SportSpectator Blog

December 16, Week in Sports

 

:: SAM BRADFORD WINS HEISMAN (College Football)

:: CC SABATHIA GOES TO NY YANKEES (Pro. Baseball)

:: NY METS ACQUIRE K-ROD AND J.J. PUTZ (Pro. Baseball)

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‘SOONER’ RATHER THAN TEBOW…

 

Sam Bradford, the quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners, won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night. The Heisman Trophy is a yearly award that goes to the most elite player in college football.

 

This year, there were three finalists for the prestigious Heisman: Tim Tebow from Florida, Colt McCoy from Texas, and Bradford from Oklahoma. Tebow won the award last year, and was hoping to repeat the victory this year. However, even though he led the Florida Gators to the national championship game (which will be played in January), Tebow’s performance this year simply did not compare to that of Bradford. Bradford threw 48 touchdowns this year–the best in the country–and he led the Oklahoma Sooners to the national championship game.

 

Fans of college football never forget the Heisman winners, and many of them go on to become great players in the NFL. Some of the most famous Heisman winners include Reggie Bush, Barry Sanders, and OJ Simpson.

 

Quote of the Week: “Earlier today I looked at the portraits of the other Heisman winners on the wall, and it was hard to consider myself on the same level as those guys. But tonight I had a chance to join them.” — Sam Bradford, 2008 Heisman Winner

Further Reading: ”Night of Suspense Ends with Bradford Holding the Heisman” — Carmen Renee Thompson

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CCNY

 

The New York Yankees agreed to a contract with star pitcher CC Sabathia. Sabathia’s move to the Yankees is the biggest news thus far in the baseball off-season.

 

Sabathia, one of the most dominating pitchers in the league, is moving to the Yankees at a huge cost–$161 million over the course of a seven-year contract. That dollar amount is huge, even in professional sports. The Yankees, of course, are known for spending ridiculous amounts of money to land the biggest free agents during the off-season. The Yanks are also desperate to re-craft their team, since last year they failed to make the playoffs despite having the biggest payroll in baseball.

 

However, despite shelling out the most money so far this off-season, the Yankees are not quite done. They also have offensive powerhouse Mark Teixeira and all-star outfielder Manny Ramirez on their radar.

Quote of the Week: “That’s them, that’s the Yankees, that’s how we look at it.” — Dan O’Dowd, GM of the Colorado Rockies, on the Yankees’ spending

Further Reading: “7 Years and $161 Million, and They’re Not Done Yet” — Tyler Kepner, NY Times

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MEET THE METS

 

The New York Mets acquired Angels closer Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez and Mariners closer J.J. Putz last week at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. Other than the Yankees’ signing of Sabathia, the Mets’ acquisitions have been the biggest of the off-season.

 

K-Rod had the most successful year of his career in 2008, when he set the all-time record for saves in a single season. As a free agent coming off a record year, Rodriguez was the hottest closer on the market. In a surprising move, the Mets then went on to land J.J. Putz, who is also a closer. Of course, teams only have one player that they consider their closer, which means that the Mets plan to move Putz to the role of “set-up man”–a reliever who pitches late in the game to pave the way for the closer.

 

The past few years the Mets have collapsed late in the regular season, and one of the big reasons has been their lack of depth in the bullpen. With the additions of K-Rod and Putz, the Mets will have no more excuses.

Quote of the Week: “Of course, we’re going to try to win the division. Of course, we’re going to be the front-runner. Of course, we’re going to be the team to beat.” — K-Rod, on the Mets’ chances this year

Further Reading:  ”Mets Finalize $37 M Deal with K-Rod“ – Associated Press, via SI.com

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: PRO. BASEBALL: Trade talks continue as the baseball off-season heats up. Players to watch: Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez, Jermaine Dye.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

 

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The 2008-09 season is currently underway. It runs from late October to April of 2009, when the playoffs commence.  [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The college basketball season started last week and runs through “the Tournament,” which takes place in March. [CBS Sports]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The regular season is now underway. The Tennessee Titans and the New York Giants are currently the best teams in the league. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The college football season is now in full swing. Florida and Oklahoma will play each other in the national championship game. [NCAA Football, ESPN]

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:: GOLF

MEN’S GOLF: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments are the four Major Championships: The Masters, U.S. Open, The Open (The British Open), and the PGA Championship. Now that the PGA Championship is over, mainstream golf news will most likely revolve around Tiger Woods’ return from injury and preparation for next year’s Majors. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson

 

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The hockey season runs through April of 2009. By the new year, the league power rankings should be pretty well set. [Official NHL Website]

 

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:: TENNIS

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic

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OFFSEASON

 

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in this year’s World Series. During the off-season, baseball news will focus on major trades and player signings. [Official MLB Website]

July 14, Week in Sports

::   BRETT FAVRE RUMORS HEAT UP (Pro. Football)

::   SABATHIA, HARDEN TRADED TO BREWERS, CUBS (Pro. Baseball)

::   ALL-STAR BREAK IN THE BRONX (Pro. Baseball)

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BACK ALREADY? BRETT FAVRE REPORTEDLY SET TO UN-RETIRE

Brett Favre, who retired from the NFL at a tearful press conference in March, is reportedly thinking about coming back to play in the 2008 season. Favre is the winningest QB in the history of the league.

In Green Bay, where Favre forged a career as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Packers history, Favre is treated like a hero and a living legend. However, when he retired in March, the Packers organization was forced to move on–promoting long-time backup Aaron Rodgers to the starting position, and drafting Brian Brohm in the second round of the NFL Draft. Favre’s sudden desire to return puts the Packers organization in an uncomfortable position. If they re-install Favre on the roster, they could improve their chances of winning the Super Bowl in 2008, but they would also stunt the long-term growth of the team by keeping the team’s future leaders on the bench for another season. However, if they do not bring back Favre, the Packers will almost certainly be less successful this year, it would look like they were slighting their legendary quarterback, and they might even have to trade Favre to a rival team.

The Packers organization has refused to release Brett Favre from his contract, and it was reported that they offered him a spot on the Packers roster as a backup to Aaron Rodgers (although Packers management later denied the “backup” offer). One thing is for sure: with training camp just weeks away, the Brett Favre story line will continue to get more interesting, and if Favre ends up playing for a different team, it would be the biggest story in the NFL this year.

Quote of the Week: “We don’t know where everything is going to go. It’s been a distraction. It’s been a distraction for our fans. I’m trying to stay steady and do the right things for the Packers and do the right thing for Brett Favre.” — Packers GM Ted Thompson

Further Reading: ”Thompson won’t cut Favre, but GM deflects blame in ordeal” — Tom Pelissero, Green-Bay Press Gazette, via USA Today

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KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES; BREWERS, CUBS MAKE MAJOR TRADES

Last Monday, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired CC Sabathia, one of the best pitchers in baseball, through a trade with the Cleveland Indians. Not to be outdone, the Chicago Cubs (who compete in the same division as the Brewers) landed Rich Harden, an ace from the Oakland Athletics, the very next day.

Every year, major baseball trades are made around the middle of July, since teams are only allowed to trade up until July 31st. These two trades were significant, not only because they involved two high-profile players, but also because the Cubs and Brewers are expected to be in a close race to make the playoffs. While the Cubs have the best record in baseball, the NL Central is expected to have one of the most competitive playoff races down the stretch. Now, with two of the game’s top pitchers moving to that division, analysts are expecting the next two months to be a neck-and-neck race between the Brewers and Cubs.

Both Sabathia and Harden have pitched for their new teams, and both pitchers looked to be in excellent form. Last year, Sabathia won the NL Cy Young award–the highest honor for any individual pitcher. Harden, who has suffered from injuries of late, is also regarded as one of the best in the game.

Quote of the Week: “I’d say we’re going for it. That’s the way I look at it.” — Doug Melvin, Brewers GM

Further Reading: ”CC Sabathia deal notable as he goes to smaller-market team” — Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune

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THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT, PACKED WITH STARS

The 2008 All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, July 16th at Yankee Stadium. The All-Star Game pits the best players from the National League against the best players from the American League. The winning league secures home field advantage for its representative in the World Series.

The All-Star Game, though essentially an exhibition game, is an extravagant affair. This year, the game has an added significance because of the fact that it is being hosted at historic Yankee Stadium. This is the Yankees’ final year at the stadium, a veritable baseball shrine where all-time greats like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Joe Dimaggio made names for themselves. Next year, the Yankees will move into their new stadium, which is currently being constructed across the street from the current one.

While Tuesday night’s game is the main event of the All-Star break, there are other exhibition events as well. The Home Run Derby will be held on Monday night, when the league’s top sluggers will blast so many dingers out of Yankee Stadium, it would make the Babe himself blush.

Quote of the Week: “[It has] been one of the most stupendous, unpredictable baseball seasons in eons.” — Jayson Stark, ESPN analyst, evaluating the baseball season so far

Further Reading: ”At the Half” — Jayson Stark, ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASEBALL — This week is the All-Star break for Major League Baseball. Monday night is the Home Run Derby event. On Tuesday night, the All-Stars in the National League and American League will fight it out for home field advantage in the World Series.

:: GOLF — The Open, one of the four Major Championships in professional golf, will be played July 17-20 in England. With Tiger Woods out for the season, it’s a level playing field.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

 

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): The All-Star break takes place this week. The All-Star game is essentially the halfway point of the season, and from now until October, teams will be fighting for spots in the playoffs. [Official MLB Website]

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:: GOLF

MEN’S GOLF: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments are the four Major Championships: The Masters, U.S. Open, The Open (The British Open), and the PGA Championship. Now that the U.S. Open is over, the next event is the Open (also known as the British Open), which is played July 17-20. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson

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:: TENNIS

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments of the year are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic

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OFFSEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): Now that the tournament is over, college basketball news will focus on which players leave their schools for the NBA, and which college teams land the premier high-school players for next season. [CBS Sports]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The pre-season begins in August, and the regular season begins in September. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): Practice sessions for college football begin in summer, and the regular season begins in August. [NCAA Football, ESPN]

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals, completing the 2007-08 season. [Official NHL Website]

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:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The Celtics defeated the Lakers to win the NBA Finals, ending the 2008 season.  [Official NBA Website]