June 16, Week in Sports
June 16, Week in Sports
:: TIGER WOODS WINS U.S. OPEN (Golf)
:: LAKERS STAY ALIVE AGAINST CELTICS (Basketball)
:: KEN GRIFFEY JR. HITS HOME RUN NO. 600 (Pro. Baseball)
———-
TIGER, TIGER, BURNING BRIGHT
Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open on Monday afternoon, defeating underdog Rocco Mediate by one stroke in a playoff round. This is Woods’ 3rd U.S. Open title and 14th major championship.
It wasn’t easy for Woods, partly because he was hampered by a leg injury, but also because his opponent, Mediate, played five rounds of extraordinary golf. But the weekend ultimately belonged to Woods, who had half a dozen huge shots to add to the highlight reel. This included a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th and final hole on Sunday, which forced the playoff round on Monday.
Woods also birdied the 18th hole on Monday, forcing sudden death against Mediate, where Woods finally claimed the title.
Quote of the Week: “It just was an unbelievable week. I was up and down, up and down all week.” — Tiger Woods
Further Reading: “Legendary Roar” — ESPN news
———-
LAKERS HEAD BACK TO BOSTON, DOWN 3-2
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics on Sunday night by a score of 103-98. The Celtics are currently leading the Lakers 3-2 in the NBA Finals, which puts them one win away from taking the championship.
The Lakers have underperformed so far in the Finals series, surrendering big leads and missing critical shots late in the games. The Celtics have capitalized on those failures and had built up a strong 3-1 lead in the series going into Sunday. While the Lakers managed to stay alive in Game 5, they would have to win the next two games to take the series.
No team in Finals history has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship.
Quote of the Week: “I know I didn’t want to see the Celtics celebrating [on] my home floor with champagne and all that crap,” Lakers forward Pau Gasol
Further Reading: “Lakers ready to make history?” — Marc Stein, ESPN
———-
“JUNIOR” HITS 600th DINGER
Last Monday, Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 600th home run of his career. Only five other players in major league history have hit more than 600 home runs.
Griffey’s accomplishment puts him in the company of Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Sammy Sosa–five of the most elite names in the history of the game. However, his achievement is perhaps even more significant because unlike Sosa and Bonds, Griffey has never been accused of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. In addition to his unimpeachable reputation, Griffey is one of the nicest guys in the game–a class act and fan favorite who many believe would have broken the all-time home run record were it not for the chronic injuries that plagued his career.
Quote of the Week: “I don’t think I touched any of the bases. I just sort of floated around.” — Ken Griffey Jr.
Further Reading: “Griffey’s feat demands only respect” — Paul Daugherty, USA Today
———-
WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
:: BASKETBALL – The Celtics-Lakers series continues on Tuesday. If the Lakers can scrape out another win over the Celtics, it would force Game 7 on Thursday night.
———-
ALL-SPORTS UPDATE
ACTIVE SEASON
:: BASEBALL
MLB (Pro. Baseball): Baseball season is in full swing, but it is a long season, and 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 NBA Finals, between the Lakers and the Celtics, continue this week. [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 U.S. Open is over, the next event is the Open (also known as the British Open), which is played in July. [Official PGA Website]
NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson
———-
:: 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 next event is Wimbledon, which runs from June 23rd to July 6th. [USTA Website]
NOTABLE PLAYERS: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic
———-
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]
———-
:: 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]