SportSpectator Blog

June 9, Week in Sports

:: DA’ TARA WINS BELMONT, SPOILS BIG BROWN’S TRIPLE CROWN RUN (Horse Racing)

:: RED WINGS WIN STANLEY CUP (Pro. Hockey)

:: RAFAEL NADAL TOPS FEDERER IN FRENCH OPEN (Tennis)

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NO CROWN FOR BROWN

On Saturday, Da’ Tara won the Belmont Stakes, one of the three most prestigious horse racing events of the year. Big Brown, who had a chance to win the Triple Crown with a Belmont victory, finished in last place.

Da’ Tara was a huge underdog going into Saturday’s race, listed as the longest shot to win. However, Da’ Tara will be remembered for years to come, not just for overcoming the odds, but for defeating Big Brown. Big Brown had won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and his trainer stated that a victory at the Belmont was “a foregone conclusion.” However, Big Brown looked sluggish on Saturday and ultimately finished the race in last place. This was primarily because his jockey realized that he would be unable to finish in the top five, and thus eased up on Big Brown, whose breeding rights alone are reportedly worth more than $50 million.

Quote of the Week: “If Big Brown was himself, he would’ve been tough to beat, but he wasn’t himself. That’s why they play the game.” — Nick Zito, Da’ Tara’s trainer

Further Reading: “Da’ Tara steals spotlight, Belmont from Big Brown” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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RED WINGS TAKE TITLE BACK TO HOCKEYTOWN

The Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night. Winning the Stanley Cup is the highest honor in the National Hockey League.

The Red Wings looked dominant throughout the playoffs, and that dominance extended to the Stanley Cup Finals, as well. The Red Wings were on the verge of winning the championship at home earlier in the week, but the Penguins tied the game with thirty seconds left and went on to win it. However, the Penguins’ luck did not extend to Wednesday’s game, where the Red Wings won by a score of 3-2, clinching the title.

The Stanley Cup playoffs have a long and storied past, and the trophy itself is full of history and tradition. There is only one Stanley Cup trophy, which is passed on every year to the new champion. One of the biggest traditions associated with the trophy is for the winning team to drink champagne out of it. The individual players from the winning team also get to spend one private day with the trophy. Over the years, players have eaten out of the Cup, drank from the Cup, damaged it, and defiled it in various ways, after which it is cleaned and repaired for future years.

Quote of the Week: “I’ve had to wipe away a few tears. This is why I play in Detroit.” — Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings’ Goaltender

Further Reading: “Wings paint Hockeytown Red” — Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press

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RAFAEL NADAL, NUMERO UNO

Rafael Nadal, the Spaniard who is ranked as the second-best men’s tennis player in the world, defeated Roger Federer (the number one player in the world) to win the French Open. The French Open is the second Grand Slam event of the year.

Federer is universally recognized as the best tennis player in the world today, and perhaps the greatest player of all time. However, Nadal has beaten Federer in the French Open the past four years, and every year the match-up draws a great deal of attention. As such, the rivalry between Nadal and Federer is on par with just about any individual rivalry in professional sports.

Ana Ivanovic, the top-ranked women’s tennis player in the world, defeated Dinara Safina to win the women’s title.

Quote of the Week: “Today it was tough for Roger, I think, and I have to be respectful with one very good guy.” Rafael Nadal

Further Reading: “Nadal’s fire and emotion propel him to fourth French Open title” — Bonnie Ford, ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL – The NBA Finals, between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, continue this week. Games 3 and 4 are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday.

:: GOLF – The U.S. Open, the second Major Championship of the year, will be played June 12th through June 15th.

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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 NBA Finals, between the Lakers and the Celtics, continue this week. [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 from June 9-15. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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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 next event is Wimbledon, which runs from June 23rd to 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]

June 2, Week in Sports

:: CELTICS, LAKERS ADVANCE TO NBA FINALS (Pro. Basketball)

:: RED WINGS ONE WIN AWAY FROM WINNING STANLEY CUP (Pro. Hockey)

:: MANNY RAMIREZ HITS 500TH HOME RUN (Pro. Baseball)

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I LOVE THE ’80s: CELTICS-LAKERS MATCHUP RENEWS OLD RIVALRY

Last week, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers secured spots in this year’s NBA Finals. During the 1960s and 1980s, the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was one of the most intense in professional sports. This will be the first time the two teams have faced off in the Finals since 1987.

This match-up will be one of the most hyped NBA Finals in recent history for a number of reasons. Both the Lakers and the Celtics play in huge markets and both franchises are part of long-standing traditions. Both teams feature some of the NBA’s biggest names–the Lakers have league MVP Kobe Bryant, and the Celtics have superstar Kevin Garnett. Both teams have also been part of this year’s biggest story lines in the NBA: The Lakers almost traded Kobe Bryant during the off-season (per Bryant’s request), but the star guard ended up having a career year in Los Angeles; the Celtics acquired Garnett in the off-season, instantly transforming a comatose franchise into a powerhouse. The series begins on Thursday in Boston.

There was another ’80s throwback of sorts this week as well, when it was rumored that Doug Collins would return to his position as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Collins coached the Bulls in the ’80s, and many believe that Phil Jackson, who won six championships with Michael Jordan’s Bulls, hijacked the team that Collins built.

Quote of the Week: “I think [the Lakers-Celtics] rivalry really revolutionized the game of basketball, and now I’m a part of it.” — Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics player

Further Reading: “Lakers-Celtics: A rivalry so big it should be on Versus” — Bill Plaschke

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RED HOT RED WINGS POISED TO WIN STANLEY CUP

On Saturday night, the Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Detroit now leads the series 3-1, and will have an opportunity to win it all on Monday night.

Detroit won the first two games of the series, which deflated the high hopes of Pittsburgh fans and league officials who had hoped that this series would be extremely close. When the Penguins responded by winning Game 3, though, it only put them one game away from tying it up. However, Saturday’s loss at home was devastating for the Penguins. The Pens had won their past nine games in Pittsburgh.

Game 4 featured an unbelievable performance by Red Wing Henrik Zetterberg, including an extraordinary minute and a half when he completely shut down the Penguins during a 5-on-3 advantage.

Quote of the Week: “Since the best-of-seven format was introduced in 1939, only one team has come back from a 3-1 series deficit to win the Cup.” — Scott Burnside, ESPN

Further Reading: “Stanley Cusp! Gritty Wings one win away from championship” — Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press

———-

GOING, GOING, GONE…MANNY HITS NUMBER 500

Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox hit his 500th career home run on Saturday. Only 23 other players have accomplished the feat.

As is the case with many hitters approaching major milestones, Ramirez seemed to struggle in recent weeks as he neared the 500 mark. He finally ended the wait in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game against Baltimore. “I just wanted to get a good swing on the ball all day,” Ramirez said after the game. “And I did.”

Now that the Ramirez watch is over, all eyes will be on Ken Griffey Jr. Right now, Griffey is sitting on 599 home runs. While Ramirez’s feat was a big deal, Griffey’s will be much more significant: only five other players have hit 600 home runs.

Quote of the Week: “That was the swing, right there. It’s hard to hit home runs. I know — I made a career of not doing it.” — Dave Magadan, Red Sox hitting coach

Further Reading: “Manny Mashes No. 500” — Rob Bradford, Boston Herald

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL – The NBA Finals begin on Thursday, when the Lakers play the Celtics in Boston.

:: HOCKEY – The Stanley Cup Finals continue this week. The Red Wings currently lead the Penguins 3-1. Game 5 will be played tonight (Monday) in Detroit.

:: TENNIS – The French Open continues this week and runs through June 8th.
———-

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 NBA Finals begin on Thursday, when the Lakers play the Celtics in Boston. [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 from June 9-15. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

———-

:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins are currently battling in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Red Wings lead the series 3-1. [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 French Open is currently underway. The next event is Wimbledon, which runs from June 23rd to July 6th. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova

———-

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 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]

May 26, Week in Sports

:: SCOTT DIXON WINS INDY 500 (Auto Racing)

:: CHICAGO BULLS WIN FIRST DRAFT PICK (Pro. Basketball)

:: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS PLAY DETROIT RED WINGS FOR STANLEY CUP (Pro. Hockey)

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GOT MILK? DIXON WINS INDY 500

On Sunday afternoon, driver Scott Dixon won the Indianapolis 500–one of the most historical and important races of the year for motorsports enthusiasts.

Dixon started out the race in pole position (first), but he was losing to Vitor Meira with fewer than 30 laps left to go. However, Dixon beat Meira out of the final pit stop and was able to hold on for his first Indianapolis 500 victory. Following his victory, Dixon drank a bottle of milk on the track, as is customary for winners of the Indy 500.

The day was full of accidents, and tempers flared as reckless driving knocked some of the sport’s top drivers out of contention. About halfway through the race, Marco Andretti accidentally forced his own teammate, Tony Kanaan, into a wall. Late in the race, Ryan Briscoe hit Danica Patrick in pit row, and Patrick was seen fuming along the track until track personnel guided her away. Helio Castroneves finished the race in fourth place.

Quote of the Week: “He’d better be [sorry]. That was a very stupid move. Me being a good teammate, I didn’t want to turn into him and take out two cars. So I give up today.” — Tony Kanaan, on Andretti apologizing after knocking him out of the race

Further Reading: “Pole sitter Dixon races to first Indianapolis 500 victory” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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LUCKY LOTTO: BULLS TAKE FIRST OVERALL PICK

On May 20th, the NBA held their annual lottery to determine the order of picks for this year’s draft. The Chicago Bulls, who only had a 1.7 percent chance of winning the NBA lottery, were the surprise winners, taking home the first overall pick in the draft.

The NBA Draft is more important than the draft in any other sport–sometimes the addition of a single player can entirely change a team’s future, as it did when the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted LeBron James in 2003. The order of the draft is roughly determined in the reverse order of teams’ success the year before. That is to say, the worst teams have the best odds of getting the highest draft picks. But to discourage losing deliberately, the worst teams are not guaranteed the top draft picks. Since the odds were overwhelmingly against the Bulls, though, their winning the NBA lottery was big news.

The Bulls will either take Memphis guard Derrick Rose or Kansas State power forward Michael Beasley with the first pick of the draft. Both players are exceptional, and both could fill major needs for the lucky Bulls organization. The Chicago sports media were also tremendously lucky, since they are now guaranteed to have a topic to debate every day until the June 26th draft takes place.

Quote of the Week: “I understand this was pure luck. Now we have to do our job.” — John Paxon, Bulls GM

Further Reading: “A No. 1-track mind” — K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune

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PENGUINS FLOUNDER FIRST NIGHT IN HOCKEYTOWN

The Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins are currently playing in the Stanley Cup Finals, the most important event of the National Hockey League season. The Red Wings won the first game, defeating the Pens by a crushing score of 4-0.

This is considered a high-profile match-up for fans of the sport, since it pits Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, one of the biggest stars of the league, against the Red Wings, one of the most storied franchises in the sport and a perennial contender. The NHL continues to struggle to draw casual fans to the sport, but league officials hope that a championship with this kind of intensity will help to get people to watch the games.

Game One of Stanley Cup Finals was played in Detroit (a.k.a. Hockeytown) on Saturday. Pittsburgh hopes to bounce back from the devastating opening loss when they play Game Two on Monday night.

Quote of the Week: “If a matchup ever was going to capture the attention of the casual sports fan and make the NHL matter during its showcase event, this seems to be the one to do it.” — Associated Press

Further Reading: “First-period power-play failures come back to haunt Penguins” — Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL – The Conference Finals match-ups (Boston/Detroit and San Antonio/Los Angeles) continue this week. The full schedules are available at www.nba.com.

:: HOCKEY – The Stanley Cup Finals continue this week, with games scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

:: TENNIS – The French Open, the second Grand Slam event of the year, started this week and runs through June 8th.
———-

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 NBA conference finals continue this week. The winners of those two best-of-seven series will face off in the NBA playoffs. [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

———-

:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins are currently battling in the Stanley Cup Finals. [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 French Open is currently underway. The next event is Wimbledon, which runs from June 23rd to July 6th. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova

———-

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 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]

May 19, Week in Sports

:: CELTICS TOP CAVS IN DRAMATIC GAME SEVEN (Pro. Basketball)

:: BIG BROWN WINS THE PREAKNESS STAKES (Horse Racing)

:: JUSTINE HENIN AND ANNIKA SORENSTAM SET TO RETIRE (Women’s Tennis and Golf)

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THE LUCK OF THE IRISH: CELTICS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE FINALS

The Boston Celtics narrowly beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon in an exciting game 7 match-up in Boston. With the victory, the Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will face the Detroit Pistons.

The Celtics were one of the NBA’s biggest stories of the year, having acquired Kevin Garnett in the off-season and finishing the year with the best regular season record in the league. But the Celtics have had a tough playoff run so far, taking each best-of-seven series that they have played in to a deciding game 7. That continued on Sunday, where they squeaked out a victory against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers–runners up in the NBA Finals last year. On Sunday, James’ 45 points were not enough to beat the Celtics, who have consistently dominated when playing at home this year. Paul Pierce paced the Celtics with 41 points.

Three of the final four teams in the playoffs have been decided–Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Whoever wins tomorrow night’s game between San Antonio and New Orleans will play the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Quote of the Week: “Today it was basically get the ball to Paul Pierce and get the hell out of the way.” — Kevin Garnett, Celtics

Further Reading: “Pierce, James duke it out as Celtics close out Cavs in Game 7” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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BIG BROWN’S QUEST FOR THE CROWN

Big Brown, the horse who won the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, cruised to an easy victory at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. If Big Brown wins the Belmont Stakes on June 7th, he will be the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 30 years.

The undefeated 3-year old colt will go into Belmont as the favorite to win. However, there have been many horses over the years who were in the exact same position who were unable to clinch the Triple Crown at Belmont. No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed accomplished the feat in 1978.

It will be interesting to see how horse-racing fans and the sports media approach Big Brown’s quest for the Triple Crown in the weeks leading up to the Belmont. Triple Crown contenders are generally overwhelming fan favorites. However, because Big Brown’s trainer, Rick Dutrow, is a cocky and bombastic figure with a shady past, there will be plenty of people out there hoping that the sport’s Triple Crown drought continues.

Quote of the Week: “It will be tears or cheers at Belmont, in the race that will either stamp Big Brown a superhorse or make him the latest heartbreak kid in a sport full of them over three decades.” — Pat Forde, ESPN

Further Reading: “Preakness laugher leaves Big Brown in line for glory” — Pat Forde, ESPN

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FIRST LADIES OF GOLF, TENNIS RETIRE

On Tuesday, Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest female golfers of all-time, announced that she would be retiring at the end of the season. A day later, Justine Henin, the world’s top-ranked female tennis player, announced that she was retiring immediately. As a result, the face of women’s golf and tennis completely changed within the space of 24 hours.

The 37-year old Sorenstam, who has won 72 LPGA tournaments and 10 majors, announced that she would finish up this season, but then was retiring from the game. She stated that it was a very hard decision, but said that now that she is getting older, she wants to leave the game in order to build a family.

For Henin, who is just 25 years old, the story is different. When citing her reasons for retiring, it became clear that Henin was walking away from the court predominantly because she was burned out. The loss of her former passion for competition combined with some lingering injuries seemingly made for an easy decision to retire. 21-year old Maria Sharapova will replace Henin as the no. 1 female tennis player in the world.

Quote of the Week: “It has been a pleasure watching Annika play for all of these years, but even more of an honor to call her a friend.” — Tiger Woods

Further Reading: “No. 1 Justine Henin retires from tennis immediately” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: AUTORACING – The Indianapolis 500 will be held on Sunday, May 25th. The Indy 500 is one of the most historical and important races of the year. While the results of the Indy 500 are major news anyway, the race has grown in the public consciousness in recent years as some of the top drivers in the sport, such as Danica Patrick and Helio Castroneves, have become household celebrity names.

:: BASKETBALL – Monday night (May 19th), the San Antonio Spurs will play the New Orleans Hornets in a highly-anticipated game 7 showdown. The winner will play the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

:: 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. Barring a dramatic turn of events, it looks as though the Red Wings and the Penguins will face off in this year’s Stanley Cup Finals.
———-

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 NBA conference finals begin this week. The winners of those two best-of-seven series will face off in the NBA playoffs. [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

———-

:: 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]

———-

:: 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, Maria Sharapova

———-

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 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]

:: 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

———-

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.
———-

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]