April 20, Week in Sports
April 20, Week in Sports
:: NBA Playoffs Begin (Pro. Basketball)
:: John Madden Retires (Pro. Football)
:: NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Begin (Pro. Hockey)
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THIS RUNS THROUGH JUNE? THAT IS AMAZING.
The first round of the NBA playoffs started over the weekend. The NBA post-season is a marathon, not a sprint, and all of it leads to the NBA Finals, which will be played in the middle of June.
Almost every analyst in the country has predicted that this year’s Finals matchup will be between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, those championship games are a long way off. With that in mind, perhaps the most exciting first round matchup is between the Boston Celtics (who won the championship last year) and the upstart Chicago Bulls. The Celtics, though one of the strongest teams in the league, lost superstar Kevin Garnett to a knee injury. That injury looks to be opening the door for a huge upset by the Bulls, who are led by rookie superstar Derrick Rose. Rose’s Bulls stunned the Celtics with a 105-103 victory in Boston on Saturday afternoon.
Rose led the game in scoring with 36 points. That ties the all-time record for most points by a rookie in his playoff debut, set by NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabaar in 1970.
Quote of the Week: “Monday is the 23rd anniversary of Larry Bird comparing Michael Jordan to God after Jordan’s NBA playoff record 63-point effort at the old Boston Garden. Don’t bet against Rose doing something spectacular again.” — K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune
Further Reading: “Chicago Bulls upset Boston Celtics 105-103 in overtime ” — K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune
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BOOM! MADDEN RETIRES
John Madden, the former Super Bowl-winning coach and NFL staple, announced his retirement from the broadcast booth on Thursday. Madden is considered by many to be the most famous NFL announcer ever.
Though John Madden was regarded as one of the best (and dirtiest) coaches of his time, to many people, he is probably more famous for the second half of his career. After Madden left the coaching game, he moved to the booth, where his bizarre segues, dumbstruck wonder at the beauty of the game, and wild rants charmed football fans across the country. During that time, he also scored some high-profile corporate sponsorships, including Outback Steakhouse, Miller Lite, and Tinactin.
For younger fans, John Madden is synonymous with the Madden football video game series–the most popular series of football games ever. EA Sports, of course, will continue the series with the Madden name despite his retirement.
Quote of the Week: ”I don’t think there’s been a more important figure in the history of the National Football League.” — Al Michaels, Madden’s broadcast partner
Further Reading: “Madden puts end to career in booth ” — Richard Sandomir, New York Times
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START GROWING YOUR PLAYOFF BEARDS
The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs continues this week, as sixteen teams fight for a place in the Conference Semifinals.
There have already been a few surprises in the post-season, with the second-seed Washington Capitals and their superstar Alexander Ovechkin dropping their first two games against the New York Rangers, and the one-seed San Jose Sharks showing some chinks in the armor against the Anaheim Ducks. That being said, the strongest teams have been playing outstanding hockey for the most part, with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins all jumping out to 2-0 leads in their first round series. Those first-round matchups continue this week.
Perhaps more than any other sport, the hockey post-season is full of all sorts of bizarre traditions. One of those traditions is that players do not shave as long as their team remains in contention. So if you happen to see some scruffy Canadians wandering around town the next few weeks, you’ll know the reason why.
Quote of the Week: ”We need to score goals. We just have to score goals. That’s a big key for us right now, we have to score goals.” — Alexander Ovechkin
Further Reading: “ESPN’s Stanley Cup Playoffs Blog ” — Pierre LeBrun
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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
:: PRO. BASKETBALL: The NBA playoffs continue this week. The defending champion Boston Celtics get another crack at the Bulls on Monday night. Check out the rest of the schedule at www.nba.com .
:: PRO. FOOTBALL: The NFL Draft takes place on April 25-26. Those two days will provide enough fodder for sports radio hosts across the country that they will be able to talk about it until the NFL season begins in the fall.
:: HOCKEY: The Stanley Cup playoffs continue this week. 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 Super Bowl is over, the next major NFL event is the draft, which takes place in late April. [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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