SportSpectator Blog

:: DETROIT LIONS POISED FOR WORST SEASON EVER (Pro. Football):: NFL ENTERS FINAL WEEK OF REGULAR SEASON (Pro. Football)

:: TYLER HANSBROUGH SETS SCORING RECORD (College. Basketball)

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WORST. TEAM. EVER.

The New Orleans Saints crushed the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon, bringing the Lions’ record to 0-15, the worst record in NFL history. If the Lions lose next week, they would hold the dubious honor of being the only team in the history of the NFL ever to go 0-16 in the regular season.

The Detroit Lions are one of the most famous train-wreck franchises in professional sports. The Lions have had ten or more losses in seven of the past eight years, and the last time they won a playoff game was in 1991. The man who had been responsible for putting together these awful teams, Matt Millen, was finally fired in September of this year. Detroit fans have called for Millen’s firing for years, holding “Fire Millen” signs at games, and organizing the “Millen Man March” to protest his continued employment by the Lions.

The Lions have one last chance to avoid the humiliation of an 0-16 season. Next Sunday, they play the Green Bay Packers (at Lambeau Field, in Green Bay). Neither team can make the playoffs, so the only thing on the line will be pride.

Quote of the Week: “You know what was ‘a Brees,’ Detroit Free Press headline writers? The Saints’ beatdown of your winless Lions.” — Marcel Mutoni, Deadspin

Further Reading: ”Saints add to Lions’ misery with rout as Detroit is first 0-15 team in NFL history” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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ARE YOU READY FOR SOME PLAYOFFS?

With one week left in the NFL regular season, teams are priming themselves for the playoffs. The NFL playoffs are the culmination of the football season, and they ultimately lead to the Super Bowl, the biggest sports event in the country.

Many teams have already locked up their spots in the playoffs: the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, and Atlanta Falcons have all secured playoff spots. The Tennessee Titans, who defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, also secured home field advantage for the playoffs. However, a handful of playoff spots have yet to be decided, and will come down to next weekend’s games.

Like every sport, the final week before the NFL playoffs can be an unpredictable time, where several unlikely playoff contenders can still reach the post-season if a number of things happen. For casual fans, these scenarios can be hard to follow. During the middle of the week, www.nfl.com will publish season recaps for many of the teams still in contention, and explain all of the possible playoff possibilities.

Quote of the Week: “The playoff picture will still be fuzzy with a week to go. Here’s what we do know: the AFC’s road to Tampa Bay will go through Tennessee.” — ESPN.com

Further Reading: “Rapid Reactions” — This piece, written by ESPN’s staff writers, summarizes what happened this past weekend in the NFL, and offers a look forward to some of next week’s games

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Passing of the Guard

This week, University of North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough became the all-time leading scorer at UNC. Hansbrough was last year’s college basketball player of the year, and he is the face of the No. 1-ranked Tar Heels.

Before Hansbrough broke the scoring record, it had been held by Phil Ford for 30 years. Ford is one of the most famous players ever in the UNC basketball program. His record outlasted some of the greatest players in college basketball history, including Michael Jordan and James Worthy. While Hansbrough has been one of the most successful college athletes of his time, with this record, he has truly left his footprint on the game.

Many people were surprised last year when Hansbrough announced that he would be declining to enter himself in the NBA draft in order to complete another year at North Carolina. For the time being, though, Hansbrough is probably pleased with his decision. He has now established a record that should last a long time, and his Tar Heels are currently the best team in the country.

Quote of the Week: “I’m usually not nervous before games, and I was a little nervous before tonight just because I felt like there was a lot of pressure. One thing for me, I didn’t want us to strictly focus on trying to break a scoring record. We had a game and I was trying to do whatever I could to help the team.” — Tyler Hansbrough

Further Reading:  ”Hansbrough sets career scoring record in UNC win vs. Evansville” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: PRO. FOOTBALL: Are the Detroit Lions the worst team in the history of professional football? We’ll find out this week, as the Lions play the Green Bay Packers at 1 ET on Sunday. Before that, though, there is a big game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers tonight. The Bears-Packers rivalry is one of the biggest in sports, and the Bears need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

 

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The 2008-09 season is currently underway. It runs from late October to April of 2009, when the playoffs commence.  [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The college basketball season is currently underway and runs through “the Tournament,” which takes place in March. [CBS Sports]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The regular season only has one week left, after which the playoffs begin. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The regular season is over and the bowl games have already started. Florida and Oklahoma will play each other in the national championship game. [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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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The hockey season runs through April of 2009. By the new year, the league power rankings should be pretty well set. [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 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

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OFFSEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in this year’s World Series. During the off-season, baseball news will focus on major trades and player signings. [Official MLB Website]

 

November 10, Week in Sports

 

:: BARACK OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT (Pro. Sports)

:: ALLEN IVERSON TRADED TO PISTONS (College Football)

:: TENNESSEE TITANS IMPROVE TO 9-0 RECORD (Pro. Football)

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NOW STARTING, FROM CHICAGO, NUMBER 44…

As President-elect Barack Obama sets up his transitional office, the sports world is abuzz with questions about what his presidency will mean for American athletics.

Obama’s passion for sports is well-documented. He is a huge fan of the Chicago White Sox, well-informed on the nuances of fantasy football, and a proponent for playoffs in NCAA football. He also plays basketball regularly, and earlier stated that if he were elected President, he would have a basketball court installed at the White House. While all of these issues relate to Obama as a sports fan, his presidency is also expected to have practical consequences in professional sports. For instance, many experts have noted that his tax policies would effect team owners and players, which ultimately might be a determining factor in free agency signings and player contracts. It is hard to tell whether or not that will actually be an issue, but sports analysts are closely monitoring the player market in Major League Baseball to see whether or not Obama’s election has an impact.

Of course, Obama is by no means the first President with connections to professional sports. George W. Bush was a former owner of the Texas Rangers, who pressured lawmakers and sports commissioners to clean up the world of professional sports, which played a big part in the steroid investigations in baseball and other sports.

Quote of the Week: ”I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football. I’m fed up with these computer rankings and this and that and the other. Get eight teams–the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a National Champion.” — Barack Obama, on college football

Further Reading: ”Change is coming to sports, too, under Obama” – Lester Munson, ESPN

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DETROIT FINDS ‘THE ANSWER’

 

In a dramatic move that is shaking up the league, the Detroit Pistons traded star guard Chauncey Billups and two other players for Denver Nuggets superstar Allen Iverson. Iverson is one of the biggest stars in the league, and Billups was the NBA Finals MVP when the Pistons won the title in 2004.

The Pistons, who have made the playoffs every year since 2001, are one of the strongest teams in the league. During their current streak of making the playoffs, Billups has been one of the faces of the franchise, which made this trade a hard decision for Detroit. However, during their years of success, the Pistons have only managed to bring home the championship once, in 2004. By adding Allen “The Answer” Iverson, the Pistons are hoping to reclaim the NBA title. That being said, picking up Iverson is a risky move that could potentially flop, as it did with the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets, who also thought that Iverson was “the Answer.”

The Nuggets, on the other hand, are thrilled to have Billups on board. They have made the playoffs every year since 2003, but every single year they have been knocked out of the postseason in the first round. The Nuggets are hoping that they addition of the veteran Billups, known for his poise and passing game, will help the team advance in the playoffs this year.

Quote of the Week: “Whoa, now this came out of leftfield.” — Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press

Further Reading: “Pistons get Iverson for Billups, McDyess, Samb” — Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press

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TITAN-IC SEASON

 

The Tennessee Titans improved to a league-best record of 9-0 with a 21-14 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The Titans have all but guaranteed a spot in the playoffs this year, and they have a chance to finish the regular season with a perfect record–one of the most difficult team achievements in sports.

 

The Titans are not a flashy team, and their biggest players are not household names. As a result, they have earned their 9-0 record very quietly, and week in and week out their doubters predict that they will lose their first game. However, the Titans have gone on winning, primarily because of the production of their explosive running backs, Chris Johnson and Lendale White. Despite a terrible performance by both Johnson and White on Sunday, the Titans still managed to beat the Bears, preserving their flawless record.

 

Part of the reason that the Titans’ success has received so little attention thus far is because of the fact that last year, the New England Patriots went undefeated in the regular season for the first time in decades. The Patriots–who had glam-quarterback Tom Brady and stud receiver Randy Moss–were a team that fans around the country loved or hated with equal passion. The Titans, for the time being, have yet to inspire those kinds of emotions in casual fans. If they continue to win these next few weeks, though, they will be the center of attention for the most popular sport in the country.

Quote of the Week: “Maybe they have some kind of angel around them or something. I don’t know” — Rashied Davis, Bears Wide Receiver

Further Reading:  “Perfect Form” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL: The College basketball season begins this week. While there are no major match-ups in the first few days of the season, many of the top teams in the country will get their first taste of the national spotlight. If you’re looking for an edge in your office pool next March, now is the time to start scouting teams.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

 

:: BASKETBALL

NBA (Pro. Basketball): The 2008-09 season is currently underway. It runs from late October to April of 2009, when the playoffs commence.  [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The college basketball season begins on November 10th and runs through “the Tournament,” which takes place in March. [CBS Sports]

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:: FOOTBALL

NFL (Pro. Football): The regular season is now underway. The Tennessee Titans are currently the best team in the league, with an undefeated record. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The college football season is now in full swing. The BCS Standings currently place Alabama as the best team in the country. [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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:: HOCKEY

NHL (Pro. Hockey): The hockey season runs through April of 2009. By the new year, the league power rankings should be pretty well set. [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 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

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OFFSEASON

 

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in this year’s World Series. During the off-season, baseball news will focus on major trades and player signings. [Official MLB Website]