It was cutdown week in the NFL. Big news came out of New England as QB Cam Newton was released.
College football saw Alabama, Georgia, Penn State and UCLA score big wins. There were stunning results as Montana won at Washington, UTSA stunned Illinois, Northern Illinois won at Georgia Tech, and Charlotte knocked off Duke.
There were plenty of surprises in week one of the US Open. Top-seeded woman Ash Barty led 5-2 in the final set before Shelby Rogers rallied for a shocking win. Stefano Tsitsipas, the third-seeded man, lost to 18-year old Carlos Alcarez of Spain. Second-seeded woman Naomi Osaka was stunned by another 18-year old, Leylah Fernandez of Canada. Fifth-seed Andrei Rublev lost to American Frances Tiafoe.
Patrick Cantlay earned a $15 million payday by winning The Tour Championship. He beat Jon Rahm by one shot.
It was a busy week in MLB. The Dodgers beat the Padres in a 16-inning game that ended at 1 am PT. The Orioles snapped a 19-game losing streak, beating the Angels. The Yankees saw a 13-game win streak snapped in Oakland.
Patrick Cantlay beat Bryson DeChambeau on the sixth playoff hole to win the BMW Championship. It was a dramatic playoff with each guy having a chance to win before Cantlay hit a 17-foot putt on the sixth playoff hole. That gave Cantlay the top-seed at The TOUR Championship in Georgia next week.
College football started and Nebraska rallied but fell short against Illinois. Coach Scott Frost had to be disappointed with the result.
The US Open was beginning. Injuries have been a key story as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, defending champion Domenic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin are out.
Congratulations to Miguel Cabrera, who joined the 500 HR club by hitting a Steven Matz pitch for a HR.
Baseball saw several long streaks extended. The Yankees and Brave won nine in a row. The sad Orioles dropped 18 straight.
The tennis tournament in Cincinnati saw a few surprises. Jill Teichmann stunned Naomi Osaka before losing in the final to Ash Barty. Alexander Zverev got past Alexander Rublev in the men’s final. Larry Doby, Alexander Zverev rumbled to a great win in the final.
The Olympics concluded and the USA team led in gold medals (edging China) and total medals. The USA team won gold in men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball to win the race for most golds.
NBA free agency started and there were several sin-and trade moves, led by Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowery. The Lakers signed several free agents.
The San Francisco Giants were the first team to reach 70 wins.
It was a great week in the sports world.
The NBA Draft gave 60 players an opportunity to reach their dream. Cade Cunningham went #1 to the Pistons. There were several deals, led by the Lakers getting Russell Westbrook.
Major League Baseball saw its wildest trade deadline. Big names were dealt as the Cubs and Nationals unloaded several veterans. Names like Max Scherzer, Kris Bryant, Jay Baez, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Jose Berrios, Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo switched uniforms. We also saw White Sox newcomer Seby Zavala become the first player to hit three home runs in his first game.
Then there was the Olympics. Katie Ledecky, Caleb Dressel and Robert Finke were big names winning gold. Next week we will see if USA basketball can get the gold.
The Olympics got under way. Nothing like the beauty of the opening ceremonies. There were a number of interesting developments. A swimmer from Tunisia won a gold medal. Ash Barty, the top-seeded women, lost in round one. For the first time since 2004, the U.S. men’s basketball team has lost in the Olympics, falling to France 83-76.
This week is the NBA draft. I think this is a deep crop and you can make noise if you have several picks.
Jon Rahm shot a 67 in the final round of the US Open, finishing at a winning -6. He joined Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros as Spaniards to win majors. Rahm made two great putts on the 17th and 18th holes.
Devin Booker had a triple-double, scoring 40 points as the Suns beat the Clippers in game one of the Western Conference finals.
The Hawks stunned the Sixers, winning game seven at Philadelphia.
Kevin Durant scored 48 points but it was not enough as the injury-plagued Nets lost to the Bucks.
Devin Booker had a triple-double, scoring 40 points as the Suns beat the Clippers in game one of the Western Conference finals.
The Hawks stunned the Sixers, winning game seven at Philadelphia.
Kevin Durant scored 48 points but it was not enough as the injury-plagued Nets lost to the Bucks.
The NBA playoffs rolled on. The Bucks and Nets are tied 2-2 as Brooklyn has been plagued by injuries. The Suns were impressive eliminating the Nuggets in four straight. The Sixers lead the Hawks while the Jazz is up on the Clippers.
The second major tennis tourney of the year was completed. Novak Djokovic won the men’s title at the French, beating Stefano Tsitsipas in five sets. Djokovic was down two sets before rallying. The best match may have been the semifinal, when Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in over four hours, rallying from a 5-0 first set deficit. Unseeded Barbora Krejcikova won the French Open women’s singles title, her first Grand Slam singles title. She also won a doubles, the first to win both on the women’s side since 2000.
The college baseball tournament had its share of drama. Top-seeded Arkansas scored 21 runs in the first game of the series. NC State won the last two to advance to Omaha. Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Stanford were among others going to the CWS.
Mike Krzyzewski decided this will be his last season at Duke. Jon Scheyer will be the coach-in-waiting.
The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and softball champion UCLA were both eliminated in their playoffs. Anthony Davis’ injury certainly hurt the Lakers.
The Nets and Bucks started their series and Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving starred. James Harden was sidelined with a hamstring injury. The Hawks upset the Sixers in game one of their series. Kahwi Leonard and the Clippers advanced over the Mavericks.
The Aaron Rodgers story remains an issue for Packers fans. Julio Jones is not a mystery as he was traded to the Titans.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking good in the Stanley Cup playoffs. So are the Montreal Canadiens dominating Winnipeg.
Jon Rahm had a big lead in the Memorial but had to withdraw after a positive test. Patrick Cantlay won the tourney.
I’m having a great time in Hawaii celebrating my 50th anniversary.
The NBA playoffs are set with the LakersWarriors play-in game drawing attention. Stephen Curry won the NBA scoring title and now he goes against LeBron.
The NHL playoffs started and the first three games went overtime.