SportSpectator Blog

:: GREG MADDUX LANDS 350TH CAREER WIN (Pro. Baseball)

:: LAKERS AND JAZZ DEADLOCKED IN WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS (Pro. Basketball)

:: NFL REVIEWS FURTHER EVIDENCE AGAINST NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (Pro. Football)

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THAT’S A WHOLE LOT OF W’S…

Future Hall-of-Fame pitcher Greg Maddux won his 350th game on Saturday night when the San Diego Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2. Maddux is just the ninth pitcher to accomplish that feat.

Maddux was stuck at win 349 for his past four games, during which he took three losses and one no-decision. On Saturday night, however, he was locked in, giving up only 1 run through 6 innings. Maddux’s win also snapped a 5-game losing streak for the Padres, who currently hold the worst record in baseball. With 4 more victories, Maddux would put himself in an eighth-place tie with Roger Clemens on the all-time wins list.

The evening was also notable because Maddux’s catcher, Luke Carlin, was making his major league debut. “I don’t know what to say,” Carlin said. “It’s kind of like all my dreams came true at once, I guess. It was a privilege, an honor. I’m pretty much speechless.”

Quote of the Week: “We need to start winning as a team and hopefully tonight is the start of things to come.” — Greg Maddux

Further Reading: “Maddux reaches 350-win milestone” — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune

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ALL THAT JAZZ: UTAH TIES UP SERIES

On Sunday afternoon, the Utah Jazz topped the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime, winning a thrilling 123-115 game. The Jazz and the Lakers are now tied at 2 games apiece in the best of 7 series.

The Lakers entered Sunday’s game with a 2-1 lead in the series, but the Jazz came ready to play. However, despite looking dominant in the fourth quarter, they lost a 12-point lead in the final minutes of the game, and the Lakers took it to overtime. In OT, the Jazz recovered their momentum and ended up handily beating Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant, playing through an injury to his back, scored 33 points, but his performance was not enough to stop Deron Williams and the hot Jazz team.

The Jazz have won the last 2 games of the series, but the next game, which will be played in Los Angeles, will be a much bigger test for them. During the first 4 games of this series, both the Lakers and the Jazz have pulled out wins when playing at home.

Quote of the Week: “Another game the Lakers trailed throughout. Another game they almost came back to win. Another game they didn’t.” — Jonathan Adams, L.A. Times

Further Reading: “Jazz pull out OT win over Lakers, send series to L.A. tied 2-2” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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PATRIOT GAMES: WALSH HANDS OVER TAPES TO NFL

Last week, former Patriots video assistant Matt Walsh gave the NFL tapes that he filmed while working for the Patriots–the tapes are reportedly evidence that the Patriots cheated by recording the signals of opposing teams. The NFL believes that there is nothing new in the tapes that the Patriots have not already admitted. However, if there are any new illegal videotaping procedures contained on the tapes, it could lead to the NFL severely penalizing the Patriots organization.

Early last season, the Patriots were caught illegally taping the New York Jets’ defensive signals during a game. As a result of that incident, dubbed “Spygate” by the media, the Patriots organization and coach Bill Belichek were fined, and the Patriots forfeited a first-round draft pick. If, after reviewing these new tapes, the league finds evidence of further cheating, the Patriots could receive even harsher sanctions.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will meet with Matt Walsh on Tuesday. After that meeting, he is expected to make a decision about what actions, if any, the league will take.

Quote of the Week: “I think it is very unfortunate that the NFL has already started its ‘nothing new’ spin before watching the tapes or finding out what Mr. Matt Walsh has to say. Let’s see where the evidence leads.” — U.S. Senator Arlen Specter

Further Reading: “Walsh-NFL meeting set” — John Tomase, Boston Herald

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL – The second round of the playoffs continues this week. Eight teams remain in the playoffs: Utah/Los Angeles, Detroit/Orlando, San Antonio/New Orleans, and Boston/Cleveland. A detailed schedule of the games is available at www.nba.com.

:: FOOTBALL — On Tuesday, after Roger Goodell meets with Matt Walsh, he is expected to hold a press conference to talk about any actions the league might take. If the NFL announces further penalties against the Patriots, it will be major sports news.

:: HOCKEY – The Conference Finals continue this week, and only four teams remain: Pittsburgh/Philadelphia and Detroit/Dallas. A detailed playoff schedule is available at www.nhl.com.
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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 Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers are the final four teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. [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]

:: 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]

———-

:: 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]

———-

:: 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]

:: 2008 NFL DRAFT HELD IN NYC (Pro. Football)

:: LAKERS DOMINATE IN FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS (Pro. Basketball)

:: STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS (Pro. Hockey)

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GO LONG!: JAKE LONG AND CHRIS LONG PICKED FIRST AND SECOND IN NFL DRAFT

The NFL Draft was held on Saturday and Sunday in New York City, and hundreds of last year’s elite college players were selected by the nation’s professional teams. The draft is the most important event of the NFL off-season.

The Miami Dolphins had the first overall pick in the draft, and they used it to select Jake Long, an offensive tackle from the University of Michigan. The Dolphins signed Long to a 5-year, $57.75 million contract, making him the highest-paid Offensive Tackle in the league.

The St. Louis Rams used the second overall pick of the draft on Chris Long, a defensive end from Virginia. Chris Long is the son of Howie Long, a Hall of Fame defensive end and TV personality.

Only time will tell which teams were the winners in this year’s draft and which teams were the losers. However, most football experts agree that the Kansas City Chiefs had an excellent draft, managing to get both Glenn Dorsey and Branden Albert in the first round.

Quote of the Week: “The league has been inviting a handful of the top players to the draft for the past 21 years. This was the first time the entire group of invitees was selected, from the top, in consecutive order.” — Thomas George, NFL.com

Further Reading: “Six-pack of prospects avoid NFL Draft’s wild trade-up” – Jeff Zillgitt, USA Today

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JUST HOOPIN’: FIRST ROUND OF NBA PLAYOFFS CONTINUE

The first round of the NBA playoffs will be completed this week, as eight of sixteen teams will advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Only one team, the Los Angeles Lakers, have made it through the playoffs totally unscathed so far. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by MVP-candidate Kobe Bryant, currently lead the Denver Nuggets 3 games to 0. With a victory on Monday night, the Lakers will advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Four other teams lead their series 3-1: Orlando, Utah, San Antonio, and Cleveland. The San Antonio Spurs, despite losing one game to the Phoenix Suns, have also continued to impress basketball analysts around the league.

Quote of the Week: “Close-out games are always very, very tough. They play loose and they tend to fight a lot more. It’s going to be tough.” — Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Further Reading: “Lakers 102, Nuggets 84” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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NHL PLAYOFFS CONTINUE: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS PLAYING WITH ICE IN THEIR VEINS

The NHL Stanley Cup playoffs continue this week, with the eight remaining teams vying for four spots in the conference finals. The Stanley Cup playoffs mark the climax of the NHL season.

The first round of the playoffs was loaded with excitement, with three of the series coming down to a final, seventh game. The exciting, close games have continued into the second round as well. Only one team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, is unbeaten in the playoffs so far. The Pens are led by Sid “The Kid” Crosby, a young superstar who many consider the Lebron James of the NHL. The Penguins plowed through the Ottawa Senators in the first round, and thus far they remain unbeaten in the second round against the New York Rangers. After beating the Rangers on Sunday, the Penguins only need two more victories to advance to the conference finals.

In addition to dominating the playoffs thus far, the Penguins have been at the center of one of the biggest subplots of the playoffs: complaints that Crosby and other star players are getting special treatment from the referees. Whether or not it has influenced the Penguins’ success is up for debate. But one thing is for sure: it has sparked a war of words between the Rangers and the Penguins away from the ice.

Quote of the Week: “If [the Rangers] lose the series, this one will be very hard for [them] to forget. Especially losing to a Kid some of them believe is as good an actor as he is a hockey player, and that must mean Sidney Crosby is the Brad Pitt of Pittsburgh.” — Associated Press

Further Reading: “Embellished or not, Rangers must bounce back” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL – The first round of the NBA playoffs will be completed this week. The Lakers have a chance to clinch their spot in the second round with a victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

:: HOCKEY – The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs continue this week. A complete schedule of games is available at www.nhl.com.
———-

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]

———-

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The first round of the playoffs continues this week. Sixteen teams qualified for the playoffs, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics sitting at the top of the Western and Eastern conferences, respectively. The first round will be over by the end of the week, and eight teams will have advanced to the second round. [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. Eight teams are currently competing in the second round of the playoffs: the Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, and Dallas Stars. [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

———-

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]

———-

:: 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]