June 23, Week in Sports
June 23, Week in Sports
:: CELTICS WIN NBA FINALS (Pro. Basketball)
:: TIGER WOODS INJURED, OUT FOR YEAR (Golf)
:: METS MANAGER WILLIE RANDOLPH FIRED (Pro. Baseball)
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WICKED AWESOME: CELTICS WIN CHAMPIONSHIP
Last week, the Boston Celtics became this year’s NBA champions, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. It was the first time in 22 years that the Celtics have won the championship.
The Celtics, who acquired superstar Kevin Garnett in the off-season, were the league’s biggest story of the 2007 season, even before winning the championship. Just a year earlier, they had posted a miserable 24-58 record during the regular season, missing the playoffs. To bounce back from that season to win the championship is truly remarkable. The Lakers had an incredible season in their own right. But now, after getting blown out during the Finals, the questions surrounding the future of league MVP Kobe Bryant are sure to start up again.
Paul Pierce of the Celtics was the series MVP. This is the Celtics’ 17th championship in franchise history.
Quote of the Week: “They don’t hang up any other banners but championship banners here.” — Paul Pierce
Further Reading: “Celtics get NBA title No. 17” — Chris Sheridan, ESPN
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WOE IS WOODS: TIGER HURT, DONE FOR SEASON
Tiger Woods, coming off his epic victory at the U.S. Open, revealed last week that he was playing with a torn ligament in his left knee and a double stress fracture to boot. As a result, Woods will undergo surgery and miss the remaining tournaments this year.
It was no surprise that Woods was injured, especially given his grimacing and limping during the U.S. Open. However, the severity of Woods’ injury was not known before his announcement.
Woods’ absence will greatly affect the remainder of this year’s golf season. First off, the absence of the world’s top-ranked and most famous player will certainly negatively influence public interest in the game this year. But also, with Tiger off the course, there will be plenty of golfers looking to take advantage of a more level playing field.
Quote of the Week: “He’s been playing way less than 100 percent for a long, long, time.” — Hank Haney, Woods’ Coach
Further Reading: “For rest of 2008, possibilities are endless for players not named Tiger” — Jason Sobel, ESPN
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SO LONG, IT’S BEEN GOOD TO KNOW YA…
New York Mets manager Willie Randolph was fired late Monday night by Mets general manager Omar Minaya. The Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays also fired their skippers last week.
Randolph’s firing made sports headlines across the nation, in part because the New York Mets are one of the most popular teams in the country, but also because Randolph was dismissed in what seemed to be a particularly rude way. The Mets had just flown out to Los Angeles, where they won their game, when later that night Mets GM Minaya fired him, as well as the team’s pitching coach and first base coach. News of the firing became public after midnight, which is also unusual. In the end, Minaya was widely criticized for firing a coach who just set out on West coast trip and then announcing it in the dead of night.
However impolite the firing may have been, Randolph’s departure is not terribly surprising to anyone. While he has had some major success with the Mets organization, he was also at the helm during their historic collapse last year. This year, the Mets have struggled as well, sealing Randolph’s fate.
Quote of the Week: “Not the way I would have handled it. Bottom line, it is what it is.” — Willie Randolph, in reference to the way in which he was fired
Further Reading: “Mets End the Suspense for Randolph” — Ben Shpigel, New York Times
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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
:: BASKETBALL — The NBA Draft takes place on Wednesday. The big question is who the Chicago Bulls will take with the first overall pick–Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley.
:: TENNIS – Wimbledon, one of the biggest tournaments in professional tennis, is currently underway. It goes through July 6th.
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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]
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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 in July. [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. Wimbledon is currently underway, running through July 6th. [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]