Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/29/2022

In a thrilling 7-game Epic Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA, another future generation superstar shone on the league's largest stage.  Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum picked up his team from a 1-2 series deficit to the top seeded Miami Heat and led them to a 7-game Copmference Championship victory, including two road wins in Games 5 and 7.  In games 4 through 7, Tatum, averaged 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists filling up the scoresheet.  More importantly, Tatum and the Celtics may be the best threat of a young team to take on the veteran Golden State Warriors dynasty.  Will they be able to do it?  Tatum seems to have the confidence and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/22/2022

The National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoffs hits full stride after an exciting opening round, the Top eight teams are battling for a spot in their Conference Finals.  One of the more intriguing battles is the "Battle for Alberta" in which the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are battling to be the only Canadian team left in the playoffs.  The familiar foes have lit the lamp at a near unprecedented rate with 36 goals scored in the first four games.  Nobody was a bigger force for either team than the Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid.  McDavid tallied 9 points in the first three games, with 2 goals and 7 assists while skating to a +6 Plus/Minus.  The 25-year-old former number one overall draft pick has cemented himself among the elite in the league.  Can he lead the Oilers to their first title since 1990, and the first Canadian team championship since the Montreal Canadiens championship in 1993?  Stay tuned, but he is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/15/2022

In what appears to be a dead ball season in Major League Baseball, seems not that uncommon for a no-hitter to be deep into a game on a nightly basis.  On pitcher finally finished it off.  Los Angeles Angels lefty Reid Detmers finished off a masterpiece CG no-hitter against perennial power Tampa Bay Rays on 108, pitches, 68 strikes.  He walked a man and was the benefactor of a fair scoring decision for an error that was pretty textbook and non-controversial.  Detmers is a 22-year-old rookie and may provide some hope on the pitching side for a potent Angels lineup featuring three former MVPs and to pair next to Shohei Ohtani as a great 1-2 punch.  Will this be the year the Angels get to the postseason?  Detmers may be a reason for optimism.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/8/2022

Peak late Spring sports season, we have three of the four major American Sports (five of six if you throw in MLS and NASCAR) with several in playoffs, weather nice.  Etc.  Oh yeah, it's also horse racing's triple crown season.  The first Saturday in May is reserved for the Kentucky Derby.  For the first time in 3 years, full crowd and it was everything it was billed to be.  Especially if you like upsets.  In a 20-horse field, which expanded to the 21st horse just hours before, the longest shot in over 100 years stunned the field.  Ridden by our Sportsman of the Week Venezuela native Sonny Leon, 80-1 Rich Strike (strangely not "Strike Rich" like his bettors did) looked like a Ferrari amongst Kia's down the last furlong as it outpaced favorited lower odds Epicenter and Zandon to breeze to victory.  Sports.  You can't win if you're not in it.  The Kentucky Derby served as another reminder and inducted another amazing Sportsman of the Week! 

Sportsman of the Week Ending 5/1/2022

While the NHL and NBA playoffs heat up, it was the first baseball player in 2022 that caught our attention.  Taylor Ward of the high expectation Los Angeles Angels dominated at the plate in a week in which his team took control of the American League West Standings.  Ward batted .448 (13-for-29) with 10 runs scored, two doubles, a triple, four home runs, 11 RBI, two walks and a 1.000 slugging percentage over seven games played (credit MLB.com).  While the Angels tallied a 6-1 week to lead the ALW by 2.5 games by the end of the week.  On a team with three former Most Valuable Players (Trout, Ohtani, and Rendon), it's Ward who has been the early hero and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!