Guard Jesse Wade’s teammates came to the rescue after he got stuck in an elevator.
BYU had some excitement even before its first game
The BYU men’s basketball team got to break up the monotony of life in the NCAA tournament bubble this week when players staged a rescue mission to free one of their own from a stalled elevator.
On Wednesday, junior guard Jesse Wade got stuck in a hotel elevator while trying to meet his teammates for dinner. His coach and teammates initially responded by entertaining him via FaceTime; then they decided to take matters into their own hands and extricate him.
Wade posted footage of the rescue to Twitter on Thursday night, showing how his teammates pried the doors of the elevator open with their hands to create a gap wide enough for him to squeeze through. (He’s lucky he’s 6' 1", 175 pounds. Can you imagine if 7' 3" Matt Haarms was the one in there?)
They even took a team photo after freeing Wade to commemorate the occasion.
I’m glad it worked out for Wade and the rescue party, but isn’t this something that you should leave to trained professionals like a firefighter or maintenance worker? My friend Christian must have gotten stuck in the elevator on the way up to my college apartment five or six times and not once did my buddies and I decide to pry the door open ourselves. What if one of the players had the door slam on his hand and missed the game against UCLA with some broken fingers?
Wade’s elevator mishap also worked its way into the Cougars’ fun pre-coronavirus test routine. The players walk into the room to get their noses swabbed like it’s pregame introductions, with a medical staffer introducing guys as if she were a P.A. announcer: “6' 7", out of Kansas City, Missouri …”
Wade was introduced as “just recently freed” and proceeded to pantomime taking a ride in an elevator and bursting out.
If you’re looking for a team to pull for in the tournament, maybe the Cougars are the one. Their enthusiasm is infectious.
The best of SI
Here's the top seeds in the men’s NCAA tournament most at risk of an early exit. ... These are the 10 teams most likely to win the men’s tournament. ... The Bears can’t possibly roll into next season with just Andy Dalton and Nick Foles. ... Here are six MLB players who will dictate their teams’ fate in 2021.
Around the sports world
The NFL’s new 11-year media rights deals are worth more than $100 million. ... Women’s basketball players and coaches are calling out the NCAA for disparate training facilities in the two tournament bubbles. ... Ohio star Jason Preston was planning to study journalism at UCF before a growth spurt turned him into a potential NBA draft pick. ... UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired and vacated his title. ... A Czech goalkeeper sustained a fractured skull and a nasty gash on his forehead after a player kicked him in the head during a Europa League game.
Treating college athletes like children is so dumb
Draymond doesn’t have a problem with it, though
So which quarterback are the Bears drafting?
Golf is an easy game
Sebastian Cappelen ditched his shirt (and one shoe) when his ball got stuck in the mud
Washing your hands while singing “One Shining Moment” will kill all the germs
I can’t believe I missed Pete Weber’s retirement earlier, but he had a great quote before his final frame: “Hate me or love me, you watched”
... and then he dropped a big f-bomb in a live interview
This, which I hadn’t seen until Thursday, might be better than “Who do you think you are? I am!”
Close enough
Tony Hawk landed a trick for what he says is the last time and got really emotional about it
The Mighty Ducks look like they pay to go to fantasy hockey camp now
Shows you how hard it is to find a halfway decent quarterback
Being a backup quarterback remains the best job in sports
I’m a Giants fan and I’d still wear a shirt that says, “Let’s go Football Team”
Not sports
YouTube is the latest company to roll out a TikTok clone, called YouTube Shorts. ... A weird fossil was discovered in Mexico that is a cross between a shark and a manta ray.
A good song
Email dan.gartland@si.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.