October 27, Week in Sports
October 27, Week in Sports
:: PHILLIES LEAD RAYS 3-1 IN WORLD SERIES (Pro. Baseball)
:: COWBOYS SNAP TWO-GAME LOSING STREAK (Pro. Football)
:: NBA SEASON PREVIEW (Pro. Basketball)
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PHILLY FEVER
The Philadelphia Phillies are currently leading the Tampa Bay Rays 3 games to 1 in the World Series, which means they are one win away from taking the title. The World Series is a best-of-seven series that determines the champion at the conclusion of the baseball season.Up until Sunday night, every game in the series had been decided by just one or two runs, making for a very close, extremely competitive matchup. However, the Phillies, sparked by two home runs by slugger Ryan Howard, beat the Rays 10-2 in Game 4, which has changed the nature of the series completely. With a 3-1 advantage, the Phillies are now poised to win the championship. They only need one more win to finish off the Rays in the World Series, and their chances look very good–especially considering the fact that their best pitcher, Cole Hamels, is scheduled to take the mound in the next game.
But as Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” The Rays are not finished yet. The remaining games in the series will be played on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday night.
Quote of the Week: ”It will be absolute bedlam. It will be one of the craziest places on Earth.” — Ryan Howard, on what Philadelphia will be like if the Phillies win
Further Reading: “Wide Awake” — Associated Press, via ESPN
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STAR POWER: COWBOYS EKE OUT WIN OVER BUCS
The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-9 on Sunday afternoon, snapping a two-game losing streak. The Cowboys were off to a good start this year, but they have struggled greatly the past two weeks. Since they were widely expected to be a Super Bowl caliber team, their struggles have not gone unnoticed.
Part of the reason that the Cowboys have played so poorly lately has been because of the mounting injuries the team has sustained–the most important of which is Tony Romo’s broken pinkie, which has sidelined the team’s superstar quarterback. Without Romo, the Cowboys have relied on backup quarterback Brad Johnson. Johnson was coming off a particularly poor performance, which made Sunday’s victory all the more important for the Cowboys. Moreover, the Buccaneers are one of the better teams in the league, so the Cowboys’ victory is a strong indication that they are still one of the most competitive squads in the NFL. Once Romo is back and healthy, the Cowboys will likely recover their status as one of the favorites to go far in the postseason this year.
Quote of the Week: “We got the dinks and dunks.” — Terrell Owens, Cowboys receiver, on the team’s narrow victory
Further Reading: “Star Turn” — Associated Press, via ESPN
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HOOP DREAMS
The 2008-09 NBA season begins this Tuesday with three games: Cleveland vs. Boston, Milwaukee vs. Chicago, and Portland vs. Los Angeles. The NBA season always begins in late October and the regular season runs through April of the following year.
Since every team begins the year feeling optimistic, only time will tell which teams will be the strongest this season. However, there are a number of story lines that figure to be prominent in the 2008-09 season.
1. Boston Celtics: Last year, the Celtics were the story of the year. After trading for Kevin Garnett, they had the winningest team in the league, and they ultimately won the NBA Finals. Everyone will be watching to see whether or not they can repeat last year’s success and defend their title.
2. Los Angeles Lakers: Last year, the Lakers made it to the NBA Finals, where they were easily defeated by the Celtics. However, with star guard Kobe Bryant at the helm, the Lakers are perennial contenders, and expectations will be high this year, as always.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Since the arrival of LeBron James, the Cavaliers have become one of the most exciting teams to watch every year. James is one of the best players in the league, and since he single-handedly led his team to the Finals in 2007, everyone knows that his presence alone raises the game to a championship level of play.
Quote of the Week: “
Further Reading: SI.COM’S NBA ENEMY LINES – Sports Illustrated’s team-by-team preview
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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
:: BASEBALL: The World Series continues this week, with games to be played on Monday night, and then Wednesday and Thursday night if necessary.
:: BASKETBALL: The NBA season begins this week. On opening night, the Cleveland Cavaliers — Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers — Portland Trail Blazers will play featured games on TNT.
:: FOOTBALL: Next Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants are playing each other at 4:15 ET. Both teams have had good seasons, and a lot of pride will be on the line, so it should make for an outstanding game.
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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE
ACTIVE SEASON
:: BASEBALL
MLB (Pro. Baseball): The World Series begins this week. The best-of-seven series is the culmination of the baseball season, and this year it will be played by the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies. [Official MLB Website]
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:: FOOTBALL
NFL (Pro. Football): The regular season is now underway. The standings will begin to take shape in just a few weeks, once teams begin to play their division rivals. [Official NFL Website]
NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The college football season is now in full swing. The BCS Standings currently place Texas 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
:: BASKETBALL
NBA (Pro. Basketball): The Celtics defeated the Lakers to win the NBA Finals, ending the 2008 season. The 2008-09 season runs from late October to April of 2009, when the playoffs commence. [Official NBA Website]
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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