In case you were too busy trying to reclaim the Iron Throne, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports …
NCAA BASKETBALL — March Madness wrapped up this past weekend, as New Orleans played host to the Final Four. The favoured Kentucky Wildcats took care of business on Saturday by defeating Louisville 69-61. The game was closer than many expected, but Kentucky received huge contributions from national player of the year, Anthony Davis, who finished the game with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks. By being awarded the nation’s top player honour, the Wooden Award, on Saturday, Davis became only the second freshman to earn the award after Kevin Durant won it with Texas in 2007. In the other Final Four matchup, Kansas came back from a 13-point deficit to defeat Ohio State, who crumbled down the stretch of the second half. Thomas Robinson led Kansas with 19 points and eight rebounds, while Ohio State standout Jared Sullinger was neutralized, hitting only five of his 19 attempted shots. The two storied programs met on Monday night in the championship game. (Results were not released before publication).
FIGURE SKATING — Figure skating rarely makes its way into the Water Cooler, but we felt it necessary to highlight Canadian Patrick Chan’s incredible performance this past weekend in Nice, France. Chan ended an unbeaten skating season by successfully defending his second-straight world figure skating championship title. With the gold medal, Chan continues to ride his wave of momentum after having won almost every male-athlete-of-the-year honour Canada offered in 2011. Moreover, it’s becoming clear that he is the best male figure skater on the planet. Canadians will hopefully take notice of Chan and watch the 21-year-old leading up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games. Who knew figure skating could get us this hyped up?
NBA BASKETBALL — The NBA playoffs became that much less exciting after news broke Saturday that Knicks guard Jeremy Lin tore the meniscus in his left knee guaranteeing that his breakthrough season is over. The “Linjury” is devastating news to many basketball fans, as Lin became one of the most popular athletes in the world in a matter of weeks after coming out of nowhere and igniting the Knicks’ season. In basketball news across the sea, former NBA All-Star Stephon Marbury led the Beijing Ducks to their first-ever Chinese Basketball Association title by defeating last year’s champions, the Guangdong Tigers 124-121. The 35-year old Marbury scored 41 points in the clinching game, and seems to have reinvented his career in China. He averaged 26.2 points per game during the season, but as for any NBA comebacks, Marbury seems very happy in Beijing. With his reemergence, we think it’s time to lace up the old “Starbury” sneakers … remember those?
FOOTBALL — New Orleans Head Coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis are set to meet at the NFL’s New York offices today with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The meeting is on the topic of their hearings about their appeals of suspensions resulting from the Saints’ bounty program. Goodell agreed to give them a chance to state their case. We hopeGoodell welcomes Payton and Loomis into the meeting with a nice cheap shot from behind. In other news, Nike won a temporary restraining order last Wednesday that will prevent Reebok from selling or manufacturing any Tim Tebow-related products. Nike, which begins its five-year run as the NFL’s licensed apparel manufacturer this season, claimed that Reebok used Tebow’sname on New York Jets’ merchandise without permission after Tebow had been traded to the Jets. The Tribune advises the two companies to take this rift to the big man upstairs … or Tebow, because he has a direct line.
