Armchair Weekend in Review (September 29-October 1, 2006)
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by user JB82
A busy weekend in the sports world, so let's get to our look back right now.
Last Weekend of the MLB Regular Season
- As the weekend began, there were five postseason berths to be filled: the American League and National League Central Division and Wild Cards, as well as the NL West.
- The Detroit Tigers, who had as much as a 10-game lead in the AL Central, descended to the Wild Card as they were swept by the lowly Kansas City Royals. As a result, the Minnesota Twins, despite dropping two of three to last year's World Champion Chicago White Sox, clinched their fourth division title in the last five years. In addition, Twins catcher Joe Mauer won the AL batting title.
- The Tigers almost became one of two teams to see a big division lead salted away this year. In what were shades of the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals' lead in the NL Central was no higher than 8½ games. But, as the calendar turned toward September, the Redbirds found themselves headed toward losing the division as the Houston Astros caught onto their heels. However, with the Stros' loss to the Atlanta Braves, Tony LaRussa's club averted disaster by clinching their third division title in a row and their sixth in seven years. Ironically, it was the Cards who took advantage of the Phils' collpase 42 years ago.
- Also, on Sunday, the NL West and Wild Card were decided, going to the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers respectively.
- All this happened as news broke that players such as Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Miguel Tejada were accused of being juiced. Thanks for spoiling the fun, Jason Grimsley...
Week 4 in the NFL
- With their star wideout Terrell Owens fresh from his medical scare of the past week, the Dallas Cowboys came into PL Field and beat up on the Tennessee Titans, 45-14. Drew Bledsoe looked stellar as he connected with Terry Glenn for two of Dallas' scores. However, the big story afterwards was the injury of Cowboys offensive lineman Andre Gurode thanks to Titans defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth. After Julius Jones ran in for a Cowboys touchdown, Haynesworth stepped on Gurode's head and gave his face the boot. Haynesworth got the boot himself (metaphorically speaking) shortly thereafter.
- MONDAY EXTRA #1: The NFL and new commish Roger Goodell doled out the first major punishment of the latter's tenure, suspending Haynesworth for five games. BTW, Albert, Kyle Turley and Conrad Dobler would like to see you out back.
- In the build-up to their game against the New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson got into talking smack on, of all people, Pats head coach Bill Belichick. Well, Johnson's mouth got shut up at halftime, as he left the game with and injury. The Patriots ran roughshod over the Bengals, 38-13, while rookie Laurence Maroney ran for two touchdowns.
- In the first of two battles against undefeated teams, the Baltimore Ravens deense held off a late rally by Phillip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers, 16-13. The game ended when Rivers was sacked by Jarret Johnson.
- The second game pitted the Chicago Bears against the Shaun Alexander-less Seattle Seahawks. The result: no contest. Da Bears won easily, 37-6.
- The last time the New Orleans Saints squared off against the Carolina Panthers, the Saints played their first game since losing the Louisiana Superdome (since reopened) to Hurricane Katrina, which they won on a last-second field goal. This time, the Panthers got the upper hand, 21-18.
- In a battle of the beaten, the Cleveland Browns edged the Oakland Raiders, 24-21.
- Back in 1982, a college football game between the Stanford University Cardinal and the University of California Golden Bears ended with one of the craziest plays in gridiron football history. After the kickoff, Stanford quib-kicked the football into the hands of Cal's Kevin Moen. After two laterals, Dwight Garner got the ball, only to be tackled by a group of Cardinal defensemen. The Stanford Band marched onto the field, thinking the game was over. However, Moen caught the last lateral, running into the band and plowing into a trombonist sight unseen. Cal won the game, BTW, 25-20.
- After seeing the end of the New York Jets' game with the Indianapolis Colts, this reporter asked to himself, "Where's the Stanford Band when you need them?" as history was reenacted (sort of) in the Meadowlands of New Jersey. The Jets managed to drive 30 yards from their own two-yard line, when Jets quarterback Chad Pennington threw an 8-yard strike to rookie wideout Brad Smith. Smith, for fear of ending the game by being tackled, lateraled to fellow receiver Laveranues Coles. Coles ran 19 yards before giving the ball back to Pennington, who threw it to Justin McCareins, who then fumbled. Smith recovered the pigskin, only to soon fumble it himself. Coles got the cassava melon and ran for another 13 yards before throwing it to offensive lineman Nick Mangold, who then fumbled, leading to a Colts recovery and the game ended soon thereafter. All this after Peyton Manning ran the 2-minute drill to clinch the game.
Big Men on Campus
- Selected highlights of a slightly less quiet US college football Saturday:
- The Buckeyes of Ohio State University went into Iowa City undefeated and first-ranked and left as such after a 38-13 whopping of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.
- In a tilt between 2005 Bowl Championship Series participant against the team it left out in the cold, the Boise State University Broncos wiped out the Utes of the University of Utah, 36-3. The Broncos went undefeated last year, but it was the Utes who got the BCS birth.
- Charlie Weis' University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish continue to roll, beating the rival Boilermakers of Purdue University 35-21 to win the Shillelagh Trophy.
- In a lesser-known rivalry contest, the University of Michigan Wolverines brought the Little Brown Jug back to Ann Arbor, Michigan with a 28-14 over the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Across the Pond
First, as always, the weekend's FA Premier League action:
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer delivered both of Manchester United's goals in their 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
- Chelsea fell into a tie for the top of the table (how's that for aliteration?!) with a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.
Across the Channel we go in search of interesting doings on the Continent:
- In the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen managed to keep Schalke from the head of the standings, 3-1.
- In Spain, the Madrid Derby between Atletico Madrid and David Beckham-led Real Madrid ended in a 1-1 sister-kisser.
- Euro 2008 qualifiers resume next weekend, so no domestic updates until two weeks hence.
Fast Track
- A week after Jeff Burton won the Nextel Cup event in Delaware and assumed the Chase points lead, Tony Stewart took the checkered flag in the Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway. Burton still leads the pack in the Chase for the Cup.
- If Michael Schumacher has his way, he could end his remarkable Formula 1 career with one last World Drivers' Championship. Further edification came after he won the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai, holding off Fernando Alonso on the track and in the standings.
- The Italians continue to dominate the MotoGP circuit, with Loris Capirossi scoring his third win of the year and the Azzurri of the motocross set clinching their fifth win in the last six events.
Odds and Sods
- Tiger Woods came off of a dissappointing Ryder Cup with his sixth consecutive tournament win in the American Express Championship in London. Woods held off Ian Poulter and Adam Scott by eight strokes to clinch the win. This tournament was probably held for the last time in Europe, as the Player's Championship course at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Florida will play host starting next year.
- Frank Robinson, a legend on the diamond and in the dugout, stepped down as skipper of the Washington Nationals after Sunday's game. The best to him in his future plans.
- MONDAY EXTRA #2: Dusty Baker and Felipe Alou were not as lucky, getting canned as managers of the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants respectively.
- More bad karma for the Boston Red Sox: MInor league call-up Devern Hansack pitched a no-hitter in a 9-0 shutout of the Baltimore Orioles. The bad news? The game only went five innings, so he did not join Florida Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez in the 2006 no-hitter club.
Finally! THE END!
I thought we'd NEVER get here! Until then, let's all be good sports.
Date
Mon 10/02/06, 2:53 pm EST
