SportSpectator Blog

:: 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]

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:: 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]

 

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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. This week, the field will be narrowed to eight teams. [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 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]

 

———-

 

:: 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]

 

———-

 

:: 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

 

:: 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]

 

———-

 

:: 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]

 

 

 

 

:: MEMPHIS TO PLAY KANSAS FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP (College Basketball)

:: MASTERS TOURNAMENT BEGINS ON THURSDAY (Golf)

:: STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS SET TO BEGIN AFTER TIGHT FINISH (Pro. Hockey)

THE FINAL COUPLE IN THE BIG DANCE

On Monday night, the Memphis Tigers will play the Kansas Jayhawks in the national championship game in San Antonio, Texas. Winning this game and becoming the national champion is the highest goal of every men’s college basketball team.

Both the Tigers and the Jayhawks enter the championship after incredibly successful seasons and impressive victories in the tournament. On Saturday, Memphis handily defeated the mighty UCLA Bruins, who had been regarded as one of the strongest teams in the tournament, by a score of 78-63. Later on Saturday night, Kansas boasted a victory against the University of North Carolina, who entered the tournament as the top-ranked team. Kansas exploded out to a 28 point lead early in the game, and though UNC made a comeback, they ultimately lost the game 84-66: an absolutely shocking blowout.
Given the fact that both Memphis and Kansas had big victories over two of the strongest, most athletic teams in college basketball, this championship game promises to be a great one.

Quote of the Week: “With the team we have, man, it’s hard beating us. We are going to find a way to win somehow because that’s what we do. We’re just a great team.” — Derrick Rose, superstar guard for the Memphis Tigers
Further Reading: “Memphis, Kansas ready to put it all on the line” — Kelly Whiteside, USA Today

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FORE! WOODS LOOKING TO ADD FIFTH MASTERS TITLE

The Masters Tournament, the first of the annual “Major Championships,” is slated to begin on Thursday. The Masters is played every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, and as one of the most important golf events of the year, the outcome of this tournament is always a matter of national news.
Tiger Woods has won the Masters four times in his career–most recently in 2005. Because of his outstanding record playing this tournament, and because of the fact that he is the top-ranked golfer in the world, all eyes will be on Woods this week. However, Phil Mickelson, who is also one of the highest-ranked golfers in the world, has won the Masters two times in the past five years, so expectations are very high for him as well.
The tournament begins on Thursday and goes through Sunday. After Friday, roughly half of the competitors will be cut.

Quote of the Week: “He’s making a difficult game look so easy, making the world’s best players look like chops. I’m just fortunate to have a front-row seat to witness this.” — Steve DiMeglio, USA Today Sports Writer, in reference to Tiger Woods
Further Reading: “Major questions entering the Masters” — Jason Sobel, ESPN

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POSTSEASON HOCKEY TEAMS READY TO FACE OFF

The Stanley Cup Playoffs–the post-season for professional hockey–begins on Wednesday.

This year’s regular season ended in dramatic fashion, with teams fighting for playoff spots going into the final weekend of the season. The emotions reached a peak on Saturday, when the Washington Capitals won their division after finishing in last place the previous three years. The Capitals and 7 other teams will represent the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. The eight teams from the Western Conference include the two strongest teams of the 2007-08 season–the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks.

While the NHL is less popular in the United States than the three other major professional sports (MLB, NBA, NFL), the playoffs generally receive more attention than the regular season. Furthermore, the competitors in the league are getting younger, flashier, and better, and players like Alexander Ovechkin (Washington) and Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh) are quickly growing into household names. With both of those players in the playoffs this year, the games should be all the more entertaining.

Quote of the Week: “We’ve been telling people, ‘Be patient and we’ll wake up one morning and have a good team.’ And I think that morning is tomorrow morning.” — George McPhee, general manager for the Capitals
Further Reading: “Seventh straight win sends Caps to Southeast Division title, playoffs” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL — The national championship will be decided on Monday night at 9:21 pm, Eastern. As the pinnacle of the college basketball season with the nation’s two best teams going head to head, it should be an amazing event to watch.

:: GOLF — The Masters runs from Thursday to Sunday. Some people watch every hole of every round. Most people just tune in on Sunday to see whether or not Tiger Woods is going to have another dramatic victory. Watch accordingly.

:: HOCKEY — The playoffs begin this Wednesday. The following teams are in the playoffs this year: Montreal, Boston, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Washington, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, Detroit, Nashville, San Jose, Calgary, Minnesota, Colorado, Anaheim, Dallas. If your city made the playoffs, it’s time to brush up on those players’ names. If not, there’s always next year, eh?

———-

ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season (the post-season begins on April 19th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. Several teams will be fighting here on out to get into the playoffs–perhaps most notably Denver, Dallas, and Golden State, who are battling for the two final playoff spots in the Western Conference. [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The Championship game of this year’s NCAA tournament will be played on April 7 between Kansas and Memphis. [CBS Sports]

———-

:: 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. The first of these is the Masters, which is played on the same course every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The first round of the Masters is on Thursday, April 10 and runs through Sunday, April 13. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

———-

:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin this week. Sixteen teams qualified for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. The Detroit Red Wings (Western Conference) finished the season with the best record in the NHL. The San Jose Sharks, also from the Western Conference, had the second best record. [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

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): Baseball fans are now a full week into the regular season. Baseball season is long, 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]

———-

:: 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]

Tags: final four, golf, kansas, masters, mephis, ncaa championship, stanley cup

 

:: NCAA TOURNAMENT DOWN TO “FINAL FOUR” TEAMS (College Basketball)

:: BASEBALL BEGINS, OPENING DAY (Pro. Baseball)

:: TIGER WOODS WINNING STREAK ENDS (Golf)

MIDNIGHT STRIKES FOR CINDERELLA DAVIDSON; FOUR TOP-RANKED TEAMS STAY ALIVE

The NCAA Tournament has been narrowed down to four teams–North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis, and Kansas. This is the first time that the four top-ranked teams in the tournament have all made it to the Final Four.

While each of these four teams had their own unique journey to the Final Four, perhaps the most emotional victory came when Kansas knocked off Davidson on Sunday night. Davidson was undoubtedly this year’s Cinderella–a low-ranked team who becomes a kind of nationally supported underdog, winning the hearts of casual fans everywhere. However, Davidson’s tournament run came to an end when they faced Kansas, one of four top-ranked teams in the tournament. With Davidson eliminated, only four teams remain, all of which were 1-seeds in the tournament. Never before in the history of the NCAA tournament has this taken place.

However, within a week, two of those #1-ranked teams will be sent home. On Saturday, UCLA plays Memphis and North Carolina plays Kansas. The games should be filled with an unprecedented amount media attention and intensity. The two teams that survive Saturday’s games will play for the national championship on Monday.

Quote of the Week: “And then there were ones. Four No. 1s, that is.” — Associated Press

Further Reading: “Goliath slays Davidson, Curry as KU holds on” –Associated Press, via ESPN

———-

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME!

Baseball season officially began last week, when the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics played two games in Tokyo, Japan. However, for the remaining teams in the league, Opening Day–the first day of the regular season–will take place this week in the States.
With the excitement of Opening Day comes the optimism of fans across the country that this year will be the year that their team wins the World Series. But since the baseball season is roughly six months long, there is a lot of baseball yet to be played. However, there are three story lines that will surely come up throughout the course of the 2008 season, revolving around the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, and the Chicago Cubs.
This year is the Yankees’ last year in Yankee Stadium. The historic venue, where baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio played, will be replaced next year by New Yankee Stadium. As a result, this year the Yankees will get even more national attention than they already do. The New York Mets are also playing their last season at Shea Stadium this year.
The Boston Red Sox, who won the World Series last year, continue to grow in popularity around the country, rivaling the Yankees as the highest profile team in the country. While baseball analysts are generally reluctant to pick a favorite before the season begins, many baseball writers around the country think that the Red Sox are strong enough to win the World Series again this year.
The Cubs, the Lovable Losers from the North Side of Chicago, have now gone 100 years without winning a World Series. The Cubs’ losing ways are always a popular topic among baseball enthusiasts, so this year the team will undoubtedly be a center of attention in sports.

Quote of the Week: “How did the Dodgers and Red Sox just draw 115,300 fans for an exhibition baseball game? How can any sport in the world possibly top baseball?” — Mark Newman, baseball writer
Further Reading: “Feel-good vibes as baseball returns” — Mark Newman, MLB.com

———-

WOODS TAKES FIRST DEFEAT IN SIX MONTHS

Last Monday, Tiger Woods finished in fifth place in the CA Championship at Doral. That would hardly be newsworthy, were it not for the fact that it is the first time that Woods has lost a tournament in six months.

Geoff Ogilvy, who won the tournament, finished two shots ahead of Woods. Ogilvy’s victory was particularly impressive because of the big names that he narrowly beat out in addition to Woods–Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, and Jim Furyk. Woods had won the past three years at Doral.

Now that Woods has finally lost, the golf world will be turning its attention to the Masters–the first of the four Major tournaments–which will take place in April.

Quote of the Week: “It has come to this: When Woods doesn’t win, it counts as stunning news.” — Associated Press
Further Reading: “Winner Ogilvy glad to see Tiger’s winning streak is history” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL — The NCAA Tournament has been narrowed down to four teams–the Final Four. The next round of the tournament will be played on April 5th when UCLA plays Memphis, and the University of North Carolina plays Kansas.

:: PRO. BASEBALL –The regular season begins this week. Games will be played across the country every day, so tune in and root, root, root for the home team.

———-

ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season (the post-season begins on April 19th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. Several teams will be fighting here on out to get into the playoffs–perhaps most notably Denver, Dallas, and Golden State, who are battling for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The Final Four round of this year’s NCAA tournament will be played on April 5, and the Championship game will be played on April 7. [CBS Sports]

———-

:: 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. The first of these is the Masters, which takes place in April. The Masters is played on the same course every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

———-

:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): With only a couple weeks remaining in the regular season (the Stanley Cup playoffs begin on April 9th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. Nashville, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Chicago–all within a handful of points of each other–are battling every night to win the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. [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

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): The pre-season is now officially over and the regular season has begun. Baseball season is long, 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]

———-

:: 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]

Tags: kevin love, march madness, NCAA tournament, opening day, tiger woods, ucla basketball

:: NCAA TOURNAMENT IN FULL GEAR (College Basketball)

:: HOUSTON ROCKETS WINNING STREAK ENDS AT 22 (Pro. Basketball)

:: BASEBALL SEASON BEGINS (Pro. Baseball)

OH, MY SWEET SIXTEEN!

Over the weekend, the first two rounds of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship were played across the country. This tournament is one of the most popular and exciting sporting events of the year.

There have already been a number of huge upsets in the tournament, with two highly ranked teams–Duke and Georgetown–getting knocked out of the tournament. On Saturday, West Virginia (one of the 7-seeded teams) toppled Duke (one of the 2-seeded teams). Duke is an annual contender and a high-profile team that draws a great deal of attention across the nation. About half of college basketball sports fans in the country love Duke, and the other half loves watching Duke go down. Expectations were also high for Georgetown, but they were eliminated from the tournament on Sunday by Davidson.

None of the four top-ranked teams in the country–North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA, and Kansas–have been knocked out of the tournament so far. That being said, there has never been a year when the four 1-seeds have all made it to the Final Four, so there is a good chance that at least one of the big-name teams will be knocked out in the Sweet Sixteen round of the tournament, which begins this week.

Quote of the Week: “No matter how well or how hard you’re playing, you’ve got to put the ball in the basket. We didn’t do that today.” — Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski

Further Reading: “West Virginia sends Duke home with 73-67 upset” — Jack Carey, USA Today

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HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM…

On Tuesday, the Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets, ending Houston’s 22-game winning streak–the second-longest winning streak in the history of the NBA.
The Rockets had their hands full against the Celtics, who have the highest winning percentage in the NBA. The two teams were evenly matched throughout the first half, but the Rockets eventually slipped behind and ended up losing the game 94-74. The Rockets hardly appeared to be devastated by the loss. Rather, they proudly reflected on their streak, and then turned their minds to the upcoming playoffs.
During the winning streak, the Rockets rose to the top of the highly-competitive Western Conference. In the days following the end of the streak, the Rockets have dropped back a couple of games from the Lakers. With just weeks left before the playoffs begin, the Rockets and their competitors in the Western Conference will be playing as hard as possible to jockey for better positions in the postseason.

Quote of the Week: “We’re talking like the season’s over. We’re playing well, and we’ve got to continue playing this way.” — Rockets Guard Tracy McGrady, responding to questions about the end of the streak
Further Reading: “Garnett Scores 22 as Celtics Halt Rockets’ Win Streak at 22” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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HOW DO YOU SAY “PLAY BALL” IN JAPANESE?

Baseball season begins this week, on March 25th, when the Boston Red Sox play the Oakland Athletics in Japan. The game is a highly anticipated event since it marks the beginning of the season, but also because it is being played internationally.

However, opening day in Japan almost didn’t happen. Early last week, the Red Sox and Athletics players discovered that their coaches would not be receiving the same payment as the players for making the trip to Japan. All of the players are reportedly receiving $40,000 each for taking part in the international games. For some of the players, that money is a drop in the bucket compared to their yearly salaries. However, for many assistant coaches and trainers, that is a significant bonus.

Ultimately, after the players threatened to boycott the trip to Japan, the league yielded and offered to pay coaches and other personnel $20,000. The players have agreed to chip in to pay the rest. So now that the money has been taken care of…play ball!

Quote of the Week: “They were told they were going to be (paid). For a coach, in some cases, this is two-fifths of their salary for the year. It’s a big deal. I don’t agree that coaches are second-class citizens. That has never sat well with me, ever, and continues to boggle my mind.” — Terry Francona, Red Sox Manager
Further Reading: “Sox win standoff with MLB” — Rob Bradford and Michael Silverman, Boston Herald

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL — The Sweet Sixteen–the third round of the NCAA tournament–begins on Thursday. After getting off to a slow start, the games in the second round of the tournament were thrilling. The excitement should continue as this year’s Cinderella teams–underdogs like Davidson, Villanova, and Western Kentucky–face off against the best of the best.

:: PRO. BASEBALL — The regular season begins on March 25th with the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics being played in Japan. It should make for great TV…if you happen to be in the mood for baseball at 6 in the morning. The rest of the league will start the regular season the following week.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): With less than a month remaining in the regular season (the post-season begins on April 19th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship were played this week. The Sweet Sixteen games will be played March 27-28 and the Elite Eight games will be played March 29-30. The Final Four games will be played on April 5, and the Championship game will be played on April 7. As the games are played, more detailed information about the tournament schedule will become available on www.espn.com or www.cbssports.com, among other places. [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. The first of these is the Masters, which takes place in April. The Masters is played on the same course every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): With less than a month remaining in the regular season (the Stanley Cup playoffs begin on April 9th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify 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’s pre-season—Spring Training—is in full swing, with exhibition games being played daily in Arizona and Florida. The regular season begins this week, on March 25th, when the Boston Red Sox play the Oakland Athletics in Tokyo, Japan. [Official MLB Website]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): Until the NFL Draft takes place—on April 25th and 26th—NFL news will be limited to trades and free agent signings. The NFL 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]

Tags: baseball, japan, march madness, ncaa, rockets, tournament, winning streak