Archive for the 'Sports' Category

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NFL All Mixed Up: RB Ronnie Brown Joins Philadelphia Eagles

By: Zack Stovall, August 2, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Ronnie's Running with a Different Team Now

Pro-Bowl stand out and former Miami Dolphin running back Ronnie Brown has signed a one-year contract with the now LOADED Philadelphia Eagles. Brown is hoping to revamp his erstwhile-brilliant career, while the Eagles have been snatching up marque players left and right, with shut down corner Nnamdi Asomugha signing along with former Offensive Rookie of the Year and Tennessee Titan Vince Young, who will make up another mobile QB Michael Vick.

As the NFL Lockout wrapped up and teams were able to sign free agents, a bevy of rapid-fire deals began to be signed, sending hometown favorites to new teams. A former NFC Champion with the Seattle Seahawks, Matt Hasselbeck will likely finish his career in Nashville with the Titans. Albert Haynesworth, the talented but troubled defensive tackle with one of the meanest streaks in the league was sent to the New England Patriots after a disappointing few years with the Washington Redskins. The Pats have also signed former-Cincinnati Bengal Chad Ochocinco (that’s his real name) to provide QB Tom Brady a viable deep threat.

The league also lost one of its greatest players, WR Randy Moss, who played for three different teams last year (the Pats, the Minnesota Vikings and the Titans) and declined other offers to go ahead and retire, ending one of the best and strangest careers of all time. Seriously, who sets the record for touchdown receptions and also fake moons home crowds? Only Randy Moss.

NFL, Players Union Finally Reach Agreement For Pro Football in 2011

By: Zack Stovall, July 25, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , .

There's no crying in football, but at least there's football.

The NFL Players Union and the team owners finally came to an agreement Monday, paving the road for professional football in 2011.

The NFL Lockout, which began way back in March, pitted the NFL Players Association against the owners of each of the 32 NFL teams, with each staking a claim at roughly $9 billion dollars in revenue. Each side wanted a larger slice of the revenue, with the owners taking a slight advantage, 53 percent to the players’ 47 percent.

One concession made by the owners was the 18-game season proposed by them, and ultimately rejected by the players. Players cited an added risk to injury with no paid incentive, and vehemently appealed the proposal. In a compromise, the issue can be brought back up again in 2013, with the players still having the deciding vote.

The deal is slated to last for ten years. Rookies, free agents and all other personnel are allowed back into their teams’ facilities tomorrow.

The main point: FOOTBALL THIS YEAR!

Tiger Woods-less British Open Halfway Through, Unknowns Glover and Clarke Leading Into the Weekend

By: Zack Stovall, July 15, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Sinking 90-ft Eagle putts helps Darren Clarke to get an early lead.

The British Open is one of golf’s most hallowed tournaments, indeed, one of the biggest championships in all of sports. Without golf’s former No. 1 player, Tiger Woods, in the mix, the field has been open for newcomers, such as Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, and older veterans who have been toiling in Tiger’s shadow, such as McIlroy’s countryman Darren Clarke, to win some Majors of their own.

The 2011 Open Championship is being held in Sandwich, England at the Royal St. George’s course. The British Open is typified by links courses that require precise shots, and strong winds that make such precision difficult to attain.

A pair of unknowns goes into the weekend for the lead at four under par, Clarke and American Lucas Glover, who is also sporting the tournament’s best beard. A bevy of contenders, such as Miguel Angel Jimenez and American Chad Campbell, narrowly trail. Even amateur Tom Lewis, a Brit and crowd favorite, finds himself in the top 15 after some amazing drives and even more amazing putts.

At this stage, it’s still anyone’s tournament. I’m still betting Tiger Woods wins it from his recliner, making it the GREATEST COME FROM BEHIND VICTORY EVER!

USA Womens’ Soccer Beats France 3-1, Advances to World Cup Finals

By: Zack Stovall, July 13, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , .

You go, girl. You go.

Don’t worry guys: USA Womens’ Soccer is back on the map.

For the first time since the squad won it all way back in 1999, Team USA has advanced to the Womens’ World Cup Finals, defeating the French team in a tightly contested 3-1 match.

After scoring in the first ten minutes, Team USA failed to score another point for the next hour, and allowed France’s Sonia Bompastor to float in a cross from 30 yards away, leaving US Goalie Hope Solo out of position and letting Gaetane Thiney slip a shot in to tie the match in the 55th minute.

In the 79th minute, however, Abby Wombach, who many consider to be the heart and soul of this year’s squad, took a corner kick and deftly put the ball in the goal with her trademark header.

Team USA moves on to the finals against Japan, who upset Sweden, 3-1, Sunday.

MLB All-Star Game Tonight in Phoenix, AZ

By: Zack Stovall, July 12, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The Midsummer Classic, the Major League Baseball All-Star game is tonight from Phoenix, Arizona, home to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Players from both leagues will travel to the D-Back’s Chase Park in order to compete for a chance at home field advantage in the World Series.

Phillies ace Roy Halladay is the National League’s starting pitcher, while Angels pitcher Jared Weaver is starting for the AL. Halladay pitched a perfect game and a no-hitter last season, with the final no-hitter coming in the first round of the playoffs, while Weaver is starting his first All-Star game. Coincidentally, Halladay has already started the Midsummer Classic, just one of three players to start for both leagues after having started for the AL’s Toronto Blue Jays.

This year’s All-Star Game has been marked by notable absences. Sluggers Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols have both had recent trips to the DL eliminating them from the roster (even though Pujols returned a month ahead of schedule), and future Hall-of-Famer Derek Jeter, SS for the New York Yankees, is taking time off to rest a sore calf and from exhaustion with the pressure of achieving 3,000 hits.

Last night, Yankee Robinson Cano won the Home Run Derby, an annual precursor to the All-Star Game.

2011 NBA Draft Tonight: Who Is Going Where?

By: Zack Stovall, June 23, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

On the heels of the Dallas Maverick’s victory as NBA Champions comes the NBA Draft, in which teams who didn’t make it to the Big Dance get a chance to reload with some of the game’s best up-and-coming players from college and even international leagues overseas.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lucked out in the NBA Draft Lottery and have two top five draft choices from which to choose. The Cavs were sent reeling this season after the departure of the erstwhile hometown hero LeBron James to the Miami Heat, where he lead them to a NBA Finals appearance but could not come away with the win. Cleveland is most likely going to select Duke point guard Kyrie Irving with the No. 1 pick, and are rumored to be interested in taking Lithuania’s Jonas Valanciunas with the No. 4 pick.

Arizona forward Derrick Williams is likely to be Minnesota’s pick at No. 2, while the Utah Jazz are said to be deciding between two University of Kentucky players, center Enes Kanter and guard Brandon Knight, with the No. 3 pick in the draft.

Another point of interest is BYU point guard Jimmer Fredette’s future. Fredette wowed college basketball audiences with his shooting prowess, but many scouts are skeptical of his abilities to transition toward the NBA.

One thing is for certain: an NBA Superstar will find his team tonight, no matter if he is the first or last pick in the draft.

Venus and Serena Williams Still Dominating Women’s Tennis at Wimbledon

By: Zack Stovall, June 22, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Serena and Venus Williams

Dynasties come and go in professional team sports in the NBA, NFL and MLB, and even the greats like golf’s Tiger Woods can stumble. But the tandem of sisters Venus and Serena Williams are still dominating women’s tennis, the latest showing being this year’s Wimbledon tournament.

Four-time Wimbledon champ Venus has made it to the third-round after narrowly escaping an upset against 40-year old Kimiko Date-Krumm. Serena, also a former Wimbledon champion, defeated Aravane Rezai of France 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Centre Court, capping her return to tournament play after a “disaster year.”

The disaster to which Serena refers is the potentially-life-threatening blood clot that was removed from her lung in March, with Wimbledon being only the second tournament in which she has competed since. Her victory in the first round of the tournament brought the usually-stoic Serena to overwhelmed tears.

Venus has also been on the comeback trail, after a hip injury derailed her season last year.

Rory McIlroy Dominates U.S. Open with Record-Breaking Score

By: Zack Stovall, June 20, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

When last we left young Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, he had just completed one of the most epic collapses in all of sports, performing as poorly as a professional can on the last leg of the four-day Masters tournament in Augusta, GA, and giving up a double-digit lead he had held from the beginning of the tournament.

Turns out he was just staging the ultimate redemption story.

McIlroy began and ended the U.S. Open tournament in the lead, with a scorching and record-breaking 16-under par. The 22-year old was able to put the haunting memories of the Masters behind him to claim his first major victory of his brief career. With Tiger Woods sitting this tournament out due to injury, the vacuum caused by his absence has lead many to believe that Rory could be golf’s next superstar.

If he keeps lapping up the competition, Rory will be destined to be golf’s next king with or without Tiger.

Vancouver Riots After Canucks Lose Stanley Cup to Boston Bruins

By: Zack Stovall, June 16, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

"IS THIS NOT WHY YOU ARE HERE? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!"

Canada takes a lot of flack for being the vanilla, dorky northern neighbor to the good old US of A. From ridiculing them aboot their accents to chastising their national icons, such as Bryan Adams and…Bryan Adams again. But maybe after this week’s events people will cool it with the jukes aboot Canadia-…no, seriously. Let’s stop joking aboot them.

Rioters took to the streets in Vancouver after their beloved Canucks lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins. The series was one of the best of the entire tournament, as evidenced by it coming down to a single, decisive game, but Canuck fans were none-too-pleased with the outcome.

Rioters fled out into the streets and began flipping cars, smashing the windows out of banks, markets and other stores, catching things on fire, fighting police and other things associated with far great social distortion than a Canadian squad losing the Stanley Cup. “HOO DAYURH THEY TAKE OORE COOP?!” That’s what a Canadian accent sounds like, right? Right.

As the dust slowly begins to settle from this riot and citizens begin to get their daily regimens of Wayne Gretzky worshiping and “SCTV” watching, social media tools such as Facebook are being utilized police there in Vancouver to catch and arrest rioters.

You know what I bet is worse than your favorite team losing the Stanley Cup? Going to jail.

Mavs, Dirk Beat Heat, LeBron in NBA Finals

By: Zack Stovall, June 13, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Not one of these people is LeBron James.

While the score of the decisive Game Six of the NBA Finals will always read 105-95, Dallas Mavericks over the Miami Heat, most will remember the 2011 Finals as the night when “the good guys won and the bad guys lost.”

It began, naturally, during the off-season, when NBA star and (former) Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James announced in an hour-long television special (that most saw as self-aggrandizing and grandstanding) that he was defecting from the Cavs to join his friends, other NBA superstars Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade.

The vitriol was palpable and not just in Cleveland, a town that hasn’t won a professional championship in anything since 1964. It is safe to say that almost everyone outside of Florida hated LeBron James and the new Big Three. Even more so, they hated them as they won and kept winning. All the way to the Finals. All hope seemed lost.

But, as Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, noted LeBron-hater, said, there are no short cuts. Championships aren’t won by going and playing with your friends, they’re won by hard work and loyalty and working hard and not taking short cuts. And hard work. Being really tall helps, but mainly the working hard, not short cut taking and the loyalty and hard work.

Never mind Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki playing out of his mind throughout the entire series, earning the Championship AND being named Finals MVP, often playing with a 104 degree temperature. LeBron lost more so than the Mavs won. Right?