SportSpectator Blog

October 6, Week in Sports

::  CHICAGO CUBS UPSET BY L.A. DODGERS (Pro. Baseball)

::  ANGELS, WHITE SOX AVOID SWEEP (Pro. Baseball)

::   OHIO STATE EDGES WISCONSIN (College Football)

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A HUNDRED YEARS OF LOSSES

The Chicago Cubs, who were universally recognized as the best team in the National League, were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Chicago Cubs, in addition to being an excellent team this year, are also one of the most popular teams in the country, and their losing habits are well-documented by the national sports media.

Last year, the Chicago Cubs were favored in the first round of the playoffs when they played the Arizona Diamondbacks, who also swept the Cubbies. That means that in the past two years, the Cubs are 0-6 in post-season baseball. What stings even more is that this year was the 100-year anniversary of the Cubs’ last World Series victory. Every year, analysts talk about the “symmetry of baseball,” which had many Cubs fans believing that this would be the year that they would finally win the World Series. With the best record in the National League this year, they had reason to think that they had a decent chance. However, the Cubs were completely outplayed by the upstart Dodgers. It is safe to say that the Dodgers, led by mid-season acquisition Manny Ramirez, are red-hot and a legitimate post-season threat.

Elsewhere in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon. The Phillies and Dodgers will play in the NLCS, which begins on Thursday.

Quote of the Week: ”It wasn’t a collapse. ‘Collapse’ is too nice a word. A collapse would mean the Chicago Cubs actually showed up for the National League Division Series.” — Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN

Further Reading: ”Cubs swept away in L.A.” — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune

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Guardian Angels Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim came up with a bloop single in the top of the 12th inning to win Game 3 of their series against the Boston Red Sox. The Angels trail the series 2-1, which means that they are one game away from elimination.

The Boston Red Sox are one of the powerhouses of Major League Baseball, so they can never be considered true underdogs. That being said, the Angels had the best record in all of baseball this year, so it was surprising to see them lose their first to games to the Red Sox. However, their late inning heroics on Sunday kept their playoff hopes alive. The Red Sox and Angels will play Game 4 of their series on Monday night. That game is a must-win for the Angels, who are trying to force a fifth game in the series, and who are also fighting to change their reputation for choking in the post-season.

Elsewhere in the American League, the Chicago White Sox managed to win on Sunday to extend their series with the Tampa Bay Rays, who now lead the series 2-1. The two teams will play the fourth game of their series on Monday night.

Quote of the Week: “This was not a victory. This was an exorcism. The streaks are dead. The Angels are alive.” — Bill Shaikin, L.A. Times

Further Reading: “Halo Heroics” — Jerry Crasnick, ESPN

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WISCONSIN GETS BADGERED BY BUCKEYES

No. 18-ranked Wisconsin lost a heartbreaker at home to No. 14 Ohio State on Saturday night. The game was a marquee matchup in the Big Ten Conference, and a huge win for an Ohio State team trying to climb their way back up the ladder.

Entering Saturday night’s game, Wisconsin had won 16 straight games at home, so snapping that streak was a major disappointment. The loss was even more devastating because the Badgers had the lead late in the fourth quarter, until Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor led his team to a dramatic comeback win. Pryor and Buckeyes running back Chris “Beanie” Wells are two of the premiere players in the league. Their clutch success on Saturday night on the national stage will only boost their reputations around the country.

Saturday’s loss marked the second consecutive loss for Wisconsin this year, which essentially means that they will have no chance to make the national championship game at the conclusion of the season. Ohio State, which was considered all but dead after a huge loss to USC, still only has one loss this year, so their BCS  hopes are still alive.

Quote of the Week: “We had ‘em, and we let ‘em go.” — Jaevery McFadden, Wisconsin linebacker

Further Reading: “Buckeye Pr(y)orities” — Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASEBALL: The playoffs continue this week, as the first round is completed and the remaining teams advance to the second round of post-season play. On Monday night, the White Sox/Rays and Angels/Red Sox will play Game 4, and both of those games will be excellent. The Dodgers and Phillies begin their second-round series on Thursday in what promises to be a fun, high-scoring NLCS.

:: HOCKEY: The regular season truly kicks off this week, so if you’ve been waiting for a chance to get into hockey, this is it. Most newspapers will be providing season previews for the local team, which is a great place to start. An even better place to start–actually watching the games.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): This week marks the second week of the post-season. The remaining teams include. [Official MLB Website]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The regular season is now underway. The standings will begin to take shape in just a few weeks, once teams begin to play their division rivals. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The college football is now in full swing. The Oklahoma Sooners are currently ranked the No. 1 team in the country. [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 begins this week. The season runs through April of 2009. By the new year, the league power rankings should be pretty well set. [Official NHL Website]

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:: TENNIS

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

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

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OFFSEASON

:: BASKETBALL

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

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

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September 29, Week in Sports

::   MLB PLAYOFF TEAMS (ALMOST) SET (Pro. Baseball)

::   NO. 1 USC UPSET BY OREGON STATE (College Football)

::   NHL Season Preview (Pro. Hockey)

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HAPPY OCTOBER: BASEBALL POSTSEASON BEGINS THIS WEEK

The baseball regular season is coming to a close, and the playoffs are set to begin this week. The playoff teams are: Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, and either the Chicago White Sox or the Minnesota Twins.

The Milwaukee Brewers earned a playoff spot on the final day of the season, winning the Wild Card over the New York Mets, who collapsed for the second straight year in a row. While the Brewers scratched and clawed their way into the playoffs, the Dodgers and Phillies earned their spots in the week before. However, as strong as the Dodgers and Phillies have looked down the stretch, it is the Chicago Cubs who enter the post season as the favorite to win the National League pennant. The Chicago Cubs have looked good all year, and many believe that this will be the year that their 100-year championship drought comes to an end.

The American League enters the post-season as the much stronger league. The Tampa Bay Rays stunned everyone by beating out the Yankees and Red Sox for the AL East. The Rays are everyone’s favorite underdog this year–this is the first year that the perennial losers have had a winning record, and it is their first appearance in the playoffs. That being said, the Boston Red Sox are, as always, an explosive team. In spite of all of that, though, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been the best team in baseball this year. After a few recent disappointing post-seasons, the experts expect the Angels to be dangerous this October.

The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins are fighting for the only remaining playoff spot. If the White Sox win their game against the Detroit Tigers on Monday night (a game that had been rained out earlier this year), the White Sox and Twins will face off on Tuesday night. A victory on Tuesday night will give the winning team the final ticket to the post-season.

Quote of the Week: ”The Chicago White Sox aren’t dead. Not yet. But like the Mexican bobcat, the harpy eagle and the gray bat, they are on the endangered species list.” — Phil Rogers, ESPN

Further Reading: ”Year in Review” — Jayson Stark, ESPN

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UPSET U: GIANT-KILLERS STRIKE COLLEGE FOOTBALL

The USC Trojans, the No. 1-ranked college football team in the country, were beaten by an unranked Oregon State team on Thursday night. In a week full of upsets in college football, this one was by far the biggest, and it will result in a major shake-up of next week’s rankings.

The Trojans had recently scored a huge victory, when they stomped on Ohio State–another one of the top-ranked teams in the country–earlier this year. That impressive win had football writers across the country predicting that USC was unbeatable and destined for the national championship game, which features the two top-ranked teams in the country. However, after being toppled 27-21 by Oregon State–by all accounts a pretty mediocre team–USC will have a difficult road to the national championship.

However, USC was not the only team to get upset this week. Florida and Wisconsin, two of the best teams in the country, fell to Mississippi and Michigan, respectively. Alabama also knocked off No. 3-ranked Georgia. In the end, four of the teams in the top ten lost this weekend, which is major news in college football. No. 2 Oklahoma won their game easily, which should earn them the No. 1 spot in next week’s rankings.

Quote of the Week: “This is looking like another upset-intensive season when every one-loss team will get a second chance.” — Pat Forde, ESPN

Further Reading: “String of other upsets could help Trojans in college football poll” — Gary Klein, L.A. Times

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LACING UP

The NHL season begins next weekend, with the Pittsburgh Penguins playing the Ottawa Senators, and the New York Rangers playing the Tampa Bay Lightning. These games will be played abroad, in Stockholm and Prague, to kick off the season. The rest of the teams will begin play in the U.S. on Thursday.

Hockey fans are some of the most loyal and passionate fans in sports, but for the casual sports fan, it can be hard to figure out where to start with the sport. It’s best to just start following a local team on a regular basis and going to games, if possible. But, like any other sport, another great way to start following hockey is by keeping track of the league’s young, flashy, superstar players. With that in mind, here are some names to look out for: Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane. There are plenty of other stars in the league, to be sure (players like Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Zetterberg, among others), but those four young players often grace the league highlight reels. If the league is excited about them, it will make it all the easier for you to get excited about them, too.

Last season, the Detroit Red Wings topped the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. Look for both of those teams to be extremely strong again this year.

Further Reading: “View from the Ice” — Darren Eliot, SI.com

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASEBALL: The playoffs begin this week, so expect to see a whole lot of baseball fever. But before the playoffs start, the Chicago White Sox play the Detroit Tigers on Monday night. If they win, they will then play the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night–the winner of that game will make the playoffs. If, indeed, it comes down to the Sox and the Twins on Tuesday night, that will be a tremendously exciting game, and will get everyone pumped up for the playoffs.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): This week marks the first week of the post-season. The eight remaining teams are the Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers, Angels, Rays, Red Sox, and White Sox/Twins. Stay tuned. [Official MLB Website]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The regular season is now underway. The standings will begin to take shape in just a few weeks, once teams begin to play their division rivals. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The college football is now in full swing. USC, the No. 1 team last week, will be bounced after having been upset by Oregon State this week. [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 begins next weekend with four international games. After that, the regular season will begin in the states [Official NHL Website]

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:: TENNIS

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

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

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OFFSEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The Celtics defeated the Lakers to win the NBA Finals, ending the 2008 season.  [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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August 4, Week in Sports

::   MANNY RAMIREZ TRADED TO DODGERS (Pro. Baseball)

::   FAVRE REINSTATED IN NFL (Pro. Football)

::   U.S. BASKETBALL TEAM PREPS FOR OLYMPICS  (Pro. Basketball)

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MAN, OH MANNY! RED SOX SHIP RAMIREZ TO THE DODGERS

Manny Ramirez, the twelve-time All-Star who won two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox, was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers just minutes before the MLB trading deadline on July 31st. Ramirez is one of the biggest names in the league, so his surprise move to Los Angeles is significant.

In the weeks leading up to the trading deadline, the relationship between Manny and the Red Sox got significantly worse. Manny publicly stated that the Red Sox didn’t deserve a player of his caliber, then half-heartedly played a week’s worth of games, then stated that he would like to be traded. In the end, he got his wish. The Red Sox, desperate to get rid of Ramirez, gave up the former World Series MVP for very little, though they landed Pirates outfielder Jason Bay as part of the deal sending Manny to L.A.

Future Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. was traded the same morning, moving from the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox.

Quote of the Week: “I like this city, the environment, the energy in the fans. I think that I’ll play here for the remainder of my career.” — Manny Ramirez, on the city of Los Angeles

Further Reading: ”Manny, Junior relocate” — Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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HE’S BACK…FAVRE’S RETURN TO NFL OFFICIAL

In the latest development in the Brett Favre soap opera, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell officially reinstated the Green Bay Packers quarterback on Sunday.

Over the past few weeks, Favre has made it clear that he wants to come out of his brief retirement to play again this year. Now that Goodell has reinstated him, Favre is officially back in the league. However, Goodell’s decision in no way answers the question on everyone’s mind: where is Brett Favre going to play this year? The Packers have made it clear that they are reluctant to bring Favre back–even reportedly going so far as to offer him $25 million to stay retired. But it looks like Favre will reject that deal, in which case the Packers are going to have to make up their minds by either welcoming him back on the team or trading him. Goodell’s decision to reinstate Favre is expected to force Packers management to make a decision this week.

Quote of the Week: “The Brett Favre saga has gone on for so long now, that it actually causes physical pain to hear mention of his name. If NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has his way, though, the beginning of the end to the nauseating Favre-Packers standoff will mercifully start early next week.” — Marcel Mutoni, Deadspin

Further Reading: ”Goodell Reinstates Favre” — ESPN

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THE RETURN OF THE ‘DREAM TEAM’?

On Sunday, the U.S. Olympic team beat the Russian squad in an exhibition game meant as a warm-up for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. The U.S. team, exclusively composed of players from the NBA, has its sights set on the gold medal.

In 1992, the U.S. basketball team, nicknamed the “Dream Team,” completely dominated the competition. That domination continued until 2004, when the American team was knocked off its pedestal–an embarrassment, considering the team was stacked with the best players in the world. Since then, the U.S. team has played like they have something to prove. This year’s squad is the team to beat in Beijing. The players include the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmello Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul, among others.

That’s not as good as the 1992 Dream Team (which included Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley), but if this year’s team plays with a chip on their shoulder, look for them to put up some fireworks later this month.

Quote of the Week: “Yes, they’re the favorites. No, they don’t expect to be crowned Dream Team 2.0 without having earned it.” — Chris Sheridan, ESPN

Further Reading: ”Kobe scores 19 as US thwarts Russia” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: GOLF: The PGA Championship, the last Golf Major of the year, takes place this week.

:: OLYMPICS: The Opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is Friday, August 8th. From then until August 24th, the Olympics will be the focus of the sporting world’s attention.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): As the second half of the season moves forward, teams will be jockeying for spots in the post-season–either by winning their division, or by taking the Wild Card spot. [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. The PGA Championship takes place this week. [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 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 runs through 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]