Sportsman of the Week Ending 4/24/2016

It was a busy sports week with NHL and NBA playoff first round action and Major League Baseball hitting its regular season stride.  It's baseball we turn to, because we've already had a pitcher do what nobody else has done this year.  Even though he did it last year.  And will probably do it again this year because he's that good.  Chicago Cubs ace and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta pitched a brilliant nine inning shutout against the Cincinnati Reds allowing no hits.  In the business, that's called a no-hitter.  He did the same last year against the Dodgers (only 13 teams left in the NL he hasn't no hit.  In three of his four trips to the hill this year, he's allowed no runs.  He hasn't lost a game since July 25, 2015, and hasn't allowed more than 3 runs in a game since June 16 of last year.  Model of consistency, and a well deserved second nod as Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 4/17/2016

What a finale.  To end a legendary 20-year career.  Despite being completely out of the playoffs, the sports news this week was Kobe Bryant.  After a year-long farewell tour, in which he was fortunate to avoid major injury, Bryant took the floor for one last time on Wednesday April 13 against the Utah Jazz.  And did not disappoint his fans at Staples Center, including celebrities, former teammates, and millions of viewers at home.  In 42 minutes (5 more than he played in any game this year), Bryant netted an amazing 60 points, most of any player in the entire season.  Most importantly, from 5:41 left in the fourth to 30 seconds left in the 4th, Bryant poured in 17 points, the entire total his team scored.  His first bucket cut the lead to 3.  His last put the Lakers up by 3.  Final, 101-96.  Fin.

Sportsmen of the Week Ending 4/10/2016

For the SECOND time in Blog history, we are going to have TWO Sportsmen of the Week.  The first was on 1/5/2014 where I just couldn't decide.  This decision was even worse.  An historic start to a major league baseball season versus a first time major winner who defied all odds to beat what many thought was a foregone conclusion of a winner.

We'll start with the most improbable hero of the first week of the Major League Baseball season.  Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story was a virtual unknown on opening day, but has most resembled Babe Ruth incarnate.  To the tune of SEVEN home runs in his first six career games (yes, that's a record).  To go with 12 RBI, and before you think it's all Coors Field, 4 of the 7 HR were on the road.  He just won't stop, and could not be denied a piece of the Sportsman of the Week.

Turning over to The Masters, one of the greatest sporting events in America, it was a Britain that surprised.  England's Danny Willett leaped from obscurity to torch the back nine (at the same time fan favorite Jordan Spieth was collapsing).  Willett shot a 67 on the final round, the second best round of the tournament (to Spieth's 66 on Thursday).  Talk about clutch.  Bogey-free Sunday, and -3 in the last six holes, that's how you win majors.  And a major winner is Willett.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 4/4/2016*

There's a seldom exercised rule in determining the Sportsman of the Week that if you made a clutch play that will go down in the annals of history of your sport, you probably get the nod.  Villanova's Kris Jenkins gets the nod.  In what some are calling the best NCAA Finals game in history (okay, media, slow your roll), Kris Jenkins made the world stop and realize they just saw greatness.  After North Carolina's Marcus Paige made what can only be called a circus shot (double clutch from the hip) three pointer with 4.7 seconds to tie the game at 74, Villanova calmly moved the ball down the floor and Jenkins was ready to etch his name in history.  The Junior knocked down the 3-pointer with a release at 0.5 seconds, the bottom of the net with the red light on.  Villanova 77, North Carolina 74.  It should be noted, he was a great player all weekend, with 32 points (12-21 from the floor) and 10 boards in the Final Four in Houston.  Foul trouble limited him to just 21 minutes in the final game.  But it was the Jenkins dagger that will forever be remembered.  And he is immortalized as the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week*!

* Sportsman of the week usually ends on Sunday, this week, we include Monday