SportSpectator Blog

January 5, Week in Sports

:: NFL POST-SEASON BEGINS (Pro. Football)

:: USC TROUNCES PENN STATE IN ROSE BOWL (College Football)

:: RED WINGS TOP BLACKHAWKS IN WINTER CLASSIC (Pro. Hockey)

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AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT…

This weekend marked the beginning of the NFL playoffs. There were four games, which means that four teams advanced on the post-season path toward the Super Bowl: the Arizona Cardinals, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and Philadelphia Eagles.

The most surprising moment so far in the post-season came during the game between the Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts. The Chargers won the game in overtime–a surprising outcome, given the fact that the Chargers had a shaky season and the Colts were universally regarded as one of the strongest teams in the playoffs. In any case, the season is now over for Indianapolis and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who was recently named the league MVP by the Associated Press.

Other major NFL news came earlier in the week, when a series of coach firings were announced. The fired coaches included Romeo Crennel (Cleveland Browns), Eric Mangini (N.Y. Jets), and Mike Shanahan (Denver Broncos). None of the members of that group were too surprising, except for Shanahan, who led the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl victories in the late 90s.

Quote of the Week: ”For the sixth time in nine playoff appearances, Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts have been bounced from the playoffs in the first round.” — Dashiell Bennett, Deadspin

Further Reading: ”An early ending for the Colts, again” — Paul Kuharsky, ESPN

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COMING UP ROSES

The USC Trojans defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions to win the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Rose Bowl is the oldest bowl game in the country, and one of the most famous.

This is the third year in a row that the Trojans have won the Rose Bowl. While many teams in the country would look at a Rose Bowl victory as a huge accomplishment, in many ways, it is a consolation prize for USC. Every year, the Trojans are projected to be one of the best teams in the nation, and even though they generally live up to expectations, they have not made the national championship game since 2005, when they lost to Texas.

The loss in the Rose Bowl came as a big disappointment to Penn State, who had an outstanding season and finished the season ranked sixth in the nation. Penn State belongs to the Big Ten conference, and under the current Bowl Game system, the Rose Bowl is played between teams from the Big Ten and Pac-10 conferences. However, the Big Ten has had no success at the Rose Bowl under the current system, and the last time it came home from Pasadena victorious was in 2000, when Wisconsin beat Stanford.

Quote of the Week: “It would take a heck of a football team to beat Southern Cal the way they played today.” — Joe Paterno, Penn State’s Head Coach

Further Reading: “Trojans are in full flower in Rose Bowl victory” — Gary Klein, LA Times

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BLACKHAWKS DOWN

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4 in the Winter Classic, an outdoor hockey game played on New Year’s Day. The Winter Classic is one of the most widely watched hockey events of the year, and this year’s game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field between the rival Red Wings and Blackhawks was very highly anticipated.

The Detroit Red Wings won the championship last year, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals. They are also traditionally one of the strongest teams in the league. The Chicago Blackhawks, though one of the original teams in the league, have gone years without making the playoffs, and the Chicago fan base has been largely indifferent to the team as a result. In the past two years, though, that has changed dramatically. After the owner of the Blackhawks died, his son completely overhauled the team’s image, and so far this year the Blackhawks have the best attendance in the league, as well as a very good record. For that reason, and because of the fact that the game was taking place at historic Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, the Winter Classic was a hugely successful event.

A big part of the Blackhawks’ revival has been the play of young superstars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Both players are 20 years old, and they were recently selected to this year’s All-Star team.

Quote of the Week: “If this was the day they re-established themselves as meaningful in this town, it was also a day on which they realized, again, how far they have to go to get to the level of the defending champion Red Wings.” — Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune

Further Reading:  “Winter Classic a perfect day” — Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: COLLEGE FOOTBALL: On Thursday night, Oklahoma and Florida will face off in the BCS national championship game. This game is the most important event of the college football season, and is widely watched around the country.

:: PRO. FOOTBALL: The playoffs continue next weekend. For the full schedule, check your local paper or www.nfl.com.

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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 playoffs continue this week and culminate in the Super Bowl, which takes place later in January. [Official NFL Website]

NCAA FOOTBALL (College): The regular season is over and the bowl games are almost over. Florida and Oklahoma will play each other in the national championship game on Thursday. [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]

September 29, Week in Sports

 

::   MLB PLAYOFF TEAMS (ALMOST) SET (Pro. Baseball)

::   NO. 1 USC UPSET BY OREGON STATE (College Football)

::   NHL Season Preview (Pro. Hockey)

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HAPPY OCTOBER: BASEBALL POSTSEASON BEGINS THIS WEEK

The baseball regular season is coming to a close, and the playoffs are set to begin this week. The playoff teams are: Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, and either the Chicago White Sox or the Minnesota Twins.

The Milwaukee Brewers earned a playoff spot on the final day of the season, winning the Wild Card over the New York Mets, who collapsed for the second straight year in a row. While the Brewers scratched and clawed their way into the playoffs, the Dodgers and Phillies earned their spots in the week before. However, as strong as the Dodgers and Phillies have looked down the stretch, it is the Chicago Cubs who enter the post season as the favorite to win the National League pennant. The Chicago Cubs have looked good all year, and many believe that this will be the year that their 100-year championship drought comes to an end.

The American League enters the post-season as the much stronger league. The Tampa Bay Rays stunned everyone by beating out the Yankees and Red Sox for the AL East. The Rays are everyone’s favorite underdog this year–this is the first year that the perennial losers have had a winning record, and it is their first appearance in the playoffs. That being said, the Boston Red Sox are, as always, an explosive team. In spite of all of that, though, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been the best team in baseball this year. After a few recent disappointing post-seasons, the experts expect the Angels to be dangerous this October.

The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins are fighting for the only remaining playoff spot. If the White Sox win their game against the Detroit Tigers on Monday night (a game that had been rained out earlier this year), the White Sox and Twins will face off on Tuesday night. A victory on Tuesday night will give the winning team the final ticket to the post-season.

Quote of the Week: ”The Chicago White Sox aren’t dead. Not yet. But like the Mexican bobcat, the harpy eagle and the gray bat, they are on the endangered species list.” — Phil Rogers, ESPN

Further Reading: ”Year in Review” — Jayson Stark, ESPN

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UPSET U: GIANT-KILLERS STRIKE COLLEGE FOOTBALL

The USC Trojans, the No. 1-ranked college football team in the country, were beaten by an unranked Oregon State team on Thursday night. In a week full of upsets in college football, this one was by far the biggest, and it will result in a major shake-up of next week’s rankings.

The Trojans had recently scored a huge victory, when they stomped on Ohio State–another one of the top-ranked teams in the country–earlier this year. That impressive win had football writers across the country predicting that USC was unbeatable and destined for the national championship game, which features the two top-ranked teams in the country. However, after being toppled 27-21 by Oregon State–by all accounts a pretty mediocre team–USC will have a difficult road to the national championship.

However, USC was not the only team to get upset this week. Florida and Wisconsin, two of the best teams in the country, fell to Mississippi and Michigan, respectively. Alabama also knocked off No. 3-ranked Georgia. In the end, four of the teams in the top ten lost this weekend, which is major news in college football. No. 2 Oklahoma won their game easily, which should earn them the No. 1 spot in next week’s rankings.

Quote of the Week: “This is looking like another upset-intensive season when every one-loss team will get a second chance.” — Pat Forde, ESPN

Further Reading: “String of other upsets could help Trojans in college football poll” — Gary Klein, L.A. Times

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LACING UP

The NHL season begins next weekend, with the Pittsburgh Penguins playing the Ottawa Senators, and the New York Rangers playing the Tampa Bay Lightning. These games will be played abroad, in Stockholm and Prague, to kick off the season. The rest of the teams will begin play in the U.S. on Thursday.

Hockey fans are some of the most loyal and passionate fans in sports, but for the casual sports fan, it can be hard to figure out where to start with the sport. It’s best to just start following a local team on a regular basis and going to games, if possible. But, like any other sport, another great way to start following hockey is by keeping track of the league’s young, flashy, superstar players. With that in mind, here are some names to look out for: Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane. There are plenty of other stars in the league, to be sure (players like Jaromir Jagr and Henrik Zetterberg, among others), but those four young players often grace the league highlight reels. If the league is excited about them, it will make it all the easier for you to get excited about them, too.

Last season, the Detroit Red Wings topped the Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup. Look for both of those teams to be extremely strong again this year.

Further Reading: “View from the Ice” — Darren Eliot, SI.com

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: BASEBALL: The playoffs begin this week, so expect to see a whole lot of baseball fever. But before the playoffs start, the Chicago White Sox play the Detroit Tigers on Monday night. If they win, they will then play the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night–the winner of that game will make the playoffs. If, indeed, it comes down to the Sox and the Twins on Tuesday night, that will be a tremendously exciting game, and will get everyone pumped up for the playoffs.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

 

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): This week marks the first week of the post-season. The eight remaining teams are the Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Brewers, Angels, Rays, Red Sox, and White Sox/Twins. Stay tuned. [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 is now in full swing. USC, the No. 1 team last week, will be bounced after having been upset by Oregon State this week. [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 begins next weekend with four international games. After that, the regular season will begin in the states [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.  [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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September 15, Week in Sports

 

::   PATS QB TOM BRADY OUT FOR THE SEASON (Pro. Football)

::   K-ROD SETS RECORD FOR SAVES (Pro. Baseball)

::   USC TROUNCES OHIO STATE (College Football)

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BYE BYE BRADY

On Monday, the New England Patriots announced that Tom Brady, their star quarterback, would miss the entire season as a result of his injury during last Sunday’s game. Brady was the league MVP last year, one of the most popular players in the league, and a celebrity in his own right, so his injury is devastating to the sport.

 

Brady tore both the ACL and MCL in his left knee. After the surgery, it will take him 6 months to recover, at the very least. That essentially means that the next time Brady suits up to play, it will be for training camp for the 2009 season. That is terrible news for the Patriots franchise, who was the clear favorite to win their division before the injury. Many analysts even predicted that the Patriots would return to the Super Bowl this year. Now, almost all of them have changed their tune.

 

When Brady’s backup, Matt Cassel, started for the Patriots on Sunday against the New York Jets, it was his first start since he played in high school. Cassel, though no Tom Brady, still led the Patriots to victory.

Quote of the Week: ”Note to everyone trying to talk themselves into the Matt Cassel era (including three of my friends): Just stop it. Stop. Stop right now.” — Bill Simmons, ESPN writer, known for his allegiance to Boston teams

Further Reading: ”Tom Brady out for season” — Karen Guregian, ESPN

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TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL

Francisco Rodriguez, most commonly known by the nickname K-Rod, set the single-season saves record on Saturday when his team, the Los Angeles Angels, beat the Seattle Mariners by a score of 5-2. The former record had been held by Bobby Thigpen, who saved 57 games with the 1990 Chicago White Sox.

 

K-Rod is a closer–a type of pitcher who normally comes in for the ninth inning of a game when his team has the lead and then “saves” the game for the team. K-Rod now has 58 saves so far this season, and it is likely that he is going to record at least 60 saves before the playoffs begin, which is a truly amazing feat.

 

K-Rod’s Angels have had an incredible week. Not only did their closer set the saves record, but the team also clinched the title in the AL West–which means that no matter what they do for the rest of September, they will have a spot in the playoffs.

Quote of the Week: “I haven’t felt like this since we won the World Series.” — K-Rod, upon setting the record

Further Reading: “K-Rod becomes new saves king as Angels win” — Kevin Baxter, L.A. Times

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TROJAN WAR

 

The USC Trojans pummeled the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday night. USC’s victory is the biggest victory so far of the college football season, since both teams were ranked in the top five in the country.

 

The game was dubbed the “Clash at the Coliseum,” but in the end, the Buckeyes failed to put up a fight. The Trojans, who justified their No. 1 ranking beyond a shadow of a doubt, looked incredible in the victory. Not only did the USC offense look excellent, but their defense absolutely stamped out all of Ohio State’s efforts on the field. USC looked so solid, in fact, that in the minds of many they instantly became the favorites to make the national championship game later this season.

 

In all fairness to Ohio State, they were playing without their best player, Beanie Wells. Wells, possibly the best running back in college football, was out of the game because of a foot injury.

Quote of the Week: “This was a debutante ball for the future undefeated national champions.” — Bill Plaischke

Further Reading: ”USC takes care of No. 1 with 35-3 rout of Ohio State” — Gary Klein, L.A. Times

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK

:: FOOTBALL: There should be two very good games coming up for the Dallas Cowboys. Tonight, the Cowboys play the Philadelphia Eagles–both teams looked excellent in week one. Next Sunday, the Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers, which should also be a very competitive, high-profile game.

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ALL-SPORTS UPDATE

ACTIVE SEASON

:: BASEBALL

MLB (Pro. Baseball): In the final month of the regular season, teams are still 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 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 is now in full swing. 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. [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.  [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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:: 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]