SportSpectator Blog

October 6, Week in Sports

 

::  CHICAGO CUBS UPSET BY L.A. DODGERS (Pro. Baseball)

::  ANGELS, WHITE SOX AVOID SWEEP (Pro. Baseball)

::   OHIO STATE EDGES WISCONSIN (College Football)

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A HUNDRED YEARS OF LOSSES

The Chicago Cubs, who were universally recognized as the best team in the National League, were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Chicago Cubs, in addition to being an excellent team this year, are also one of the most popular teams in the country, and their losing habits are well-documented by the national sports media.

Last year, the Chicago Cubs were favored in the first round of the playoffs when they played the Arizona Diamondbacks, who also swept the Cubbies. That means that in the past two years, the Cubs are 0-6 in post-season baseball. What stings even more is that this year was the 100-year anniversary of the Cubs’ last World Series victory. Every year, analysts talk about the “symmetry of baseball,” which had many Cubs fans believing that this would be the year that they would finally win the World Series. With the best record in the National League this year, they had reason to think that they had a decent chance. However, the Cubs were completely outplayed by the upstart Dodgers. It is safe to say that the Dodgers, led by mid-season acquisition Manny Ramirez, are red-hot and a legitimate post-season threat.

Elsewhere in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon. The Phillies and Dodgers will play in the NLCS, which begins on Thursday.

Quote of the Week: ”It wasn’t a collapse. ‘Collapse’ is too nice a word. A collapse would mean the Chicago Cubs actually showed up for the National League Division Series.” — Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN

Further Reading: ”Cubs swept away in L.A.” — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune

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Guardian Angels Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim came up with a bloop single in the top of the 12th inning to win Game 3 of their series against the Boston Red Sox. The Angels trail the series 2-1, which means that they are one game away from elimination.

The Boston Red Sox are one of the powerhouses of Major League Baseball, so they can never be considered true underdogs. That being said, the Angels had the best record in all of baseball this year, so it was surprising to see them lose their first to games to the Red Sox. However, their late inning heroics on Sunday kept their playoff hopes alive. The Red Sox and Angels will play Game 4 of their series on Monday night. That game is a must-win for the Angels, who are trying to force a fifth game in the series, and who are also fighting to change their reputation for choking in the post-season.

Elsewhere in the American League, the Chicago White Sox managed to win on Sunday to extend their series with the Tampa Bay Rays, who now lead the series 2-1. The two teams will play the fourth game of their series on Monday night.

Quote of the Week: “This was not a victory. This was an exorcism. The streaks are dead. The Angels are alive.” — Bill Shaikin, L.A. Times

Further Reading: “Halo Heroics” — Jerry Crasnick, ESPN

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WISCONSIN GETS BADGERED BY BUCKEYES

No. 18-ranked Wisconsin lost a heartbreaker at home to No. 14 Ohio State on Saturday night. The game was a marquee matchup in the Big Ten Conference, and a huge win for an Ohio State team trying to climb their way back up the ladder.

Entering Saturday night’s game, Wisconsin had won 16 straight games at home, so snapping that streak was a major disappointment. The loss was even more devastating because the Badgers had the lead late in the fourth quarter, until Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor led his team to a dramatic comeback win. Pryor and Buckeyes running back Chris “Beanie” Wells are two of the premiere players in the league. Their clutch success on Saturday night on the national stage will only boost their reputations around the country.

Saturday’s loss marked the second consecutive loss for Wisconsin this year, which essentially means that they will have no chance to make the national championship game at the conclusion of the season. Ohio State, which was considered all but dead after a huge loss to USC, still only has one loss this year, so their BCS  hopes are still alive.

Quote of the Week: “We had ‘em, and we let ‘em go.” — Jaevery McFadden, Wisconsin linebacker

Further Reading: “Buckeye Pr(y)orities” — Adam Rittenberg, ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASEBALL: The playoffs continue this week, as the first round is completed and the remaining teams advance to the second round of post-season play. On Monday night, the White Sox/Rays and Angels/Red Sox will play Game 4, and both of those games will be excellent. The Dodgers and Phillies begin their second-round series on Thursday in what promises to be a fun, high-scoring NLCS.

:: HOCKEY: The regular season truly kicks off this week, so if you’ve been waiting for a chance to get into hockey, this is it. Most newspapers will be providing season previews for the local team, which is a great place to start. An even better place to start–actually watching the games.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

 

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): This week marks the second week of the post-season. The remaining teams include. [Official MLB Website]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The regular season is now underway. The standings will begin to take shape in just a few weeks, once teams begin to play their division rivals. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The college football is now in full swing. The Oklahoma Sooners are currently ranked the No. 1 team in the country. [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 begins this week. The 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

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The Celtics defeated the Lakers to win the NBA Finals, ending the 2008 season. The 2008 season begins later in October.  [Official NBA Website]

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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July 14, Week in Sports

::   BRETT FAVRE RUMORS HEAT UP (Pro. Football)

::   SABATHIA, HARDEN TRADED TO BREWERS, CUBS (Pro. Baseball)

::   ALL-STAR BREAK IN THE BRONX (Pro. Baseball)

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BACK ALREADY? BRETT FAVRE REPORTEDLY SET TO UN-RETIRE

Brett Favre, who retired from the NFL at a tearful press conference in March, is reportedly thinking about coming back to play in the 2008 season. Favre is the winningest QB in the history of the league.

In Green Bay, where Favre forged a career as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Packers history, Favre is treated like a hero and a living legend. However, when he retired in March, the Packers organization was forced to move on–promoting long-time backup Aaron Rodgers to the starting position, and drafting Brian Brohm in the second round of the NFL Draft. Favre’s sudden desire to return puts the Packers organization in an uncomfortable position. If they re-install Favre on the roster, they could improve their chances of winning the Super Bowl in 2008, but they would also stunt the long-term growth of the team by keeping the team’s future leaders on the bench for another season. However, if they do not bring back Favre, the Packers will almost certainly be less successful this year, it would look like they were slighting their legendary quarterback, and they might even have to trade Favre to a rival team.

The Packers organization has refused to release Brett Favre from his contract, and it was reported that they offered him a spot on the Packers roster as a backup to Aaron Rodgers (although Packers management later denied the “backup” offer). One thing is for sure: with training camp just weeks away, the Brett Favre story line will continue to get more interesting, and if Favre ends up playing for a different team, it would be the biggest story in the NFL this year.

Quote of the Week: “We don’t know where everything is going to go. It’s been a distraction. It’s been a distraction for our fans. I’m trying to stay steady and do the right things for the Packers and do the right thing for Brett Favre.” — Packers GM Ted Thompson

Further Reading: ”Thompson won’t cut Favre, but GM deflects blame in ordeal” — Tom Pelissero, Green-Bay Press Gazette, via USA Today

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KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES; BREWERS, CUBS MAKE MAJOR TRADES

Last Monday, the Milwaukee Brewers acquired CC Sabathia, one of the best pitchers in baseball, through a trade with the Cleveland Indians. Not to be outdone, the Chicago Cubs (who compete in the same division as the Brewers) landed Rich Harden, an ace from the Oakland Athletics, the very next day.

Every year, major baseball trades are made around the middle of July, since teams are only allowed to trade up until July 31st. These two trades were significant, not only because they involved two high-profile players, but also because the Cubs and Brewers are expected to be in a close race to make the playoffs. While the Cubs have the best record in baseball, the NL Central is expected to have one of the most competitive playoff races down the stretch. Now, with two of the game’s top pitchers moving to that division, analysts are expecting the next two months to be a neck-and-neck race between the Brewers and Cubs.

Both Sabathia and Harden have pitched for their new teams, and both pitchers looked to be in excellent form. Last year, Sabathia won the NL Cy Young award–the highest honor for any individual pitcher. Harden, who has suffered from injuries of late, is also regarded as one of the best in the game.

Quote of the Week: “I’d say we’re going for it. That’s the way I look at it.” — Doug Melvin, Brewers GM

Further Reading: ”CC Sabathia deal notable as he goes to smaller-market team” — Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune

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THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT, PACKED WITH STARS

The 2008 All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday, July 16th at Yankee Stadium. The All-Star Game pits the best players from the National League against the best players from the American League. The winning league secures home field advantage for its representative in the World Series.

The All-Star Game, though essentially an exhibition game, is an extravagant affair. This year, the game has an added significance because of the fact that it is being hosted at historic Yankee Stadium. This is the Yankees’ final year at the stadium, a veritable baseball shrine where all-time greats like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Joe Dimaggio made names for themselves. Next year, the Yankees will move into their new stadium, which is currently being constructed across the street from the current one.

While Tuesday night’s game is the main event of the All-Star break, there are other exhibition events as well. The Home Run Derby will be held on Monday night, when the league’s top sluggers will blast so many dingers out of Yankee Stadium, it would make the Babe himself blush.

Quote of the Week: “[It has] been one of the most stupendous, unpredictable baseball seasons in eons.” — Jayson Stark, ESPN analyst, evaluating the baseball season so far

Further Reading: ”At the Half” — Jayson Stark, ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASEBALL — This week is the All-Star break for Major League Baseball. Monday night is the Home Run Derby event. On Tuesday night, the All-Stars in the National League and American League will fight it out for home field advantage in the World Series.

:: GOLF — The Open, one of the four Major Championships in professional golf, will be played July 17-20 in England. With Tiger Woods out for the season, it’s a level playing field.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

 

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): The All-Star break takes place this week. The All-Star game is essentially the halfway point of the season, and from now until October, teams will be fighting for spots in the playoffs. [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. Now that the U.S. Open is over, the next event is the Open (also known as the British Open), which is played July 17-20. [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 of the year 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]