March 17, Week in Sports
:: “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]