SportSpectator Blog

June 9, Week in Sports

:: DA’ TARA WINS BELMONT, SPOILS BIG BROWN’S TRIPLE CROWN RUN (Horse Racing)

:: RED WINGS WIN STANLEY CUP (Pro. Hockey)

:: RAFAEL NADAL TOPS FEDERER IN FRENCH OPEN (Tennis)

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NO CROWN FOR BROWN

On Saturday, Da’ Tara won the Belmont Stakes, one of the three most prestigious horse racing events of the year. Big Brown, who had a chance to win the Triple Crown with a Belmont victory, finished in last place.

Da’ Tara was a huge underdog going into Saturday’s race, listed as the longest shot to win. However, Da’ Tara will be remembered for years to come, not just for overcoming the odds, but for defeating Big Brown. Big Brown had won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and his trainer stated that a victory at the Belmont was “a foregone conclusion.” However, Big Brown looked sluggish on Saturday and ultimately finished the race in last place. This was primarily because his jockey realized that he would be unable to finish in the top five, and thus eased up on Big Brown, whose breeding rights alone are reportedly worth more than $50 million.

Quote of the Week: “If Big Brown was himself, he would’ve been tough to beat, but he wasn’t himself. That’s why they play the game.” — Nick Zito, Da’ Tara’s trainer

Further Reading: “Da’ Tara steals spotlight, Belmont from Big Brown” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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RED WINGS TAKE TITLE BACK TO HOCKEYTOWN

The Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night. Winning the Stanley Cup is the highest honor in the National Hockey League.

The Red Wings looked dominant throughout the playoffs, and that dominance extended to the Stanley Cup Finals, as well. The Red Wings were on the verge of winning the championship at home earlier in the week, but the Penguins tied the game with thirty seconds left and went on to win it. However, the Penguins’ luck did not extend to Wednesday’s game, where the Red Wings won by a score of 3-2, clinching the title.

The Stanley Cup playoffs have a long and storied past, and the trophy itself is full of history and tradition. There is only one Stanley Cup trophy, which is passed on every year to the new champion. One of the biggest traditions associated with the trophy is for the winning team to drink champagne out of it. The individual players from the winning team also get to spend one private day with the trophy. Over the years, players have eaten out of the Cup, drank from the Cup, damaged it, and defiled it in various ways, after which it is cleaned and repaired for future years.

Quote of the Week: “I’ve had to wipe away a few tears. This is why I play in Detroit.” — Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings’ Goaltender

Further Reading: “Wings paint Hockeytown Red” — Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press

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RAFAEL NADAL, NUMERO UNO

Rafael Nadal, the Spaniard who is ranked as the second-best men’s tennis player in the world, defeated Roger Federer (the number one player in the world) to win the French Open. The French Open is the second Grand Slam event of the year.

Federer is universally recognized as the best tennis player in the world today, and perhaps the greatest player of all time. However, Nadal has beaten Federer in the French Open the past four years, and every year the match-up draws a great deal of attention. As such, the rivalry between Nadal and Federer is on par with just about any individual rivalry in professional sports.

Ana Ivanovic, the top-ranked women’s tennis player in the world, defeated Dinara Safina to win the women’s title.

Quote of the Week: “Today it was tough for Roger, I think, and I have to be respectful with one very good guy.” Rafael Nadal

Further Reading: “Nadal’s fire and emotion propel him to fourth French Open title” — Bonnie Ford, ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL – The NBA Finals, between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, continue this week. Games 3 and 4 are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday.

:: GOLF – The U.S. Open, the second Major Championship of the year, will be played June 12th through June 15th.

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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, so 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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:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The NBA Finals, between the Lakers and the Celtics, continue this week. [Official NBA 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 Masters is over, the next event will be the U.S. Open, which is played from June 9-15. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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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 next event is Wimbledon, which runs from June 23rd to 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]

 

:: MEMPHIS TO PLAY KANSAS FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP (College Basketball)

:: MASTERS TOURNAMENT BEGINS ON THURSDAY (Golf)

:: STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS SET TO BEGIN AFTER TIGHT FINISH (Pro. Hockey)

THE FINAL COUPLE IN THE BIG DANCE

On Monday night, the Memphis Tigers will play the Kansas Jayhawks in the national championship game in San Antonio, Texas. Winning this game and becoming the national champion is the highest goal of every men’s college basketball team.

Both the Tigers and the Jayhawks enter the championship after incredibly successful seasons and impressive victories in the tournament. On Saturday, Memphis handily defeated the mighty UCLA Bruins, who had been regarded as one of the strongest teams in the tournament, by a score of 78-63. Later on Saturday night, Kansas boasted a victory against the University of North Carolina, who entered the tournament as the top-ranked team. Kansas exploded out to a 28 point lead early in the game, and though UNC made a comeback, they ultimately lost the game 84-66: an absolutely shocking blowout.
Given the fact that both Memphis and Kansas had big victories over two of the strongest, most athletic teams in college basketball, this championship game promises to be a great one.

Quote of the Week: “With the team we have, man, it’s hard beating us. We are going to find a way to win somehow because that’s what we do. We’re just a great team.” — Derrick Rose, superstar guard for the Memphis Tigers
Further Reading: “Memphis, Kansas ready to put it all on the line” — Kelly Whiteside, USA Today

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FORE! WOODS LOOKING TO ADD FIFTH MASTERS TITLE

The Masters Tournament, the first of the annual “Major Championships,” is slated to begin on Thursday. The Masters is played every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, and as one of the most important golf events of the year, the outcome of this tournament is always a matter of national news.
Tiger Woods has won the Masters four times in his career–most recently in 2005. Because of his outstanding record playing this tournament, and because of the fact that he is the top-ranked golfer in the world, all eyes will be on Woods this week. However, Phil Mickelson, who is also one of the highest-ranked golfers in the world, has won the Masters two times in the past five years, so expectations are very high for him as well.
The tournament begins on Thursday and goes through Sunday. After Friday, roughly half of the competitors will be cut.

Quote of the Week: “He’s making a difficult game look so easy, making the world’s best players look like chops. I’m just fortunate to have a front-row seat to witness this.” — Steve DiMeglio, USA Today Sports Writer, in reference to Tiger Woods
Further Reading: “Major questions entering the Masters” — Jason Sobel, ESPN

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POSTSEASON HOCKEY TEAMS READY TO FACE OFF

The Stanley Cup Playoffs–the post-season for professional hockey–begins on Wednesday.

This year’s regular season ended in dramatic fashion, with teams fighting for playoff spots going into the final weekend of the season. The emotions reached a peak on Saturday, when the Washington Capitals won their division after finishing in last place the previous three years. The Capitals and 7 other teams will represent the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. The eight teams from the Western Conference include the two strongest teams of the 2007-08 season–the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks.

While the NHL is less popular in the United States than the three other major professional sports (MLB, NBA, NFL), the playoffs generally receive more attention than the regular season. Furthermore, the competitors in the league are getting younger, flashier, and better, and players like Alexander Ovechkin (Washington) and Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh) are quickly growing into household names. With both of those players in the playoffs this year, the games should be all the more entertaining.

Quote of the Week: “We’ve been telling people, ‘Be patient and we’ll wake up one morning and have a good team.’ And I think that morning is tomorrow morning.” — George McPhee, general manager for the Capitals
Further Reading: “Seventh straight win sends Caps to Southeast Division title, playoffs” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL — The national championship will be decided on Monday night at 9:21 pm, Eastern. As the pinnacle of the college basketball season with the nation’s two best teams going head to head, it should be an amazing event to watch.

:: GOLF — The Masters runs from Thursday to Sunday. Some people watch every hole of every round. Most people just tune in on Sunday to see whether or not Tiger Woods is going to have another dramatic victory. Watch accordingly.

:: HOCKEY — The playoffs begin this Wednesday. The following teams are in the playoffs this year: Montreal, Boston, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Washington, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, Detroit, Nashville, San Jose, Calgary, Minnesota, Colorado, Anaheim, Dallas. If your city made the playoffs, it’s time to brush up on those players’ names. If not, there’s always next year, eh?

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): With only a few weeks 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. Several teams will be fighting here on out to get into the playoffs–perhaps most notably Denver, Dallas, and Golden State, who are battling for the two final playoff spots in the Western Conference. [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The Championship game of this year’s NCAA tournament will be played on April 7 between Kansas and Memphis. [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 is played on the same course every year at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The first round of the Masters is on Thursday, April 10 and runs through Sunday, April 13. [Official PGA Website]

NOTABLE PLAYERS: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els

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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin this week. Sixteen teams qualified for the playoffs—eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference. The Detroit Red Wings (Western Conference) finished the season with the best record in the NHL. The San Jose Sharks, also from the Western Conference, had the second best record. [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 fans are now a full week into the regular season. Baseball season is long, so 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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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The NFL Draft takes place on April 25th and 26th. The 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]