SportSpectator Blog

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]

June 16, Week in Sports

:: TIGER WOODS WINS U.S. OPEN (Golf)

:: LAKERS STAY ALIVE AGAINST CELTICS (Basketball)

:: KEN GRIFFEY JR. HITS HOME RUN NO. 600 (Pro. Baseball)

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TIGER, TIGER, BURNING BRIGHT

Tiger Woods won the U.S. Open on Monday afternoon, defeating underdog Rocco Mediate by one stroke in a playoff round. This is Woods’ 3rd U.S. Open title and 14th major championship.

It wasn’t easy for Woods, partly because he was hampered by a leg injury, but also because his opponent, Mediate, played five rounds of extraordinary golf. But the weekend ultimately belonged to Woods, who had half a dozen huge shots to add to the highlight reel. This included a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th and final hole on Sunday, which forced the playoff round on Monday.

Woods also birdied the 18th hole on Monday, forcing sudden death against Mediate, where Woods finally claimed the title.

Quote of the Week: “It just was an unbelievable week. I was up and down, up and down all week.” — Tiger Woods

Further Reading: “Legendary Roar” — ESPN news

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LAKERS HEAD BACK TO BOSTON, DOWN 3-2

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics on Sunday night by a score of 103-98. The Celtics are currently leading the Lakers 3-2 in the NBA Finals, which puts them one win away from taking the championship.

The Lakers have underperformed so far in the Finals series, surrendering big leads and missing critical shots late in the games. The Celtics have capitalized on those failures and had built up a strong 3-1 lead in the series going into Sunday. While the Lakers managed to stay alive in Game 5, they would have to win the next two games to take the series.

No team in Finals history has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the championship.

Quote of the Week: “I know I didn’t want to see the Celtics celebrating [on] my home floor with champagne and all that crap,” Lakers forward Pau Gasol

Further Reading: “Lakers ready to make history?” — Marc Stein, ESPN

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“JUNIOR” HITS 600th DINGER

Last Monday, Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 600th home run of his career. Only five other players in major league history have hit more than 600 home runs.

Griffey’s accomplishment puts him in the company of Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Sammy Sosa–five of the most elite names in the history of the game. However, his achievement is perhaps even more significant because unlike Sosa and Bonds, Griffey has never been accused of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. In addition to his unimpeachable reputation, Griffey is one of the nicest guys in the game–a class act and fan favorite who many believe would have broken the all-time home run record were it not for the chronic injuries that plagued his career.

Quote of the Week: “I don’t think I touched any of the bases. I just sort of floated around.” — Ken Griffey Jr.

Further Reading: “Griffey’s feat demands only respect” — Paul Daugherty, USA Today

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASKETBALL – The Celtics-Lakers series continues on Tuesday. If the Lakers can scrape out another win over the Celtics, it would force Game 7 on Thursday night.

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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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:: 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 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. 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]

 

:: NCAA TOURNAMENT DOWN TO “FINAL FOUR” TEAMS (College Basketball)

:: BASEBALL BEGINS, OPENING DAY (Pro. Baseball)

:: TIGER WOODS WINNING STREAK ENDS (Golf)

MIDNIGHT STRIKES FOR CINDERELLA DAVIDSON; FOUR TOP-RANKED TEAMS STAY ALIVE

The NCAA Tournament has been narrowed down to four teams–North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis, and Kansas. This is the first time that the four top-ranked teams in the tournament have all made it to the Final Four.

While each of these four teams had their own unique journey to the Final Four, perhaps the most emotional victory came when Kansas knocked off Davidson on Sunday night. Davidson was undoubtedly this year’s Cinderella–a low-ranked team who becomes a kind of nationally supported underdog, winning the hearts of casual fans everywhere. However, Davidson’s tournament run came to an end when they faced Kansas, one of four top-ranked teams in the tournament. With Davidson eliminated, only four teams remain, all of which were 1-seeds in the tournament. Never before in the history of the NCAA tournament has this taken place.

However, within a week, two of those #1-ranked teams will be sent home. On Saturday, UCLA plays Memphis and North Carolina plays Kansas. The games should be filled with an unprecedented amount media attention and intensity. The two teams that survive Saturday’s games will play for the national championship on Monday.

Quote of the Week: “And then there were ones. Four No. 1s, that is.” — Associated Press

Further Reading: “Goliath slays Davidson, Curry as KU holds on” –Associated Press, via ESPN

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TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME!

Baseball season officially began last week, when the Boston Red Sox and the Oakland Athletics played two games in Tokyo, Japan. However, for the remaining teams in the league, Opening Day–the first day of the regular season–will take place this week in the States.
With the excitement of Opening Day comes the optimism of fans across the country that this year will be the year that their team wins the World Series. But since the baseball season is roughly six months long, there is a lot of baseball yet to be played. However, there are three story lines that will surely come up throughout the course of the 2008 season, revolving around the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, and the Chicago Cubs.
This year is the Yankees’ last year in Yankee Stadium. The historic venue, where baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio played, will be replaced next year by New Yankee Stadium. As a result, this year the Yankees will get even more national attention than they already do. The New York Mets are also playing their last season at Shea Stadium this year.
The Boston Red Sox, who won the World Series last year, continue to grow in popularity around the country, rivaling the Yankees as the highest profile team in the country. While baseball analysts are generally reluctant to pick a favorite before the season begins, many baseball writers around the country think that the Red Sox are strong enough to win the World Series again this year.
The Cubs, the Lovable Losers from the North Side of Chicago, have now gone 100 years without winning a World Series. The Cubs’ losing ways are always a popular topic among baseball enthusiasts, so this year the team will undoubtedly be a center of attention in sports.

Quote of the Week: “How did the Dodgers and Red Sox just draw 115,300 fans for an exhibition baseball game? How can any sport in the world possibly top baseball?” — Mark Newman, baseball writer
Further Reading: “Feel-good vibes as baseball returns” — Mark Newman, MLB.com

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WOODS TAKES FIRST DEFEAT IN SIX MONTHS

Last Monday, Tiger Woods finished in fifth place in the CA Championship at Doral. That would hardly be newsworthy, were it not for the fact that it is the first time that Woods has lost a tournament in six months.

Geoff Ogilvy, who won the tournament, finished two shots ahead of Woods. Ogilvy’s victory was particularly impressive because of the big names that he narrowly beat out in addition to Woods–Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, and Jim Furyk. Woods had won the past three years at Doral.

Now that Woods has finally lost, the golf world will be turning its attention to the Masters–the first of the four Major tournaments–which will take place in April.

Quote of the Week: “It has come to this: When Woods doesn’t win, it counts as stunning news.” — Associated Press
Further Reading: “Winner Ogilvy glad to see Tiger’s winning streak is history” — Associated Press, via ESPN

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE BASKETBALL — The NCAA Tournament has been narrowed down to four teams–the Final Four. The next round of the tournament will be played on April 5th when UCLA plays Memphis, and the University of North Carolina plays Kansas.

:: PRO. BASEBALL –The regular season begins this week. Games will be played across the country every day, so tune in and root, root, root for the home team.

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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 final playoff spot in the Western Conference. [Official NBA Website]

NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL (College): The Final Four round of this year’s NCAA tournament will be played on April 5, and the Championship game will be played on April 7. [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 only a couple weeks 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. Nashville, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Chicago–all within a handful of points of each other–are battling every night to win the final playoff spot in the Western 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): The pre-season is now officially over and the regular season has begun. 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]

:: “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]