SportSpectator Blog

May 4, Week in Sports

:: Boston Celtics Top Bulls in Game Seven  (Pro. Basketball)

:: ‘Mine That Bird’ Surprise Winner at Kentucky Derby (Horse Racing)

:: Manny Pacquiao Destroys Ricky Hatton in Two Rounds (Boxing)

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BULL FIGHTERS: CELTICS ADVANCE TO ROUND TWO

The Boston Celtics defeated the Chicago Bulls by a score of 109-99 in Game 7 of the first-round playoff series. Sports writers and fans alike are calling it the greatest first-round playoff series of all-time.

The series was incredibly close, with seven overtime periods played in the first six games. Game 7 was not nearly as tight, though it was by no means a blowout. The Celtics took control in the second quarter of the game, at one point going on a 20-2 run against the Bulls. Ray Allen, who dropped 51 points on the Bulls in Game 6 of the series, followed up that deadly performance with 23 points for the Celtics in Game 7. Ben Gordon led all scorers with 33 points, but it wasn’t enough for the young Chicago Bulls.

The Celtics will now advance to play the Orlando Magic in the second round of the playoffs. Though they stand a chance of beating the Magic, even the most die-hard Celtics fans suspect that this team’s days in the post-season are numbered–especially given the looming Conference Finals matchup with the powerhouse Cleveland Cavaliers.

Quote of the Week: “Call it Game 7, call it Round 15, call it whatever you want. Just remember to call it the greatest first-round series ever played.” — Bill Simmons, ESPN.com

Further Reading: “Close not good enough for Chicago Bulls” — Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune

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‘MINE THAT BIRD’ OVERCOMES THE ODDS
On Saturday afternoon, Mine That Bird shocked the world by winning the Kentucky Derby. Mine That Bird’s victory was the second-biggest upset in the 135-year history of the Derby, which is the first leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing.

Mine That Bird entered the race as a long-shot, to say the least, with odds at 50-1. The only bigger upset was in 1913, when Donerail won the race. Mine That Bird’s jockey, Calvin Borel, turned in a brilliant performance on Saturday, guiding his underdog gelding to an easy victory over the rest of the field. This is Borel’s second Derby win, having won the race with Street Sense in 2007. While Mine That Bird’s victory inspired the crowds at Churchill Downs, nobody was more excited than the horse’s trainer, Bennie Woolley Jr. This was Woolley Jr.’s first time running a horse in the Kentucky Derby.

While it turned out to be a great day for horse racing, the event got off to a bad start. Earlier in the day, the Derby favorite, I Want Revenge, was scratched from the race after his trainer discovered that the horse had a swollen left ankle. Several other horses had pulled out of the race earlier in the week, as well. In the end, though, no horses were killed in this year’s main race–bringing sighs of relief from horse racing enthusiasts, after last year’s tragic death of filly Eight Belles.

Quote of the Week: ”Really and truly, you’ve got me surprised. But the horse is in the Derby for a reason.” — Calvin Borel, Jockey

Further Reading: “Mine That Bird Uses Shortest Route to Win Derby ” — Joe Drape, New York Times

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PACMAN REMAINS POUND-FOR-POUND KING

Manny Pacquiao annihilated Ricky Hatton on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, in one of the biggest fights so far in 2009. Though Pacquiao was the favorite, it was a highly anticipated fight, and many expected it to be much closer than it was.

With this victory, Pacquiao solidified his reputation as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. He dismantled Hatton very early in the fight, knocking “the Hitman” down twice in the first round. In the second round, PacMan delivered a huge, vicious left that knocked Hatton out cold. Hatton, who went to the hospital for brainscans after the fight, later claimed that he never even saw the punch coming. This comes as a devastating loss to Hatton, who is certainly no slouch in the ring and was once considered one of the most feared boxers in the world, before his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in December of 2007. Meanwhile, with Pacquiao’s victory against junior welterweight Hatton, he has now won titles in six weight classes–tying a record set by Oscar de la Hoya.

Earlier on Saturday night, former undisputed pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced that he was returning to the ring, after retiring almost a year ago. Mayweather will fight Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18, and should he win, he would face Pacquiao in the fall. If that matchup were to actually take place, it would be, by far, the most anticipated boxing match in recent history.

Quote of the Week: ”I guess I just missed boxing. Somebody’s got to keep the sport up and running. Why not me?” — Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Further Reading: “Dominant Pacquiao drops Hatton in 2nd ” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: PRO. BASKETBALL: The NBA playoffs continue this week. Check out the schedule at www.nba.com.

:: HOCKEY: The Stanley Cup playoffs continue this week. The most anticipated series of round 2 is between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals. The schedule is available at www.nhl.com.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

 

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): The 2009 season is underway, and it runs through October. [Official MLB Website]

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The 2008-09 NBA playoffs are currently underway.  [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): “The Tournament” is now over. The University of North Carolina won the 2009 national championship over Michigan State. [CBS Sports]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): Now that the NFL Draft is over, things will be relatively quiet until training camp begins in the middle of July. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The college football season is now over, with Florida defeating Oklahoma 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. The next Major Championship is the U.S. Open. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Stanley Cup playoffs are currently underway.  [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. The next event is the French Open, which takes place in May. [USTA Website]

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

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

:: BIG BROWN WINS KENTUCKY DERBY (Horse Racing)

:: KOBE BRYANT WINS MVP (Pro. Basketball)

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LUCKY SEVEN: CELTICS ADVANCE TO SECOND ROUND

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

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

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

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

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

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BIG BROWN REMAINS UNDEFEATED WITH DERBY WIN

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

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

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

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

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

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KING KOBE: BRYANT EXPECTED TO TAKE HOME MVP HONORS

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

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

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

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

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

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

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

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

 

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): Baseball season is in full swing, but it is a long season, so teams tend to measure their success month by month. The All-Star break takes place the second week of July. By then, teams’ records will be a good indicator of how well they are performing this season. [Official MLB Website]

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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 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue this week. After the best-of-seven Conference Finals begin this week, the only thing left is the Stanley Cup Finals–the climax of the NHL season. [Official NHL Website]

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:: TENNIS

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: While there are professional tournaments throughout the year, the most important tournaments of the year are the four Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. The Australian Open took place in January. The French Open, which is held in May, is the next Grand Slam event. [USTA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin

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OFFSEASON

:: BASKETBALL

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

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:: FOOTBALL

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

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