SportSpectator Blog

August 18, Week in Sports

 

::  MICHAEL PHELPS SETS ALL-TIME OLYMPIC RECORD (Olympics)

::   U.S. WOMEN’S GYMNASTS WIN GOLD, SILVER (Olympics)

::   41-Year Old Dara Torres Wins Three Silver Medals (Olympics)

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THE GOLDEN BOY GOES EIGHT FOR EIGHT

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps now holds the all-time record for most gold medals won during a single Olympics. Phelps won his eighth and final gold medal of the 2008 Olympics on Sunday morning in Beijing.

Phelps had been chasing down the record held by Mark Spitz, an American swimmer who won seven gold medals in the 1972 Olympics. Phelps tied that record in dramatic fashion on Saturday, when he came back to win the 100 meter butterfly by just one-100th of a second.

Compared to his astonishingly close finish on Saturday, Sunday’s relay was easily won by the American team. In the end, Michael Phelps finished the Olympics with eight gold medals, setting seven world records in the process. It is one of the greatest individual accomplishments in the modern history of sports, and a record that is expected to last for years to come.

Quote of the Week: ”Eight is a lucky number in China. Well, they started the Olympics at eight o’clock on 8/8/08, and the biggest individual headliner of these games has gone eight for eight.” — Bob Costas, NBC commentator

Further Reading: ”Phelps’s Epic Journey Ends in Perfection” — Karen Crouse, New York Times

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PODIUM PALS: AMERICANS LIUKIN AND JOHNSON WIN GOLD AND SILVER

On Friday, U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin won the gold medal in the Olympic all-around final in women’s gymnastics. She narrowly edged out her teammate and friend Shawn Johnson, winning by just six tenths of a point.

Liukin, whose father won two gold medals and one silver as a gymnast with the Soviet team in 1980, became just the third woman from the U.S. to ever win the gold in the Olympic all-around. Silver medalist Johnson was largely viewed as the favorite, going into Friday’s competition. Johnson was the reigning world champion going into this year’s Olympic Games.

By taking first and second place and beating out Chinese gymnast Yang Yilin (who finished third), the U.S. team gained a small measure of revenge. Earlier in the week, the U.S. team had experienced a devastating loss to the Chinese team, who won gold while the Americans won silver.

    

Quote of the Week: “It feels great to have this behind us. Nastia deserves that gold medal. I believe I was destined for the silver. I’m still proud of myself.” — Shawn Johnson

Further Reading: ”The Ballerina Vs. the Energizer Bunny” — Meghan O’Rourke, Slate

 

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DARLING DARA MEDALS THREE TIMES

Five-time Olympian and media darling Dara Torres won three several medals in this year’s Olympic Games, tying Jenny Thompson’s record for most medals ever won by an American woman in the process. In one of her events, Torres fell just one-hundredth short of winning the gold.

A 41-year old mother, Torres is an anomaly in Olympic swimming, where the vast majority of the competitors are significantly younger–many are more than 20 years her junior. In a sport where the strongest competitors are, for the most part, in their twenties, and even swimmers in their thirties (like U.S. swimmer Jason Lezak) joke about their age, to have a 41-year old swimmer put up this level of competition is extraordinary.

On her final day of competition, Torres competed in two final events. After receiving her medal for the first of those events, she had to jog straight from the podium back to the pool in time for her second final event. “I did this in Sydney,” Torres later said, “but I was 33 then.”

Quote of the Week: “Torres has been doing it since the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where she won a gold medal…. Michael Phelps, the all-time leader in Olympic gold medals with 14, was not even born. A full three-quarters of Torres’ 2008 female teammates weren’t, either.” — Brian Cazaneuve, Sports Illustrated

Further Reading: ”Germany’s Steffen outduels Torres for gold in 50” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: OLYMPICS: The Olympics continue this week, now without Michael Phelps. The games run through August 24th. A schedule of the events is available here. Finals are marked in gold.

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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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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The pre-season runs through 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. USA Today and the Associated Press have both ranked Georgia as the number one team. [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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:: 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. The U.S. Open begins on August 25th. [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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:: 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]

August 11, Week in Sports

::   OLYMPIC GAMES BEGIN IN BEIJING (Olympics)

::   PADRAIG HARRING WINS PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (Pro. Golf)

::   BRETT FAVRE TRADED TO N.Y. JETS  (Pro. Football)

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ON YOUR MARK…GET SET…GO!

The 2008 Olympics have officially begun, following the grandiose spectacle of the Opening Ceremony, which took place on Friday. The summer Olympic Games take place every four years.

One of the plot lines for this summer’s Olympics is Michael Phelps’ quest to win eight gold medals. If Phelps were to win gold eight times, he would beat the Olympic record set by Mark Spitz. Spitz was an American swimmer who won seven gold medals in 1972. So far, Phelps is off to a good start, winning the gold medal in his first event, the 400-meter individual medley–a race where the swimmers are required to use all four strokes–as well as his second event, the 4×100 relay, which the U.S. team won in dramatic fashion.

The U.S. men’s basketball team looked strong in their first game on Sunday. The team, led by LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, played against Yao Ming and the Chinese team and won by a score of 101-70.

Tragedy also struck the Olympic Games on Saturday, when the father-in-law of one of the coaches of the U.S. men’s volleyball team was murdered while visiting a historic site in Beijing. Reports so far have indicated that it was just a random, isolated instance of violence, and that the victims had not been targeted because they were foreigners.

Quote of the Week: “I’m not downplaying this race by any means, but I have to put that race behind me. I have to act like it never happened because I have so many tough races ahead of me.” — Michael Phelps, after winning his first gold in Beijing

Further Reading: ”Handicapping Phelps’ run at Olympic glory” — Pat Forde, ESPN

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WHO NEEDS TIGER? PADDY HARRINGTON TAKES TWO IN A ROW

Padraig Harrington, who won the Open Championship earlier this year, won the PGA Championship on Sunday. The PGA Championship is the fourth and final Major tournament of the golf season.

Other than Tiger Woods, no golfer has won two Majors in a single season since 1998. In that sense, Harrington’s feat is all the more significant. Furthermore, there are only three other golfers who have ever won the last two Major tournaments in the same year.

Harrington came back from three shots behind to win over Sergio Garcia. Garcia is one of the best golfers in the world, but he has never won a Major tournament. It is also his second narrow loss to Harrington in a Major. In 2007, Harrington beat Garcia in a playoff to win his first title at the Open.

Quote of the Week: “I think I was willing them into the hole at that stage. You have to get focused and give it a go.” — Padraig Harrington, on his critical putts down the stretch

Further Reading: ”Harrington secures second major in a row with PGA win” — Associated Press, via USA Today

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B-B-B-BRETT FAVRE AND THE JETS

Late Wednesday night, the Brett Favre melodrama came to a conclusion when the Green Bay Packers traded their future Hall-of-Fame quarterback to the New York Jets. Favre’s destination has been a question mark for weeks–now that he is a Jet, the Favre story will continue to draw attention, but it will no longer be front page news.

The Jets have won their division just four times in the past 40 years. In recent years, many critics have traced the team’s problems to an unstable quarterback situation. Chad Pennington, the Jets quarterback, though well liked by Jets fans, has suffered from years of injuries and it has been no secret that the team no longer considered him the quarterback of the future. Now that the Jets have Favre leading the way, they have instantly become a contender in their division–the AFC East.

Quote of the Week: “Big Apple hype guarantees the chronicles of Favre will remain overblown, but at least we’re done being hostages of speculation.” — Jerry Brewer, Seattle Times

Further Reading: ”From Green Bay to Broadway: Favre Is a Jet” — Judy Battista, New York Times

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: OLYMPICS: The Olympics continue this week and run through August 24th. A schedule of the events is available here. Finals are marked in gold.

———-

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]

———-

:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The pre-season runs through 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. USA Today released their rankings for this season, placing Georgia as the number one team. The Associated Press has not yet released their rankings. [NCAA Football, ESPN]

———-

:: 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

———-

:: 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. The U.S. Open begins on August 25th. [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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:: 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]

August 4, Week in Sports

::   MANNY RAMIREZ TRADED TO DODGERS (Pro. Baseball)

::   FAVRE REINSTATED IN NFL (Pro. Football)

::   U.S. BASKETBALL TEAM PREPS FOR OLYMPICS  (Pro. Basketball)

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MAN, OH MANNY! RED SOX SHIP RAMIREZ TO THE DODGERS

Manny Ramirez, the twelve-time All-Star who won two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox, was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers just minutes before the MLB trading deadline on July 31st. Ramirez is one of the biggest names in the league, so his surprise move to Los Angeles is significant.

In the weeks leading up to the trading deadline, the relationship between Manny and the Red Sox got significantly worse. Manny publicly stated that the Red Sox didn’t deserve a player of his caliber, then half-heartedly played a week’s worth of games, then stated that he would like to be traded. In the end, he got his wish. The Red Sox, desperate to get rid of Ramirez, gave up the former World Series MVP for very little, though they landed Pirates outfielder Jason Bay as part of the deal sending Manny to L.A.

Future Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. was traded the same morning, moving from the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox.

Quote of the Week: “I like this city, the environment, the energy in the fans. I think that I’ll play here for the remainder of my career.” — Manny Ramirez, on the city of Los Angeles

Further Reading: ”Manny, Junior relocate” — Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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HE’S BACK…FAVRE’S RETURN TO NFL OFFICIAL

In the latest development in the Brett Favre soap opera, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell officially reinstated the Green Bay Packers quarterback on Sunday.

Over the past few weeks, Favre has made it clear that he wants to come out of his brief retirement to play again this year. Now that Goodell has reinstated him, Favre is officially back in the league. However, Goodell’s decision in no way answers the question on everyone’s mind: where is Brett Favre going to play this year? The Packers have made it clear that they are reluctant to bring Favre back–even reportedly going so far as to offer him $25 million to stay retired. But it looks like Favre will reject that deal, in which case the Packers are going to have to make up their minds by either welcoming him back on the team or trading him. Goodell’s decision to reinstate Favre is expected to force Packers management to make a decision this week.

Quote of the Week: “The Brett Favre saga has gone on for so long now, that it actually causes physical pain to hear mention of his name. If NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has his way, though, the beginning of the end to the nauseating Favre-Packers standoff will mercifully start early next week.” — Marcel Mutoni, Deadspin

Further Reading: ”Goodell Reinstates Favre” — ESPN

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THE RETURN OF THE ‘DREAM TEAM’?

On Sunday, the U.S. Olympic team beat the Russian squad in an exhibition game meant as a warm-up for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. The U.S. team, exclusively composed of players from the NBA, has its sights set on the gold medal.

In 1992, the U.S. basketball team, nicknamed the “Dream Team,” completely dominated the competition. That domination continued until 2004, when the American team was knocked off its pedestal–an embarrassment, considering the team was stacked with the best players in the world. Since then, the U.S. team has played like they have something to prove. This year’s squad is the team to beat in Beijing. The players include the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmello Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul, among others.

That’s not as good as the 1992 Dream Team (which included Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley), but if this year’s team plays with a chip on their shoulder, look for them to put up some fireworks later this month.

Quote of the Week: “Yes, they’re the favorites. No, they don’t expect to be crowned Dream Team 2.0 without having earned it.” — Chris Sheridan, ESPN

Further Reading: ”Kobe scores 19 as US thwarts Russia” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: GOLF: The PGA Championship, the last Golf Major of the year, takes place this week.

:: OLYMPICS: The Opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is Friday, August 8th. From then until August 24th, the Olympics will be the focus of the sporting world’s attention.

———-

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]

———-

:: 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 PGA Championship takes place this week. [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 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

———-

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 runs through 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]

———-

:: BASKETBALL

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