Calling the wrong phone number is generally a bit awkward for both parties, but it happened to one person more than 100 times Thursday.
That's the reality for Evanston, Ill., resident Michael Byrne, who has a phone number one digit off of the one Jimmy Butler gave out at his introductory news conference with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday.
"At first I heard my phone going off a bunch," Byrne told NBC 5 Chicago. "When I checked it, I already had 37 missed calls."
According to the TV station, Byrne received more than 100 voice mails and more than 150 text messages from fans thinking they were reaching out to the former Chicago Bulls All-Star. Despite living just north of Chicago, Byrne didn't even know who Butler was and had to Google him to it figure it out, according to NBC.
Byrne could stay low for a while and enjoy a few days without constantly looking at his phone, but there's one big problem: He's currently waiting to hear back from jobs about employment opportunities, according to NBC, so he is left to take all the calls that he can and then explain to fans they have the wrong number.
Byrne said he tried to reach out to the Timberwolves to see if they could help, but an operator told him there wasn't much they could do. Byrne also said he tried to reach out to Butler with the correct phone number but was unable to get through.
Start spreading the news
There was cause for celebration Wednesday among New York Knicks fans after learning the club had parted ways with team president Phil Jackson.
On Thursday, New York newspapers joined in on the fun.
Metro New York went with the simple headline "Bye Phil-icia," along with a photo of the executive who will be remembered for producing losing teams but also for drafting fan favorite Kristaps Porzingis.
Both the front and back covers of the New York Daily News focused on Jackson's ouster. One side was a parody of The Wizard of Oz that proclaimed "Karma's a Witch" and "Ding-Dong, the Jax Is Gone," while the other showed film director and producer Spike Lee raising his arms toward the heavens upon learning about Jackson's exit from his beloved Knicks.
Momma's boy
The mother of golfer Li Haotong went into the water at the French Open to recover her son's discarded putter. After she grabbed it, she realized it was broken and threw it back in.
Li's mother rolled up her shorts and waded through the muddy water on the Golf National course Thursday as players watched. She carefully moved forward and collected the broken club.
A Twitter video by the European Tour showed golfers Tyrrell Hatton and Thomas Pieters laughing on the nearby 11th green as Li's mother realized the club was useless. Once back on dry land, she threw it into the water.
"Absolutely much [sic] watch this... priceless... she thought she was getting a nice new club...," Ian Poulter tweeted, unaware at the time that the woman was Li's mother.
Li threw his club into the water out of frustration after bogeying the par-3 11th hole. After the incident, Li played the final seven holes at level par using a sand wedge as a putter. He even birdied the 14th and finished the first round at even-par 71.
QUIZ
Where did Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler finish his college playing career?
ANSWER
Marquette in 2011
Sports on 07/01/2017