October 13, Week in Sports
October 13, Week in Sports
:: RAYS AND RED SOX TIED IN ALCS (Pro. Baseball)
:: DODGERS FIGHT BACK AGAINST PHILLIES (Pro. Baseball)
:: TEXAS UPSETS NO. 1 OKLAHOMA (College Football)
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UNLIKELY FOES: RAYS AND RED SOX TIED IN ALCS
The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox are currently playing each other in the American League Championship Series–the second round of the baseball post-season. The winner of the best-of-seven series, currently tied 1-1, will represent the American League in the World Series.
This series has drawn the most attention from baseball fans for a few reasons. First of all, the Tampa Bay Rays have been the feel-good story of the year. Before this season, the Rays had never before finished a season with a winning record, let alone made the playoffs. However, this year they have been one of the best teams in baseball, knocking off every team in their division, including the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, to win the AL East. Despite the Rays’ dominance during the year, the rival Red Sox still made the playoffs as the Wild Card team. Ever since their World Series victory in 2004, the Red Sox have been a powerhouse in the league, and one of the most popular teams in the country.
Furthermore, there is a lot of bad blood between the Rays and the Red Sox. The two teams have engaged in massive brawls six times over the past eight years. It is safe to say that many of the players on the Rays truly hate players on the Red Sox and vice versa, which adds another layer of intensity to the series.
Boston won the first game of the series, and Tampa Bay won the second in extra innings. Both games have been extremely close so far, and the series as a whole promises to be very competitive. The next three games (on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) will be played in Boston. If the series hasn’t been decided by then, they will return to Tampa Bay.
Quote of the Week: ”The Rays pulled off an impressive feat Saturday by finishing a marathon with a sprint. And make no mistake about it: They’re still alive and kicking.” — Jerry Crasnick, ESPN, on the Rays’ extra-inning win on Saturday
Further Reading: “Beckett struggles; Sox lose 9-8 in 11 innings“ — John Tomase, Boston Herald
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DODGING BULLETS: L.A. COMES OUT FIGHTING IN GAME THREE
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 on Sunday night in game three of the National League Championship Series, a best-of-seven series which the Phillies are currently leading 2 games to 1. The winner of this series will represent the National League in the World Series.
After the Phillies won the first two games in the series, many baseball writers seemed ready to write off the Dodgers. But back home in Los Angeles, the Dodgers looked to be back in top form, with a solid offensive and defensive effort. However, the biggest story to come out of Sunday’s game will undoubtedly be the proceedings of the top of the third inning, when Dodger pitcher Hiroki Kuroda threw a pitch directly above the head of Phillies player Shane Victorino. Earlier in the series, the Phillies had taken the same sort of action toward Dodgers players, including Manny Ramirez and Russell Martin. In that context, Kuroda’s message was clear: if you hit my guys, I’ll hit yours. After the inning, both benches cleared and there was a tense moment on the field. No punches were thrown, but it was clear that the incident got everyone’s blood boiling.
While some may have pronounced this series dead, after the Dodgers’ win and the near-brawl, expect it to be back in the national spotlight this week. The remaining games will be played on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Quote of the Week: “It could be chilly, it could be windy, but somebody needs to make a Phillies hitter sweat. This is not about headhunting, it’s about win hunting.” — Bill Plaschke, L.A. Times
Further Reading: “Los Angeles gets one back in the NLCS” — Associated Press, via ESPN
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BULLED OVER: LONGHORNS TOP SOONERS IN “INSTANT CLASSIC”
No. 5-ranked Texas came up with a comeback win on Saturday afternoon, defeating the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. As a result, the Sooners lost their first game of the season and their No. 1 rank in the national college football rankings.
The game between Texas and Oklahoma was the most highly anticipated game of the weekend, not just because both of them were ranked as two of the top five best teams in the country, but also because the two schools have a major rivalry. Every year, the teams play each other in a game called the “Red River Shootout.” The game is always significant, not just for bragging rights, but because both teams play in the Big 12 Conference. This year, the game was especially significant, since both teams walked into it with undefeated records. The Longhorns’ victory immediately launches them into the national spotlight, and it gives them a chance to make the National Championship game.
To the casual fan, it might seem like the top-ranked teams in the country lose more often than they should. It is certainly true that the rankings system is very fluid at this point in the year, but that is one of the reasons why college football is so popular. The country is full of extremely good, extremely competitive football teams, and on any given Sunday, even a mediocre team can knock off the top dogs.
Quote of the Week: “Everybody has questioned this team, including me. I didn’t know how good we are.”– Mack Brown, Texas Coach
Further Reading: “Horns Have Plenty” — Associated Press, via ESPN
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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
:: BASEBALL: The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox play on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and Saturday and Sunday if necessary. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadephia Phillies play on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and Saturday if necessary.
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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE
ACTIVE SEASON
:: BASEBALL
MLB (Pro. Baseball): The baseball post-season continues this week. The remaining teams include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays. [Official MLB Website]
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:: FOOTBALL
NFL (Pro. Football): The regular season is now underway. The standings will begin to take shape in just a few weeks, once teams begin to play their division rivals. [Official NFL Website]
NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The college football season is now in full swing. The national rankings have changed dramatically every week, and that kind of drama is certain to continue in the coming weeks and months. [NCAA Football, ESPN]
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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 PGA Championship is over, mainstream golf news will most likely revolve around Tiger Woods’ return from injury and preparation for next year’s Majors. [Official PGA Website]
NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson
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:: HOCKEY
NHL (Pro. Hockey): The hockey season runs through April of 2009. By the new year, the league power rankings should be pretty well set. [Official NHL Website]
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:: TENNIS
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. [USTA Website]
NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic
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OFFSEASON
:: BASKETBALL
NBA (Pro. Basketball): The Celtics defeated the Lakers to win the NBA Finals, ending the 2008 season. The 2008 season begins later in October. [Official NBA Website]
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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