SportSpectator Blog

August 25, Week in Sports 

::  USAIN BOLT SPRINTS FOR THREE GOLD MEDALS, WORLD RECORDS (Olympics)

::   U.S. MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WINS GOLD (Olympics)

::   MISTY MAY-TREANOR AND KERRI WALSH BRING HOME GOLD (Olympics)

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USAIN “LIGHTNING” BOLT STRIKES THREE TIMES

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt burst onto the Olympic scene with a world record-setting first place finish in the 100 meter race. After two more golds and two more world records (in the 200 meter and 400 meter relay race), Bolt became one of the biggest stars of the Beijing games–second only to Michael Phelps.

Bolt set the 100 meter record with a time of 9.69 seconds, beating his opponents by such a significant margin that he slowed up and celebrated before even crossing the finish line–all while still managing to set a world record. Bolt then went on to win the 200 meter race just as easily, becoming the first man since Carl Lewis to win both the 100 and 200 meter races. He added a third gold medal and world record with his easy victory in the 400 meter relay.

While Bolt gave Olympic viewers the most exciting performances since Michael Phelps’ record shattering swims, some objected to the sprinter’s excessive showboating. Jacques Rogge, the head of the International Olympic Committee even went so far as to publicly criticize Bolt’s celebrations, while still acknowledging his extraordinary performance.

Quote of the Week: “I didn’t even know I’d won the world record until I did my victory lap.” — Usain Bolt

Further Reading: ”Bolt credits ‘hard work,’ fast track for 3 records ” –Howard Fendrich, Associated Press

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“REDEEM TEAM” TAKES GOLD IN BEIJING

The U.S. men’s basketball team defeated Spain 118-107 on Sunday to win a gold medal. The U.S. team, once dominant in international basketball, had not won gold in the Olympics since 2000.

For the U.S. team, who had looked strong throughout the Olympics, the finals of the Olympic games provided the biggest challenge of all. Although they had beaten Spain by nearly 40 points earlier in the Olympics, Spain produced a much bigger challenge this time around. With just less than 3 minutes to go, the U.S. was only winning by 4 points. In the end, they gutted it out for the win, giving U.S. stars LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and their NBA teammates their first taste of Olympic gold.

The women’s basketball team also won gold this summer. Led by U.S. star Lisa Leslie, the women’s team has now won the gold four consecutive years in a row. 

Quote of the Week: “Much respect to Spain, but the U.S. is back on top again.” — LeBron James

Further Reading: “Redemption!” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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GOLDEN GIRLS

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh extended their consecutive winning streak in beach volleyball to 108 matches with a gold medal win over China in the pouring rain.

Were it not for the sheer dominance of Michael Phelps earlier in the Beijing Olympics, May-Treanor and Walsh almost certainly would have gotten more attention for their performance in this year’s Olympic games. Long the face of American volleyball, this might be the last Olympic competition for both May-Treanor and Walsh, who both have plans to slow down on their training schedule to spend time with their families.

This year’s Olympics have seen a great deal of success for U.S. volleyball, including a gold medal for the men’s volleyball team. That victory was especially emotional because of the tragic murder of the team coach’s father-in-law earlier in the month at the beginning of the games.

Quote of the Week: “The rain made it better. I don’t know why, but it made it better. We felt like warriors out there.” — Kerri Walsh

Further Reading: ”Even the unlikeliest of opponents doesn’t stop May-Treanor, Walsh” — Jim Caple, ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE FOOTBALL: The College football season begins this Thursday. The way NCAA football is set up, every game is significant–just one or two losses are enough to ruin a team’s chances of making the most prestigious bowl games.

:: TENNIS: The U.S. Open begins this Monday and runs through September 7th.

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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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:: FOOTBALL

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

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The college football season begins this Thursday. USA Today and the Associated Press have both ranked Georgia as the number one team. [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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:: 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 U.S. Open begins this week and runs through September 7. [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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:: 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]

August 11, Week in Sports

::   OLYMPIC GAMES BEGIN IN BEIJING (Olympics)

::   PADRAIG HARRING WINS PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (Pro. Golf)

::   BRETT FAVRE TRADED TO N.Y. JETS  (Pro. Football)

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ON YOUR MARK…GET SET…GO!

The 2008 Olympics have officially begun, following the grandiose spectacle of the Opening Ceremony, which took place on Friday. The summer Olympic Games take place every four years.

One of the plot lines for this summer’s Olympics is Michael Phelps’ quest to win eight gold medals. If Phelps were to win gold eight times, he would beat the Olympic record set by Mark Spitz. Spitz was an American swimmer who won seven gold medals in 1972. So far, Phelps is off to a good start, winning the gold medal in his first event, the 400-meter individual medley–a race where the swimmers are required to use all four strokes–as well as his second event, the 4×100 relay, which the U.S. team won in dramatic fashion.

The U.S. men’s basketball team looked strong in their first game on Sunday. The team, led by LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, played against Yao Ming and the Chinese team and won by a score of 101-70.

Tragedy also struck the Olympic Games on Saturday, when the father-in-law of one of the coaches of the U.S. men’s volleyball team was murdered while visiting a historic site in Beijing. Reports so far have indicated that it was just a random, isolated instance of violence, and that the victims had not been targeted because they were foreigners.

Quote of the Week: “I’m not downplaying this race by any means, but I have to put that race behind me. I have to act like it never happened because I have so many tough races ahead of me.” — Michael Phelps, after winning his first gold in Beijing

Further Reading: ”Handicapping Phelps’ run at Olympic glory” — Pat Forde, ESPN

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WHO NEEDS TIGER? PADDY HARRINGTON TAKES TWO IN A ROW

Padraig Harrington, who won the Open Championship earlier this year, won the PGA Championship on Sunday. The PGA Championship is the fourth and final Major tournament of the golf season.

Other than Tiger Woods, no golfer has won two Majors in a single season since 1998. In that sense, Harrington’s feat is all the more significant. Furthermore, there are only three other golfers who have ever won the last two Major tournaments in the same year.

Harrington came back from three shots behind to win over Sergio Garcia. Garcia is one of the best golfers in the world, but he has never won a Major tournament. It is also his second narrow loss to Harrington in a Major. In 2007, Harrington beat Garcia in a playoff to win his first title at the Open.

Quote of the Week: “I think I was willing them into the hole at that stage. You have to get focused and give it a go.” — Padraig Harrington, on his critical putts down the stretch

Further Reading: ”Harrington secures second major in a row with PGA win” — Associated Press, via USA Today

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B-B-B-BRETT FAVRE AND THE JETS

Late Wednesday night, the Brett Favre melodrama came to a conclusion when the Green Bay Packers traded their future Hall-of-Fame quarterback to the New York Jets. Favre’s destination has been a question mark for weeks–now that he is a Jet, the Favre story will continue to draw attention, but it will no longer be front page news.

The Jets have won their division just four times in the past 40 years. In recent years, many critics have traced the team’s problems to an unstable quarterback situation. Chad Pennington, the Jets quarterback, though well liked by Jets fans, has suffered from years of injuries and it has been no secret that the team no longer considered him the quarterback of the future. Now that the Jets have Favre leading the way, they have instantly become a contender in their division–the AFC East.

Quote of the Week: “Big Apple hype guarantees the chronicles of Favre will remain overblown, but at least we’re done being hostages of speculation.” — Jerry Brewer, Seattle Times

Further Reading: ”From Green Bay to Broadway: Favre Is a Jet” — Judy Battista, New York Times

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: OLYMPICS: The Olympics continue this week and run through August 24th. A schedule of the events is available here. Finals are marked in gold.

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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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:: 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. USA Today released their rankings for this season, placing Georgia as the number one team. The Associated Press has not yet released their rankings. [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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:: 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 U.S. Open begins on August 25th. [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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:: 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]

May 19, Week in Sports

:: CELTICS TOP CAVS IN DRAMATIC GAME SEVEN (Pro. Basketball)

:: BIG BROWN WINS THE PREAKNESS STAKES (Horse Racing)

:: JUSTINE HENIN AND ANNIKA SORENSTAM SET TO RETIRE (Women’s Tennis and Golf)

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THE LUCK OF THE IRISH: CELTICS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE FINALS

The Boston Celtics narrowly beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon in an exciting game 7 match-up in Boston. With the victory, the Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will face the Detroit Pistons.

The Celtics were one of the NBA’s biggest stories of the year, having acquired Kevin Garnett in the off-season and finishing the year with the best regular season record in the league. But the Celtics have had a tough playoff run so far, taking each best-of-seven series that they have played in to a deciding game 7. That continued on Sunday, where they squeaked out a victory against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers–runners up in the NBA Finals last year. On Sunday, James’ 45 points were not enough to beat the Celtics, who have consistently dominated when playing at home this year. Paul Pierce paced the Celtics with 41 points.

Three of the final four teams in the playoffs have been decided–Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Whoever wins tomorrow night’s game between San Antonio and New Orleans will play the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Quote of the Week: “Today it was basically get the ball to Paul Pierce and get the hell out of the way.” — Kevin Garnett, Celtics

Further Reading: “Pierce, James duke it out as Celtics close out Cavs in Game 7” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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BIG BROWN’S QUEST FOR THE CROWN

Big Brown, the horse who won the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, cruised to an easy victory at the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. If Big Brown wins the Belmont Stakes on June 7th, he will be the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 30 years.

The undefeated 3-year old colt will go into Belmont as the favorite to win. However, there have been many horses over the years who were in the exact same position who were unable to clinch the Triple Crown at Belmont. No horse has won the Triple Crown since Affirmed accomplished the feat in 1978.

It will be interesting to see how horse-racing fans and the sports media approach Big Brown’s quest for the Triple Crown in the weeks leading up to the Belmont. Triple Crown contenders are generally overwhelming fan favorites. However, because Big Brown’s trainer, Rick Dutrow, is a cocky and bombastic figure with a shady past, there will be plenty of people out there hoping that the sport’s Triple Crown drought continues.

Quote of the Week: “It will be tears or cheers at Belmont, in the race that will either stamp Big Brown a superhorse or make him the latest heartbreak kid in a sport full of them over three decades.” — Pat Forde, ESPN

Further Reading: “Preakness laugher leaves Big Brown in line for glory” — Pat Forde, ESPN

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FIRST LADIES OF GOLF, TENNIS RETIRE

On Tuesday, Annika Sorenstam, one of the greatest female golfers of all-time, announced that she would be retiring at the end of the season. A day later, Justine Henin, the world’s top-ranked female tennis player, announced that she was retiring immediately. As a result, the face of women’s golf and tennis completely changed within the space of 24 hours.

The 37-year old Sorenstam, who has won 72 LPGA tournaments and 10 majors, announced that she would finish up this season, but then was retiring from the game. She stated that it was a very hard decision, but said that now that she is getting older, she wants to leave the game in order to build a family.

For Henin, who is just 25 years old, the story is different. When citing her reasons for retiring, it became clear that Henin was walking away from the court predominantly because she was burned out. The loss of her former passion for competition combined with some lingering injuries seemingly made for an easy decision to retire. 21-year old Maria Sharapova will replace Henin as the no. 1 female tennis player in the world.

Quote of the Week: “It has been a pleasure watching Annika play for all of these years, but even more of an honor to call her a friend.” — Tiger Woods

Further Reading: “No. 1 Justine Henin retires from tennis immediately” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: AUTORACING – The Indianapolis 500 will be held on Sunday, May 25th. The Indy 500 is one of the most historical and important races of the year. While the results of the Indy 500 are major news anyway, the race has grown in the public consciousness in recent years as some of the top drivers in the sport, such as Danica Patrick and Helio Castroneves, have become household celebrity names.

:: BASKETBALL – Monday night (May 19th), the San Antonio Spurs will play the New Orleans Hornets in a highly-anticipated game 7 showdown. The winner will play the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

:: 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. Barring a dramatic turn of events, it looks as though the Red Wings and the Penguins will face off in this year’s Stanley Cup Finals.
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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 NBA conference finals begin this week. The winners of those two best-of-seven series will face off in the NBA playoffs. [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, Maria Sharapova

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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]