December 16, Week in Sports
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]