SportSpectator Blog

:: GREG MADDUX LANDS 350TH CAREER WIN (Pro. Baseball)

:: LAKERS AND JAZZ DEADLOCKED IN WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS (Pro. Basketball)

:: NFL REVIEWS FURTHER EVIDENCE AGAINST NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (Pro. Football)

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THAT’S A WHOLE LOT OF W’S…

Future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Greg Maddux won his 350th game on Saturday night when the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2. Maddux is just the ninth pitcher to accomplish that feat.

Maddux was stuck at win 349 for his past four games, during which he took three losses and one no-decision. On Saturday night, however, he was locked in, giving up only 1 run through 6 innings. Maddux’s win also snapped a 5-game losing streak for the Padres, who currently hold the worst record in baseball. With 4 more victories, Maddux would put himself in an eighth-place tie with Roger Clemens on the all-time wins list.

The evening was also notable because Maddux’s catcher, Luke Carlin, was making his major league debut. “I don’t know what to say,” Carlin said. “It’s kind of like all my dreams came true at once, I guess. It was a privilege, an honor. I’m pretty much speechless.”

Quote of the Week: “We need to start winning as a team and hopefully tonight is the start of things to come.” — Greg Maddux

Further Reading: “Maddux reaches 350-win milestone” — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune

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ALL THAT JAZZ: UTAH TIES UP SERIES

On Sunday afternoon, the Utah Jazz topped the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime, winning a thrilling 123-115 game. The Jazz and the Lakers are now tied at 2 games apiece in the best of 7 series.

The Lakers entered Sunday’s game with a 2-1 lead in the series, but the Jazz came ready to play. However, despite looking dominant in the fourth quarter, they lost a 12-point lead in the final minutes of the game, and the Lakers took it to overtime. In OT, the Jazz recovered their momentum and ended up handily beating Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant, playing through an injury to his back, scored 33 points, but his performance was not enough to stop Deron Williams and the hot Jazz team.

The Jazz have won the last 2 games of the series, but the next game, which will be played in Los Angeles, will be a much bigger test for them. During the first 4 games of this series, both the Lakers and the Jazz have pulled out wins when playing at home.

Quote of the Week: “Another game the Lakers trailed throughout. Another game they almost came back to win. Another game they didn’t.” — Jonathan Adams, L.A. Times

Further Reading: “Jazz pull out OT win over Lakers, send series to L.A. tied 2-2” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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PATRIOT GAMES: WALSH HANDS OVER TAPES TO NFL

Last week, former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh gave the NFL tapes that he filmed while working for the Patriots–the tapes are reportedly evidence that the Patriots cheated by recording the signals of opposing teams. The NFL believes that there is nothing new in the tapes that the Patriots have not already admitted. However, if there are any new illegal videotaping procedures contained on the tapes, it could lead to the NFL severely penalizing the Patriots organization.

Early last season, the Patriots were caught illegally taping the New York Jets’ defensive signals during a game. As a result of that incident, dubbed “Spygate” by the media, the Patriots organization and coach Bill Belichek were fined, and the Patriots forfeited a first-round draft pick. If, after reviewing these new tapes, the league finds evidence of further cheating, the Patriots could receive even harsher sanctions.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will meet with Matt Walsh on Tuesday. After that meeting, he is expected to make a decision about what actions, if any, the league will take.

Quote of the Week: “I think it is very unfortunate that the NFL has already started its ‘nothing new’ spin before watching the tapes or finding out what Mr. Matt Walsh has to say. Let’s see where the evidence leads.” — U.S. Senator Arlen Specter

Further Reading: “Walsh-NFL meeting set” — John Tomase, Boston Herald

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL – The second round of the playoffs continues this week. Eight teams remain in the playoffs: Utah/Los Angeles, Detroit/Orlando, San Antonio/New Orleans, and Boston/Cleveland. A detailed schedule of the games is available at www.nba.com.

:: FOOTBALL — On Tuesday, after Roger Goodell meets with Matt Walsh, he is expected to hold a press conference to talk about any actions the league might take. If the NFL announces further penalties against the Patriots, it will be major sports news.

:: HOCKEY – The Conference Finals continue this week, and only four teams remain: Pittsburgh/Philadelphia and Detroit/Dallas. A detailed playoff schedule is available at www.nhl.com.
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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, so 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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:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The second round of the playoffs continues this week. Eight teams have been eliminated from this year’s post-season play. [Official NBA 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 Masters is over, the next event will be the U.S. Open, which is played in the month of June. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers are the final four teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. [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 of the year are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. The Australian Open took place in January. The French Open, which is held in May, is the next Grand Slam event. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin

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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]

:: BOSTON CELTICS WIN GAME SEVEN OVER ATLANTA HAWKS (Pro. Basketball)

:: BIG BROWN WINS KENTUCKY DERBY (Horse Racing)

:: KOBE BRYANT WINS MVP (Pro. Basketball)

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LUCKY SEVEN: CELTICS ADVANCE TO SECOND ROUND

The Boston Celtics, who entered the playoffs with the best record in the Eastern Conference, narrowly escaped from the first round after defeating the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the series. The Celtics are the darlings of the sports media and they were heavy favorites to win the series, so their final two games with the Hawks drew a good deal of national attention.

The Celtics lost a close, emotional Game 6 in Atlanta, which forced the deciding Game 7 in Boston on Sunday afternoon. Because of the series’ recent intensity, many were expecting a close game. But in the end, the Celtics completely blew out the Hawks by a score of 99-65. Celtics forward Paul Pierce led the team in scoring with 22 points, and center Kevin Garnett added 18 in the blowout victory.

The Celtics’ journey continues on Tuesday, when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Quote of the Week: “We want Cleveland!” — Celtics fans, chanting at the end of the game

Further Reading: “Garnett’s double-double propels Celts to second round” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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BIG BROWN REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH DERBY WIN

Big Brown, a 3-year old colt with an undefeated record, won the Kentucky Derby by 4 3/4 lengths on Saturday. Big Brown was the favorite to win the Derby–the most prestigious horse racing event of the year.

Now, horse racing fans will debate whether or not Big Brown has a chance to win the Triple Crown. To win that title, a feat which no horse has accomplished since Affirmed did it in 1978, Big Brown would have to win the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes later this year. There are certainly those out there who wish Big Brown no further success, since the horse’s trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr., is a controversial figure in horse racing, having been busted for drugging his horses and himself. While Big Brown may have been the Derby favorite, Dutrow is hardly one of the sport’s favorite trainers.

The Kentucky Derby, and any joy of Big Brown’s victory, were completely overshadowed by the tragic death of a horse on the track. Eight Belles, the only filly to run in the race, finished in second place, only to collapse moments later. She was euthanized immediately by the track veterinarian.

Quote of the Week: “There was no way to save her. She couldn’t stand. She ran an incredible race. She ran the race of her life.” — Larry Jones, Eight Belles’ owner

Further Reading: “Favorite Big Brown dusts field; runner-up Eight Belles euthanized” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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KING KOBE: BRYANT EXPECTED TO TAKE HOME MVP HONORS

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Kobe Bryant has won the Most Valuable Player award this year. The announcement, which will not be official until later this week, is significant because this year’s MVP race was so close, and because Bryant has never been named MVP.

The MVP race boiled down to four players: Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. Following the regular season, sportswriters and broadcasters across the country get to vote to determine who gets the MVP award. While Garnett and James certainly drew some votes, everyone expected the vote to come down to Paul and Bryant. When Bryant is officially named the MVP this week, there are sure to be debates across the country over whether or not he deserved it over Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, who had the best year of his young career.

Both players are currently in the second round of the playoffs. If the Hornets and Lakers both win, they would play each other in the next round.

Quote of the Week: “Bryant, second in the NBA in scoring behind Cleveland’s LeBron James, will be the first Lakers player to win the MVP award since Shaquille O’Neal was a near-unanimous choice in 2000.” — Associated Press

Further Reading: “Is MVP Wait Finally Over for Kobe Bryant?” — Mark Heisler, L.A. Times

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL –The second round of the playoffs continue this week. While the matches look to be exciting across the board, keep a close eye on the Spurs-Hornets series. The Hornets have a fun, explosive offense led by Chris Paul, and the Spurs have perhaps the most impressive, veteran defense in the league. The Hornets won the first game, but nobody should ever count out the Spurs.

:: HOCKEY – The Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs begin this week. The Detroit Red Wings, after struggling early in the post-season, have looked red-hot lately, pummeling the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, winning four games to none.
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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, so 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]

———-

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The second round of the playoffs continues this week. Eight teams have been eliminated from this year’s post-season play. [Official NBA 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 Masters is over, the next event will be the U.S. Open, which is played in the month of June. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue this week. After the best-of-seven Conference Finals begin this week, the only thing left is the Stanley Cup Finals–the climax of the NHL season. [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 of the year are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. The Australian Open took place in January. The French Open, which is held in May, is the next Grand Slam event. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin

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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]

:: 2008 NFL DRAFT HELD IN NYC (Pro. Football)

:: LAKERS DOMINATE IN FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS (Pro. Basketball)

:: STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS (Pro. Hockey)

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GO LONG!: JAKE LONG AND CHRIS LONG PICKED FIRST AND SECOND IN NFL DRAFT

The NFL Draft was held on Saturday and Sunday in New York City, and hundreds of last year’s elite college players were selected by the nation’s professional teams. The draft is the most important event of the NFL off-season.

The Miami Dolphins had the first overall pick in the draft, and they used it to select Jake Long, an offensive tackle from the University of Michigan. The Dolphins signed Long to a 5-year, $57.75 million contract, making him the highest-paid Offensive Tackle in the league.

The St. Louis Rams used the second overall pick of the draft on Chris Long, a defensive end from Virginia. Chris Long is the son of Howie Long, a Hall of Fame defensive end and TV personality.

Only time will tell which teams were the winners in this year’s draft and which teams were the losers. However, most football experts agree that the Kansas City Chiefs had an excellent draft, managing to get both Glenn Dorsey and Branden Albert in the first round.

Quote of the Week: “The league has been inviting a handful of the top players to the draft for the past 21 years. This was the first time the entire group of invitees was selected, from the top, in consecutive order.” — Thomas George, NFL.com

Further Reading: “Six-pack of prospects avoid NFL Draft’s wild trade-up” – Jeff Zillgitt, USA Today

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JUST HOOPIN’: FIRST ROUND OF NBA PLAYOFFS CONTINUE

The first round of the NBA playoffs will be completed this week, as eight of sixteen teams will advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Only one team, the Los Angeles Lakers, have made it through the playoffs totally unscathed so far. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by MVP-candidate Kobe Bryant, currently lead the Denver Nuggets 3 games to 0. With a victory on Monday night, the Lakers will advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Four other teams lead their series 3-1: Orlando, Utah, San Antonio, and Cleveland. The San Antonio Spurs, despite losing one game to the Phoenix Suns, have also continued to impress basketball analysts around the league.

Quote of the Week: “Close-out games are always very, very tough. They play loose and they tend to fight a lot more. It’s going to be tough.” — Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Further Reading: “Lakers 102, Nuggets 84” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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NHL PLAYOFFS CONTINUE: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS PLAYING WITH ICE IN THEIR VEINS

The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs continue this week, with the eight remaining teams vying for four spots in the conference finals. The Stanley Cup playoffs mark the climax of the NHL season.

The first round of the playoffs was loaded with excitement, with three of the series coming down to a final, seventh game. The exciting, close games have continued into the second round as well. Only one team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, is unbeaten in the playoffs so far. The Pens are led by Sid “The Kid” Crosby, a young superstar who many consider the Lebron James of the NHL. The Penguins plowed through the Ottawa Senators in the first round, and thus far they remain unbeaten in the second round against the New York Rangers. After beating the Rangers on Sunday, the Penguins only need two more victories to advance to the conference finals.

In addition to dominating the playoffs thus far, the Penguins have been at the center of one of the biggest subplots of the playoffs: complaints that Crosby and other star players are getting special treatment from the referees. Whether or not it has influenced the Penguins’ success is up for debate. But one thing is for sure: it has sparked a war of words between the Rangers and the Penguins away from the ice.

Quote of the Week: “If [the Rangers] lose the series, this one will be very hard for [them] to forget. Especially losing to a Kid some of them believe is as good an actor as he is a hockey player, and that must mean Sidney Crosby is the Brad Pitt of Pittsburgh.” — Associated Press

Further Reading: “Embellished or not, Rangers must bounce back” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL – The first round of the NBA playoffs will be completed this week. The Lakers have a chance to clinch their spot in the second round with a victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

:: HOCKEY – The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs continue this week. A complete schedule of games is available at www.nhl.com.
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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, so 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]

———-

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The first round of the playoffs continues this week. Sixteen teams qualified for the playoffs, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics sitting at the top of the Western and Eastern conferences, respectively. The first round will be over by the end of the week, and eight teams will have advanced to the second round. [Official NBA 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 Masters is over, the next event will be the U.S. Open, which is played in the month of June. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue this week. Eight teams are currently competing in the second round of the playoffs: the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars. [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 of the year are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. The Australian Open took place in January. The French Open, which is held in May, is the next Grand Slam event. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin

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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]

:: NBA PLAYOFFS BEGIN (Pro. Basketball)

:: NFL RELEASES OFFICIAL SCHEDULE, PREPARES FOR DRAFT (Pro. Football)
:: DANICA PATRICK MAKES HISTORY (Auto-racing)

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SAN ANTONIO “SPURS” EXCITING FIRST ROUND OF NBA PLAYOFFS

The NBA playoffs kicked off last week, with sixteen teams taking the first step on the road to the championship. The NBA post-season is long (running until mid-June), but the competition should be consistently good from the beginning to the end. The Boston Celtics finished the regular season at the top of the Eastern Conference, and the Los Angeles Lakers won the fiercely-competitive Western Conference.
Many NBA analysts believe that the Western Conference playoff matches will yield some of the most exciting post-season games in recent history. The Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs set the tone for the playoffs with their game on Saturday, which took two overtimes to decide a winner. Ultimately, the Spurs, led by Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, took home the victory, winning the game 117-115. The Spurs, who have won four championships in the past decade, are perennial contenders, and their win over the Suns on Saturday was a statement that they still have what it takes to go all the way.
Some of the other much anticipated match-ups in the first round include the Lakers and Nuggets, and the Mavericks and the Hornets.

Quote of the Week: “We had a lot of opportunities to win. You can’t make mistakes against a team like that, especially here in this building.” — Shaquille O’Neal, Suns center
Further Reading: “Spurs steal Game 1 from the Suns in double overtime” — Associated Press, via USA Today

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ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?

    Last week, the NFL released the official schedule for the 2008 season, and the NFL draft will take place this Saturday and Sunday. As a result, the NFL is back in the headlines, since the draft is the most important event in the off-season of the country’s most popular sport.

    The draft, where professional teams take turns picking players from last year’s batch of collegiate stars, can be a very complicated event, and it generally takes years to learn the full ramifications of each team’s picks. Ultimately, then, even the experts do not know exactly which teams will pick players in which order. That being said, there is a general consensus on the top five best players available in the draft: Darren McFadden (running back), Chris Long (defensive end), Jake Long (offensive tackle), Glenn Dorsey (defensive tackle), and Matt Ryan (quarterback). However, even though those players are regarded as the best, that does not mean that they will necessarily be picked first, since, for example, a team that has a solid running back would have no need to waste a pick on another running back.

    The Miami Dolphins have the first overall pick in the draft (since they were the worst team in the NFL last year), and they are expected to select either Chris or Jake Long. However, unlike the NBA or NHL Draft, where the first overall pick is highly-coveted, every team in the NFL will pick up a tremendously talented player in the first round of the draft, so having the first overall pick is not necessarily a great honor. As for how it will all work out…only time will tell.

Quote of the Week: “The Dolphins should be the envy of the draftosphere right now. Instead, every executive in the NFL is glad he isn’t [Dolphins GM] Bill Parcells because in a draft in which the top six or seven guys are judged pretty even, the only thing picking first gets you is the honor of paying many millions of dollars more than the team probably getting somebody just as good two or three spots lower.” — Greg Cote, Miami Herald
Further Reading: “Mock Draft 4.0” — Pat Kirwan, NFL Analyst; This article contains some of the most recent predictions on how the draft will unfold

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EAT HER DUST: PATRICK WINS JAPAN INDY 300

On Sunday, Danica Patrick became the first female driver to win an IndyCar race when she finished in first at the Japan Indy 300, held near Tokyo.
Since her appearance in the Indianapolis 500 in 2005, Patrick has quickly become the most prominent female driver in a sport dominated by men. However, up until Sunday, she had never won a race on the IndyCar circuit. As a result, she has been hounded by questions about her ability to actually capture a win for her entire career. That all changed this weekend, when she pulled out the victory in Japan.
Finishing in second place at the Japan Indy 300 was Helio Castroneves, who became one of the sport’s biggest names when he won the TV show “Dancing with the Stars” in 2007.
    

Quote of the Week: “Finally. I knew there was a reason I always liked coming to Japan.” — Danica Patrick
Further Reading: “Danica quiets her critics with landmark victory in Japan” — John Oreovicz, ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: HOCKEY — The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is almost over. The Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins have already clinched spots in the second round. The series between the Canadiens (the top-ranked team in the East) and the Boston Bruins (the lowest-ranked team in the East) has come down to a final seventh game, which will be played Monday night. If the Canadiens were to lose, it would be a huge upset.

:: BASKETBALL — The NBA playoffs began over the weekend, and there has already been an extraordinary amount of action. The full schedule of games is available at www.nba.com.

:: FOOTBALL – The NFL draft, a hugely important annual event in the NFL, will take place this Saturday and Sunday.
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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, so 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]

———-

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The first round of the playoffs continues this week. Sixteen teams qualified for the playoffs, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics sitting at the top of the Western and Eastern conferences, respectively.  [Official NBA Website]

———-

:: 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 Masters is over, the next event will be the U.S. Open, which is played in the month of June. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue this week. Sixteen teams qualified for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. This week, the field will be narrowed to eight teams. [Official NHL Website]

———-

:: 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. The Australian Open took place in January. The French Open, which is held in May, is the next Grand Slam event. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin

———-

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]

———-

:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The NFL Draft takes place on Saturday and Sunday. The pre-season begins in August, and the regular season begins in September. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): Now that signing day has come and gone, there won’t be much news in college football until the summer, when practice sessions begin. [NCAA Football, ESPN]

:: TREVOR IMMELMAN WINS THE MASTERS (Golf)

:: KANSAS TOPS MEMPHIS FOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (College Basketball)
:: FIRST ROUND OF STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS (Pro. Hockey)

THE MAN IN THE GREEN JACKET

    Trevor Immelman, a South African golfer and an underdog at the tournament, dominated the competition in Augusta, Georgia to win the Masters and take home the prestigious green jacket.

   Before Immelman’s win on Sunday, he had only one other PGA Tour victory to his name. It has been a rough past year for Immelman, who just months ago had to go under the knife to have a tumor surgically removed. (The tumor, it turned out, was benign.) However, he was in fine form throughout the four-day tournament, where he played consistently excellent golf despite tough weather conditions. The strong winds, especially, confounded many of the players during Sunday’s final round, which made Immelman’s performance all the more impressive.

    Tiger Woods, who “struggled” during the weekend, finished in second place, losing to Immelman by three strokes.

Quote of the Week: “Smallish in stature but loaded with heart like his hero [Gary Player], Immelman survived the wicked wind and the pressure of a Sunday at Augusta National to shoot 75 for a three-shot victory over Tiger Woods.” — PGA Tour website
Further Reading: “Immelman latest in a line of surprise major title winners” — Bob Hariq, ESPN.com

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KANSAS CUTS DOWN MEMPHIS, THEN CUTS DOWN THE NETS

On Monday, April 7th, the Kansas Jayhawks were crowned national champions when they beat the Memphis Tigers by a score of 75-68. This game, the final match of the NCAA tournament, is the single-most important event in college basketball.
The championship game was fast-paced and evenly matched, but with only minutes left, it looked as though Memphis would walk away with a win. However, as a result of a number of miscues by the Tigers, including a botched inbound pass and a handful of missed free-throws, Kansas had a chance to make a dramatic comeback. With only seconds left in regulation, Kansas guard Mario Chalmers hit a miraculous three-point shot, which ultimately sent the game into overtime. The Jayhawks dominated their demoralized opponents in OT, and took home the championship as a result.
 

Quote of the Week: “Perhaps what will be remembered more than the Jayhawks’ victory was how Memphis (38-2) blew it.” — Pete Thamel, The New York Times
Further Reading: “Kansas shocks Memphis to win title in OT” — Associated Press, via NBC Sports

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HOCKEY TEAMS FACE OFF IN POST-SEASON PLAY

The first round of the NHL playoffs will be completed this week, with 8 of the 16 teams advancing to the second round. Each round of the playoffs is a best-of-seven series.
There have been few surprises in the playoffs so far, with the Montreal Canadiens (top-ranked in the Eastern Conference) and the Detroit Red Wings (top-ranked in the Western Conference) both playing extremely well. However, that is not to say that the games have been without excitement. Perhaps the most thrilling game took place on Friday, when the Washington Capitals narrowly beat the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 5-4. The Capitals scored three goals in the third and final period of play, and the game-winner came from Alexander Ovechkin, one of the young superstars in the league. It was 22-year-old Ovechkin’s first NHL playoff game. However, the Flyers won the game on Sunday, bringing the series to a 1-1 tie.

Quote of the Week: “It was one of the biggest goals of my career in an important game for us. But I am not the only one. The whole team helped tonight.” — Ovechkin, following Friday’s game
Further Reading: “Good Things Come in Threes” — Tarik El-Bashir, Washington Post

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: HOCKEY — The first round of the playoffs continues this week, with a complete schedule available on www.nhl.com. If the series between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers continues to live up to expectations, Tuesday night’s game should be action-packed.

:: BOXING — On April 19th, Bernard Hopkins will fight Joe Calzaghe in a 12 round match for Hopkins’ Ring magazine light heavyweight title. The match, which will air on HBO, promises to be a thriller–Hopkins and Calzaghe are ranked the 4th and 5th best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, respectively.
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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): With just days remaining in the regular season (the post-season begins on April 19th), the teams that have already clinched playoff spots are jockeying for better seeds, which would earn them easier match-ups in the first round of the playoffs. Several teams will be fighting here on out to get into the playoffs–most notably Denver and Golden State, who are battling for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.  [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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:: 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 Masters is over, the next event will be the U.S. Open, which is played in the month of June. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue this week. Sixteen teams qualified for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. [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 of the year are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. The Australian Open took place in January. The French Open, which is held in May, is the next Grand Slam event. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin

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OFFSEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): Baseball season is in full swing, but it is a long season, so 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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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The NFL Draft takes place on April 25th and 26th. The pre-season begins in August, and the regular season begins in September. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): Now that signing day has come and gone, there won’t be much news in college football until the summer, when practice sessions begin. [NCAA Football, ESPN]