In case you were too busy wondering why The Artist had no words, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports …
HOCKEY — As the trade deadline looms, the hockey world is abuzz with rumours about who will go where. Two players were at the center of those discussions: Jeff Carter and Rick Nash, both stars of the failing Columbus Blue Jackets. Stunningly, Carter was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenceman Jack Johnson and a first round pick. The trade only confirmed the fact that the Blue Jackets have, without a doubt, the worst administration in the league as the Kings unequivocally won the trade. Furthermore, elite winger Nash was not traded, much to the despair of fans across the league awaiting a blockbuster trade. Honestly though, Nash was probably the most disappointed of all. Finally, Habs fans were delighted to hear that Pierre Gauthier managed to trade underperforming sniper Andrei Kostitsyn to Nashville for second and fifth round picks, reuniting him with his brother Sergei.
BASKETBALL — With any major professional sports league, the midway point marks the time where the league steps back, and showcases its players’ talents to all of its fans. At least that’s the intention, and so the NBA All-Star activities took place this past weekend in Orlando. Team Chuck (led by “coach” Charles Barkley) defeated Team Shaq (led by “coach” Shaquille O’Neal) 146-133 in the Rising Stars Game behind Kyrie Irving’s ability to score 34 points against no defence. Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Love won the three-point contest, and Utah unknown Jeremy Evans won a painfully boring dunk competition. Finally, the Western Conference took down the Eastern Conference 152-149 in the third-highest scoring All-Star game ever to cap off the weekend’s unbelievably insignificant and lacklustre festivities. If any of you watched all of the events, you need some NBA withdrawal.
BASEBALL — Spring hasn’t even arrived, and yet the MLB was subject to controversial rulings this past week. 2011’s National League MVP Ryan Braun was relieved of his 50-game suspension after winning his appeal against charges of a positive drug test. In October, Braun learned that a urine sample he gave following a playoff game was found to have a high level of testosterone, thus putting his credibility and his MVP award into question. However, he continuously insisted that he was innocent, and with the ruling he became the first major leaguer to win a drug-related penalty in a grievance. Braun is back at spring Training Camp and insists that he was a victim of a failed system. And we thought the steroids and baseball relationship had simmered down—what a shame.
FOOTBALL — The NFL Combine kicked off on Wednesday with the future stars of the league ready to show off their talent to the 32 NFL teams through countless drills, interviews, and medical exams. For devout football fans, the Combine marks the “start” of next season. For non-devout fans, wasn’t the Super Bowl only three weeks ago? Star quarterback and consensus number one overall pick Andrew Luck showed off his athleticism and strong arm, solidifying himself as the top player in the draft for many NFL scouts and analysts. However, Heisman-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III stole the headlines of the first workouts by running the 40-yard dash in 4.41, a time comparable to top running backs, thus solidifying his reputation as an athletic freak of nature.
