June 30, Week in Sports
June 30, Week in Sports
:: DERRICK ROSE, NO. 1 PICK IN NBA DRAFT (Pro. Basketball)
:: SPAIN WINS EURO 2008 (Int’l Soccer)
:: WILLIAMS SISTERS ADVANCE AT WIMBLEDON (Tennis)
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ROSE-Y FUTURE FOR CHICAGO BULLS
The Chicago Bulls selected Derrick Rose with the no. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday night. With the pick, the Bulls put to an end the weeks of speculation about whether they would take Rose or Michael Beasley with the first overall draft pick.
Rose, a native Chicagoan, will return to his home town to play for the team he grew up watching. Home probably feels a bit different for Rose, who returned to Chicago on Friday $10 million richer, throwing out the first pitch at the Cubs-Sox game.
As expected Michael Beasley went to the Miami Heat with the second pick of the draft. There were also a number of draft day trades. The most notable trade involved the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies, who engineered a trade to swap draft picks O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love, respectively.
Quote of the Week: “It feels great to go in and compete. I’m just blessed to be in that position right now, because a lot of people aren’t. And just knowing that we are a few pieces away from really contending as a team, it just makes me happy.” — Derrick Rose
Further Reading: “Chicago Bulls pick Derrick Rose with first pick in NBA draft” — K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune
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¡VIVA ESPANA!
Spain defeated Germany 1-0 in the Euro 2008 Finals, a soccer tournament between European countries played once every four years.
While Spain attracts some of the top soccer talent in the world for the Spanish league, their national team also has a reputation for collapsing on the international stage. Before Sunday’s win, Spain had not won a major international tournament in 44 years. Spain’s one goal came from Fernando Torres, who normally plays in the English Premier League for Liverpool. Torres’ goal came in the middle of the first half, and that was all the Spanish team needed to outlast the powerful German squad.
Quote of the Week: “Torres was taken off in the 78th minute, with his job already done in waking the sleeping giants of European football.”
Further Reading: “Party On, Spain!” — ESPN
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SISTER, SISTER
Sisters Venus and Serena Williams both advanced to the second round of competition at Wimbledon. Wimbledon, the third of the four Grand Slam events, is one of the most important tournaments of the year.
The Williams sisters’ success this year has brought a great deal of attention, in part because they are two of the biggest names in tennis, but also because Americans have struggled greatly at the tournament thus far. All of the American men in singles, including Andy Roddick, have been knocked out of the competition. Other big name players who were upset early in the tournament include Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, and Maria Sharapova. The Williams sisters are both favored in their upcoming matches.
While many of the world’s top players have already been knocked out, rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal remain in the competition. Nadal recently defeated Federer at the French Open, but Wimbledon is a grass court, and defending champion Federer is the world’s best player on grass.
Quote of the Week: “The epidemic of upset fever at Wimbledon this year has yet to prove contagious to the Williams sisters.” — Christopher Clarey, New York Times
Further Reading: “Williams Sisters Find the Grass Is Greener” — Christopher Clarey, New York Times
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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
:: TENNIS – Wimbledon, one of the biggest tournaments in professional tennis, is currently underway. It goes through July 6th.
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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE
ACTIVE SEASON
:: BASEBALL
MLB (Pro. Baseball): Baseball season is in full swing, but it is a long season, and teams tend to measure their success month by month. The All-Star break takes place the second week of July. By then, teams’ records will be a good indicator of how well they are performing this season. [Official MLB Website]
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:: GOLF
MEN’S GOLF: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments are the four Major Championships: The Masters, U.S. Open, The Open (The British Open), and the PGA Championship. Now that the U.S. Open is over, the next event is the Open (also known as the British Open), which is played in July. [Official PGA Website]
NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson
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:: TENNIS
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments of the year are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Wimbledon is currently underway, running through July 6th. [USTA Website]
NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic
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OFFSEASON
:: BASKETBALL
NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): Now that the tournament is over, college basketball news will focus on which players leave their schools for the NBA, and which college teams land the premier high-school players for next season. [CBS Sports]
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:: FOOTBALL
NFL (Pro. Football): The pre-season begins in August, and the regular season begins in September. [Official NFL Website]
NCAA FOOTBALL (College): Practice sessions for college football begin in summer, and the regular season begins in August. [NCAA Football, ESPN]
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:: HOCKEY
NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals, completing the 2007-08 season. [Official NHL Website]
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:: BASKETBALL
NBA (Pro. Basketball): The Celtics defeated the Lakers to win the NBA Finals, ending the 2008 season. [Official NBA Website]
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