SportSpectator Blog

March 23, Week in Sports

:: ‘MARCH MADNESS’ NCAA TOURNAMENT REACHES SWEET SIXTEEN (College Basketball)

:: JAY CUTLER SAGA CONTINUES IN DENVER (Pro. Football)

:: JAPAN KNOCKS OUT U.S. IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC (Pro. Baseball)

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 OH MY SWEET SIXTEEN

Over the weekend, the first two rounds of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship were played. This tournament, known as “March Madness,” is one of the most popular and exciting sporting events of the year. The field has been narrowed from 64 teams to just 16, known as the “Sweet Sixteen.”

So far, there have not been any truly shocking upsets so far in the tournament, but there were certainly a handful of surprises and several thrilling finishes in the opening weekend. No. 13 Cleveland St. knocked off Wake Forest in the biggest upset of the first round of the tournament, which was fun while it lasted, but they then lost to Arizona in the second round. Arizona, a 12 seed, is the lowest ranked team still in the tournament. The next lowest ranked is Purdue, a 5 seed. Arizona has not reached “Cinderella” status yet, but a victory over No. 1-ranked Louisville on Friday would make them the underdog story of the tournament.

None of the four top-ranked teams in the country–-North Carolina, Louisville, Pitt and UConn–-have been knocked out of the tournament so far. That being said, there have already been a couple of scares, and the level of competition is increasing with every round, so look for a big upset sometime next weekend.

Quote of the Week: “Pittsburgh beat Oklahoma State and Louisville beat Siena, meaning all four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth consecutive season. The last time a No. 1 seed didn’t advance to the Sweet 16 was 2004, when both Kentucky and Stanford lost in the second round (to UAB and Alabama).” — Gary Parrish, CBS Sports

Further Reading: “Sports Illustrated Bracket “

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BRONCOS BABY

In the past week, the Jay Cutler situation has gone from bad to worse in Denver. Cutler is the starting quarterback for the Broncos, and after feeling slighted by new coach Josh McDaniels, he is demanding to be traded.

Cutler is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league, though by no means does he have the kind of star power of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Tony Romo. However, Cutler also has a reputation for being a prima donna and a real whiner. Given his behavior in this current debacle, Cutler will never live that reputation down. It all started when McDaniels, the newly introduced 32-year old coach of the Broncos, reportedly tried to trade for Matt Cassel–the second quarterback for the New England Patriots, where McDaniels used to coach. When Cutler caught wind of the fact that McDaniels was pursuing another quarterback, he started to publicly bellyache about it. McDaniels and Cutler had a meeting, which was supposed to smooth things over but actually made things worse, and now Cutler is demanding to be traded.

In reality, whether or not Cutler gets traded will ultimately be the decision of the Broncos organization. However, Cutler has become such a distraction for the team that if he doesn’t make any effort at reconciling with his coach, they will have little choice but to trade him. A young quarterback with Cutler’s proven talent doesn’t appear on the market very often in the NFL, so if he does get traded, he will go for a high price.

Quote of the Week: ”I understand Jay’s feelings got hurt, but it’s too bad it has got to where it is. I wish Jay would have got some better advice from whoever he was getting advice from.” — John Elway, former Broncos QB

Further Reading: “Don’t Destroy Franchise ” — Woody Paige, Denver Post

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THE LAND OF THE RISING FASTBALL

On Sunday night, Japan knocked the U.S. out of the World Baseball Classic, the biggest international tournament for baseball. Japan will face Korea in the finals on Monday.

Though Major League Baseball is considered the highest level of baseball in the world, the U.S. team was not favored in their game against Japan. While many American players shy away from competing in the WBC out of fear that they will get injured before the start of the MLB season, Japanese players take a great deal of pride in playing well during the tournament. The game between Japan and the U.S. was surprising close, but Japan pulled away in the final innings to seal a 9-4 victory.

The Monday night game should be extremely competitive. Japan, one of the best baseball countries in the world, is defending their WBC championship from 2006. However, the Korean team, which won gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, is one of the best teams when it comes to international play.

Quote of the Week: “Japan’s 9-4 victory in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic against Team USA won’t be seen as a shifting of the international baseball world toward Asia.That shift already took place some time ago.” — Devin Clancy, USA Today

Further Reading:  “Japan Has a Date with Korea in Final” — Rhett Bolinger, MLB.com

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL: The NCAA tournament continues this Thursday, as the Sweet Sixteen attempt to fight their way to the Elite Eight. The action will continue all weekend, and the schedule will be updated regularly on the CBS Sports website .

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALLNBA (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 Tournament” is currently underway. Sixteen teams, known as the “Sweet Sixteen” are currently left in the tournament. [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 Masters is scheduled for the first week of April. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The hockey season is currently underway and runs through April of 2009.  [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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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]

March 16, Week in Sports

:: TEAMS SELECTED FOR ‘MARCH MADNESS’ NCAA TOURNAMENT (College Basketball)

:: FINAL MONTH OF NBA SEASON BEGINS (Pro. Football)

:: U.S. TEAM KNOCKS OUT NETHERLANDS IN WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC (Pro. Baseball)

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BUST OUT YOUR BRACKET: IT’S TOURNEY TIME

On Sunday, March 16th, the NCAA Selection Committee announced the competitors in this year’s NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship. This tournament, which marks the climax of the college basketball season, is one of the most popular and exciting sporting events of the year.

The tournament includes 65 teams, although that will be immediately narrowed to 64 on Tuesday when the two lowest-ranked teams (Alabama State and Morehead State) battle it out for the 64th spot. The remaining 64 teams are then divided into four regional mini-tournaments with 16 teams in each region. These teams are ranked, or “seeded,” #1-#16. In the first round of the tournament, the highest-ranked teams in each regional tournament (#1) play the lowest-ranked teams (#16), the second-highest team (#2) plays the second-lowest team (#15), and so on. This arrangement continues through the next rounds of the tournament, which means that the higher-ranked teams theoretically have an easier path to the championship; conversely, it is much harder for the lower-seeded teams to advance. For a more detailed explanation of the way the tournament works, or for help with your office pool, check out SportSpectator’s guide to March Madness.

Since there are four regional brackets, there are four sets of teams ranked #1-#16. This year, North Carolina, Louisville, Connecticut, and Pitt are the four #1 seeds, which makes them the “favorites” to win the tournament. However, it is incredibly difficult to go deep in the tournament, even for the best teams in the country, so expect a couple of those top-ranked teams to fall sooner or later. That being said, no #1 team has ever lost to a #16 team in the first round of the tournament.

The first and second rounds of the tournament will be played Thursday through Sunday. From the second weekend of the tournament until the championship, the games will get even more intense.

Quote of the Week: “Emerging from its Westin Hotel bunker on Sunday night, the NCAA tournament selection committee unveiled a bracket that is worthy of its selection chair, Mike Slive. That is to say it looks like an attorney made it — it’s balanced, reasonable and devoid of a whole lot of sex appeal.” — Dana O’Neil, ESPN

Further Reading: “Tournament Bracket ” — CBS Sports

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THE HOME STRETCH: NBA TEAMS PREPARE FOR FINAL MONTH

Tuesday marks the start of the final month of the NBA regular season. During this month, competition will heat up as teams jockey for position in the playoffs.

The NBA regular season began in October of last year–which means that competition has already been underway for almost half a year. That being said, the NBA season is pretty slow-paced, and many teams save up their energy to make a run near the end of the season. Several teams have already clinched spots in the playoffs, and many other teams are fighting just to get in. However, one big focus of the next 30 days will be who secures home advantage for the playoffs. Home court advantage is hugely important in the NBA, and it can often make the difference in the playoffs.

The four best teams in the country right now are Los Angeles, Cleveland, Boston, and Orlando. All four of those teams have already clinched their spots in the playoffs, and for the next month they scrap every day to try to secure the best record in the league. One of the subplots of this final month will also be the battle for the league MVP honors. There are only three real candidates for the MVP award: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kobe Bryant.

Quote of the Week: ”Tuesday isn’t merely St. Patrick’s Day. It also starts the countdown of the final 30 days of the regular season.” — Marc Stein, ESPN

Further Reading: ”Best Yet to Come” — Marc Stein, ESPN

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GOING DUTCH

On Sunday night, the U.S. defeated the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, a major international baseball tournament. The U.S. team is one loss away from elimination, and the Dutch were knocked out of the tournament with Sunday’s loss.

The Netherlands became the Cinderella story of the WBC last week, when they defeated the powerhouse team from the Dominican Republic in the first round of the tournament. However, their luck finally ran out against a U.S. team that is stacked with major leaguers. That being said, the U.S. team has had its own struggles–a combination of injuries and fatigue, as well as the fact that U.S. ballplayers in general do not take very much pride in the WBC. That is to say, most of the players on the U.S. team are focusing instead on preparing for the 2009 MLB season.

The next game for the U.S. team will take place on Tuesday, when they will face either Puerto Rico or Venezuela. Either game should be extremely competitive, as the U.S. is still one game away from elimination.

Quote of the Week: “I said, ‘I don’t want to come play for one night.’ I want this to last a little while.” — Brian Roberts, who joined the U.S. team as a replacement

Further Reading:  “U.S. bounces back from loss to avoid elimination at WBC ” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL: The NCAA tournament begins this week, and it will be the main topic of conversation around the country. The tournament techincally begins on Tuesday with the “play-in” game, but things will really heat up on Thursday, when the tournament really kicks off. Thursday through Sunday will be packed with games, and you can find the schedule on the CBS Sports website .

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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 is currently underway and runs through “the Tournament,” which begins this week. [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 Masters is scheduled for the first week of April. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The hockey season is currently underway and runs through April of 2009.  [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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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]

:: NCAA TOURNAMENT DOWN TO “FINAL FOUR” TEAMS (College Basketball)

:: BASEBALL BEGINS, OPENING DAY (Pro. Baseball)

:: TIGER WOODS WINNING STREAK ENDS (Golf)

MIDNIGHT STRIKES FOR CINDERELLA DAVIDSON; FOUR TOP-RANKED TEAMS STAY ALIVE

The NCAA Tournament has been narrowed down to four teams–North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis, and Kansas. This is the first time that the four top-ranked teams in the tournament have all made it to the Final Four.

While each of these four teams had their own unique journey to the Final Four, perhaps the most emotional victory came when Kansas knocked off Davidson on Sunday night. Davidson was undoubtedly this year’s Cinderella–a low-ranked team who becomes a kind of nationally supported underdog, winning the hearts of casual fans everywhere. However, Davidson’s tournament run came to an end when they faced Kansas, one of four top-ranked teams in the tournament. With Davidson eliminated, only four teams remain, all of which were 1-seeds in the tournament. Never before in the history of the NCAA tournament has this taken place.

However, within a week, two of those #1-ranked teams will be sent home. On Saturday, UCLA plays Memphis and North Carolina plays Kansas. The games should be filled with an unprecedented amount media attention and intensity. The two teams that survive Saturday’s games will play for the national championship on Monday.

Quote of the Week: “And then there were ones. Four No. 1s, that is.” — Associated Press

Further Reading: “Goliath slays Davidson, Curry as KU holds on” –Associated Press, via ESPN

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TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME!

Baseball season officially began last week, when the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics played two games in Tokyo, Japan. However, for the remaining teams in the league, Opening Day–the first day of the regular season–will take place this week in the States.
With the excitement of Opening Day comes the optimism of fans across the country that this year will be the year that their team wins the World Series. But since the baseball season is roughly six months long, there is a lot of baseball yet to be played. However, there are three story lines that will surely come up throughout the course of the 2008 season, revolving around the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, and the Chicago Cubs.
This year is the Yankees’ last year in Yankee Stadium. The historic venue, where baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio played, will be replaced next year by New Yankee Stadium. As a result, this year the Yankees will get even more national attention than they already do. The New York Mets are also playing their last season at Shea Stadium this year.
The Boston Red Sox, who won the World Series last year, continue to grow in popularity around the country, rivaling the Yankees as the highest profile team in the country. While baseball analysts are generally reluctant to pick a favorite before the season begins, many baseball writers around the country think that the Red Sox are strong enough to win the World Series again this year.
The Cubs, the Lovable Losers from the North Side of Chicago, have now gone 100 years without winning a World Series. The Cubs’ losing ways are always a popular topic among baseball enthusiasts, so this year the team will undoubtedly be a center of attention in sports.

Quote of the Week: “How did the Dodgers and Red Sox just draw 115,300 fans for an exhibition baseball game? How can any sport in the world possibly top baseball?” — Mark Newman, baseball writer
Further Reading: “Feel-good vibes as baseball returns” — Mark Newman, MLB.com

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WOODS TAKES FIRST DEFEAT IN SIX MONTHS

Last Monday, Tiger Woods finished in fifth place in the CA Championship at Doral. That would hardly be newsworthy, were it not for the fact that it is the first time that Woods has lost a tournament in six months.

Geoff Ogilvy, who won the tournament, finished two shots ahead of Woods. Ogilvy’s victory was particularly impressive because of the big names that he narrowly beat out in addition to Woods–Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, and Jim Furyk. Woods had won the past three years at Doral.

Now that Woods has finally lost, the golf world will be turning its attention to the Masters–the first of the four Major tournaments–which will take place in April.

Quote of the Week: “It has come to this: When Woods doesn’t win, it counts as stunning news.” — Associated Press
Further Reading: “Winner Ogilvy glad to see Tiger’s winning streak is history” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL — The NCAA Tournament has been narrowed down to four teams–the Final Four. The next round of the tournament will be played on April 5th when UCLA plays Memphis, and the University of North Carolina plays Kansas.

:: PRO. BASEBALL –The regular season begins this week. Games will be played across the country every day, so tune in and root, root, root for the home team.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season (the post-season begins on April 19th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. Several teams will be fighting here on out to get into the playoffs–perhaps most notably Denver, Dallas, and Golden State, who are battling for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The Final Four round of this year’s NCAA tournament will be played on April 5, and the Championship game will be played on April 7. [CBS Sports]

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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 first of these is the Masters, which takes place in April. The Masters is played on the same course every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): With only a couple weeks remaining in the regular season (the Stanley Cup playoffs begin on April 9th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. Nashville, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Chicago–all within a handful of points of each other–are battling every night to win the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. [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

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): The pre-season is now officially over and the regular season has begun. Baseball season is long, 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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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The NFL Draft takes place on April 25th and 26th. The pre-season begins in August, and the regular season begins in September. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): Now that signing day has come and gone, there won’t be much news in college football until the summer, when practice sessions begin. [NCAA Football, ESPN]

:: NCAA TOURNAMENT IN FULL GEAR (College Basketball)

:: HOUSTON ROCKETS WINNING STREAK ENDS AT 22 (Pro. Basketball)

:: BASEBALL SEASON BEGINS (Pro. Baseball)

OH, MY SWEET SIXTEEN!

Over the weekend, the first two rounds of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship were played across the country. This tournament is one of the most popular and exciting sporting events of the year.

There have already been a number of huge upsets in the tournament, with two highly ranked teams–Duke and Georgetown–getting knocked out of the tournament. On Saturday, West Virginia (one of the 7-seeded teams) toppled Duke (one of the 2-seeded teams). Duke is an annual contender and a high-profile team that draws a great deal of attention across the nation. About half of college basketball sports fans in the country love Duke, and the other half loves watching Duke go down. Expectations were also high for Georgetown, but they were eliminated from the tournament on Sunday by Davidson.

None of the four top-ranked teams in the country–North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA, and Kansas–have been knocked out of the tournament so far. That being said, there has never been a year when the four 1-seeds have all made it to the Final Four, so there is a good chance that at least one of the big-name teams will be knocked out in the Sweet Sixteen round of the tournament, which begins this week.

Quote of the Week: “No matter how well or how hard you’re playing, you’ve got to put the ball in the basket. We didn’t do that today.” — Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski

Further Reading: “West Virginia sends Duke home with 73-67 upset” — Jack Carey, USA Today

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HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM…

On Tuesday, the Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets, ending Houston’s 22-game winning streak–the second-longest winning streak in the history of the NBA.
The Rockets had their hands full against the Celtics, who have the highest winning percentage in the NBA. The two teams were evenly matched throughout the first half, but the Rockets eventually slipped behind and ended up losing the game 94-74. The Rockets hardly appeared to be devastated by the loss. Rather, they proudly reflected on their streak, and then turned their minds to the upcoming playoffs.
During the winning streak, the Rockets rose to the top of the highly-competitive Western Conference. In the days following the end of the streak, the Rockets have dropped back a couple of games from the Lakers. With just weeks left before the playoffs begin, the Rockets and their competitors in the Western Conference will be playing as hard as possible to jockey for better positions in the postseason.

Quote of the Week: “We’re talking like the season’s over. We’re playing well, and we’ve got to continue playing this way.” — Rockets Guard Tracy McGrady, responding to questions about the end of the streak
Further Reading: “Garnett Scores 22 as Celtics Halt Rockets’ Win Streak at 22” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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HOW DO YOU SAY “PLAY BALL” IN JAPANESE?

Baseball season begins this week, on March 25th, when the Boston Red Sox play the Oakland Athletics in Japan. The game is a highly anticipated event since it marks the beginning of the season, but also because it is being played internationally.

However, opening day in Japan almost didn’t happen. Early last week, the Red Sox and Athletics players discovered that their coaches would not be receiving the same payment as the players for making the trip to Japan. All of the players are reportedly receiving $40,000 each for taking part in the international games. For some of the players, that money is a drop in the bucket compared to their yearly salaries. However, for many assistant coaches and trainers, that is a significant bonus.

Ultimately, after the players threatened to boycott the trip to Japan, the league yielded and offered to pay coaches and other personnel $20,000. The players have agreed to chip in to pay the rest. So now that the money has been taken care of…play ball!

Quote of the Week: “They were told they were going to be (paid). For a coach, in some cases, this is two-fifths of their salary for the year. It’s a big deal. I don’t agree that coaches are second-class citizens. That has never sat well with me, ever, and continues to boggle my mind.” — Terry Francona, Red Sox Manager
Further Reading: “Sox win standoff with MLB” — Rob Bradford and Michael Silverman, Boston Herald

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL — The Sweet Sixteen–the third round of the NCAA tournament–begins on Thursday. After getting off to a slow start, the games in the second round of the tournament were thrilling. The excitement should continue as this year’s Cinderella teams–underdogs like Davidson, Villanova, and Western Kentucky–face off against the best of the best.

:: PRO. BASEBALL — The regular season begins on March 25th with the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics being played in Japan. It should make for great TV…if you happen to be in the mood for baseball at 6 in the morning. The rest of the league will start the regular season the following week.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): With less than a month remaining in the regular season (the post-season begins on April 19th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship were played this week. The Sweet Sixteen games will be played March 27-28 and the Elite Eight games will be played March 29-30. The Final Four games will be played on April 5, and the Championship game will be played on April 7. As the games are played, more detailed information about the tournament schedule will become available on www.espn.com or www.cbssports.com, among other places. [CBS Sports]

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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 first of these is the Masters, which takes place in April. The Masters is played on the same course every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): With less than a month remaining in the regular season (the Stanley Cup playoffs begin on April 9th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. [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

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): Baseball’s pre-season—Spring Training—is in full swing, with exhibition games being played daily in Arizona and Florida. The regular season begins this week, on March 25th, when the Boston Red Sox play the Oakland Athletics in Tokyo, Japan. [Official MLB Website]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): Until the NFL Draft takes place—on April 25th and 26th—NFL news will be limited to trades and free agent signings. The NFL pre-season begins in August, and the regular season begins in September. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): Now that signing day has come and gone, there won’t be much news in college football until the summer, when practice sessions begin. [NCAA Football, ESPN]

:: “MARCH MADNESS” TEAMS SELECTED (College Basketball)
:: HOUSTON ROCKETS BUILD 22-GAME WIN STREAK (Pro. Basketball)
:: TIGER WOODS WINS 5 STRAIGHT PGA EVENTS (Golf)

SHARPEN YOUR PENCIL: IT’S TOURNEY TIME!

On Sunday, March 16th, the NCAA Selection Committee announced the competitors in this year’s NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship. This tournament, which marks the climax of the college basketball season, is one of the most popular and exciting sporting events of the year.

The tournament includes 65 teams, although that will be immediately narrowed to 64 on Tuesday when the two lowest-ranked teams (Mount Saint Mary’s and Coppin State) battle it out for the 64th spot. The remaining 64 teams are then divided into four regional mini-tournaments with 16 teams in each region. These teams are ranked, or “seeded,” #1-#16. In the first round of the tournament, the highest-ranked teams in each regional tournament (#1) play the lowest-ranked teams (#16), the second-highest team (#2) plays the second-lowest team (#15), and so on. This arrangement continues through the next rounds of the tournament, which means that the higher-ranked teams theoretically have an easier path to the championship; conversely, it is much harder for the lower-seeded teams to advance. For a more detailed explanation of the way the tournament works, or for help with your office pool, check out SportSpectator’s guide to March Madness.

Since there are four regional brackets, there are four sets of teams ranked #1-#16. This year, North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas, and UCLA are the four #1 seeds, which makes them the “favorites” to win the tournament. However, there has never been a year when all four teams ranked #1 have made the Final Four, so expect to see a couple of those teams get knocked out sooner or later. In short, even for the best teams in the country, it is incredibly difficult to go deep in the tournament. That being said, no #1 team has ever lost to a #16 team in the first round of the tournament.

The first and second rounds of the tournament will be played Thursday through Sunday. From the second weekend of the tournament until the championship, the games will get even more intense.

Quote of the Week: “Once you get to the second weekend, then it’s a fist fight the rest of the way” — Jay Bilas, ESPN analyst
Further Reading: “UNC, Memphis, UCLA and Kansas earn top seeds in NCAA tournament” — CBS Sports

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BLAST OFF! ROCKETS WIN 22 STRAIGHT GAMES

The Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon, extending their winning streak to an unbelievable 22 games. This streak is amazing, not just because it is the second-longest winning streak in NBA history, but also because during that streak, the Rockets have catapulted themselves from fifth to first place.

The Rockets’ winning streak is improbable for many reasons–perhaps most of all because they are playing without Yao Ming, one of the league’s superstars, who fractured his foot in late February. Critics have said that the Rockets’ streak has, in part, been aided substantially by an easier schedule during the past several weeks. However, as time goes by and the Rockets keep winning, that criticism is becoming increasingly untenable. After today’s win over the Lakers, one of the league’s best teams, nobody can deny that the Rockets are playing at an extraordinarily high level.

The first priority for the Rockets is to stay in first place. But with 22 wins and no sign that the team is vulnerable, the Rockets have a chance to match the longest winning streak in NBA history, set during the 1971-72 season, when the Lakers won 33 straight games.

Quote of the Week: “Let’s keep it going. This was a good test for us. We came out and took care of business.” — Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets superstar guard
Further Reading: “Twenty-Two for One!” — Associated Press, via ESPN
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TIGER…OH, MY!

On Sunday afternoon, Tiger Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by sinking a dramatic 25-foot putt on the 18th green–the final hole of the four day tournament–to win by one shot. With Sunday’s win, Woods has accumulated 64 career PGA wins.

Woods has won five straight PGA Tour events, maintaining a perfect season so far this year. Since he is the undisputed number one golfer in the world, nobody is surprised when Woods gets this hot. But with 64 career wins, Woods has tied golf-great Ben Hogan at third-place for all-time PGA wins. Jack Nicklaus stands in second place with 72 wins, and Sam Snead holds the record with 82 wins.

Woods will have a chance to add to his wins total when he plays in the CA Championship at Doral next week.

Quote of the Week: “That’s why he’s Tiger Woods. He has an incredible way of pulling off the shot or the putt when he needs to.” — Bart Bryant, who lost to Woods by one shot on Sunday
Further Reading: “Woods Takes Arnold Palmer Invitational on Birdie Putt” — Associated Press, via USA Today
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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL — With the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship beginning this week, this is the greatest time of the year for college basketball fans. Whether you’re at work, at school, out to dinner, or channel surfing at home, you will surely hear plenty about the games in the tournament. The action starts on March 18th, when Mount Saint Mary’s and Coppin State have a playoff game to determine who gets the 64th spot in the tournament. The first and second rounds of the tournament will be played Thursday through Sunday, all day every day. Keep an eye on the four #1 teams, tease your co-worker when his #5-ranked school gets knocked out in the first round by a #12-ranked team, and cheer for this year’s Cinderella team–the underdog who makes a run at the championship. Good luck with your bracket! For help navigating your office pool, be sure to read the SportSpectator guide to March Madness.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): With little more than a month remaining in the regular season (the post-season begins on April 19th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. [Official NBA Website]
NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship—often called simply “the tournament” or “the Big Dance”–begins this week, with non-stop action Thursday through Sunday. The 65 competitors in the tournament were announced on March 16th–Selection Sunday. More detailed information about the tournament schedule will become available as the week progresses. As that information is updated, you can find it easily at either www.espn.com or www.cbssports.com, among other places. [CBS Sports]

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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 first of these is the Masters, which takes place in April. The Masters is played on the same course every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): With less than a month remaining in the regular season (the Stanley Cup playoffs begin on April 9th), the 2008 playoff picture is beginning to take shape. Sixteen teams will qualify for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. [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

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): Baseball’s pre-season—Spring Training—is in full swing, with exhibition games being played daily in Arizona and Florida. The regular season begins on March 25th, when the Boston Red Sox play the Oakland Athletics in Tokyo, Japan. [Official MLB Website]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): Until the NFL Draft takes place—on April 25th and 26th—NFL news will be limited to trades and free agent signings. The NFL pre-season begins in August, and the regular season begins in September. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): Now that signing day has come and gone, there won’t be much news in college football until the summer, when practice sessions begin. [NCAA Football, ESPN]