressure of those expecting history, Aaron belted the momentous home run against the Dodgers. Los Angeles outfielder Bill Buckner, eventually notable to Red Sox fans, climbed the outfield fence in a desperate effort to catch the ball, but it sailed over his head into the bullpen. That the game came against the Dodgers meant the call of the “marvelous moment” was made by legendary announcer Vin Scully, who famously pointed out that amid the celebration, “a black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South.”

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Daily highlight: Despite the loss, this is a promising sign for the Celtics heading into the playoffs.

Trivia answer: Antoine Walker