July 28, Week in Sports
July 28, Week in Sports
:: JIMMIE JOHNSON WINS AT THE BRICKYARD (NASCAR)
:: SASTRE WINS TOUR DE FRANCE (Pro. Cycling)
:: UNDERDOG ANTONIO MARGARITO BEATS MIGUEL COTTO BY TKO (Pro. Boxing)
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YAWN… TIRE ISSUES PLAGUE BRICKYARD RACE
On Sunday afternoon, Jimmie Johnson finished in first place at the Brickyard–a high-profile NASCAR race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This was Johnson’s 2nd career victory at the Brickyard, having first won in 2006.
However, the big story of the day was the tire troubles experienced by all of the drivers, including Johnson. Evidently, the rubber on the Goodyear tires was wearing down on all of the cars as a result of the track, the composition of the tires, and the new cars. In the end, drivers were unable to push their cars to the maximum speed, and caution flags (limiting the drivers’ speeds) were out for the vast majority of the race.
The result? A slow-paced, dull event in a sport whose popularity is based on high-speed, aggressive driving, and high-intensity racing.
Quote of the Week: “I don’t think anyone could push their car as hard as they would have liked to, today. I was patient as I ever was in any other race. When I wanted to run hard, I could look like I was 20 mph better than anyone else, but I knew I was going to pay for it in the end.” — Denny Hamlin, NASCAR driver
Further Reading: ”JJ Embraces Pit-Yard” — Associated Press, via ESPN
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SASTRE CLIMBS TO TOUR TITLE
33-year old Spaniard Carlos Sastre won the Tour de France on Sunday, cruising into Paris with a narrow 58-second lead. The Tour de France is the most prestigious and historic cycling event of the year.
This is the second year in a row that the Tour de France winner has claimed victory by less than a minute. It is also the third year in a row that Spain has won the event. Sastre’s victory locked up yet another significant international sporting event for Spain, which has already produced wins at Wimbledon and Euro 2008.
As per usual, this year’s Tour de France was marred by doping. Alberto Contador, last year’s winner, and his team were barred from competition after former team members were charged with doping. Four riders this year where eliminated from the event for doping.
Quote of the Week: “These guys are crazy, and the sooner they start learning, the better.” — International Cycling Union Chief Pat McQuaid, on doping in cycling
Further Reading: ”Spain’s Sastre wins Tour de France” — CNN
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COTTO DESTROYED BY “TIJUANA TORNADO”
Antonio Margarito–the “Tijuana Tornado”–defeated Miguel Cotto in the 11th round of a highly-anticipated boxing match, which took place on Saturday night. It was the first loss that Cotto has sustained as a professional boxer.
While the popularity of boxing has declined in the United States, it has continued to produce some of the fiercest international rivalries in sports, and perhaps the biggest boxing rivalry of all stands between Mexico and Puerto Rico. That was certainly the case on Saturday night as Margarito (Mexico) and Cotto (Puerto Rico) gave viewers across the world an electric show. After Margarito knocked down Cotto twice in the 11th round, Cotto’s trainer threw in the towel.
Though Margarito steadily broke down Cotto throughout the course of the fight, Cotto is one of the greatest active boxers in the world and continued to keep the match close. When, in the 11th, Margarito won the fight by TKO, he was technically only winning the match by a couple of points.
Quote of the Week: “He never hurt me…. I got him with body shots, and then I hit him in the head, and then I knocked him out.” — Antonio Margarito
Further Reading: ”One to Remember” — Dan Rafael, ESPN
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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
:: BASEBALL — The trading deadline for Major League Baseball is July 31st. There have already been several big trades this year, but every year the teams who have dropped out of the playoff race take the opportunity to trade off some of their star players.
:: FOOTBALL — The NFL pre-season begins on August 3rd. The outcome of the game is inconsequential, but it will effectively launch the country into the hype surrounding America’s most popular sport.
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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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:: 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 event is the PGA Championship, which takes place in August. [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. [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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:: 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]
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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]