In case you were too busy fact checking the U.S. presidential debates, or catching the first week of fall sweeps, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports…
BASEBALL — The boys of summer continue on, as the kings of October wait to be crowned. A-Rod proved once again he isn’t made for fall baseball, relegating himself to a pinch-hitter, as he and the Yankees waved goodbye to 2012 after being swept by the Tigers in the American League Championship Series. Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera are proving to be the winning formula for Detroit, and it should be no surprise that the Tigers are in the Fall Classic. The National League Championship series was much more spirited, as the San Francisco Giants prevailed in a dramatic seven-game series. The World Series begins on Wednesday in San Fran.
BASKETBALL — While it’s only preseason, the NBA fills a much needed void in winter sports with the absence of NHL hockey. The headlines have been dominated by the injury report, as the Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire has been ruled out for 2-3 weeks and the Minnesota Timberwolves have lost Kevin Love for 6-8 weeks. Dirk Nowitzki is fresh off knee surgery, which will make it difficult for the Dallas Mavericks in the early season. In the early goings, the Golden State Warriors are on top, but as we all know, the preseason can be deceiving—just ask the Lakers. The newest super team finds itself 0-5 on the year, but with Dwight Howard healthy and ready to play there is no reason to think the losing will last, especially into the regular season.
FOOTBALL — What a week in the NFL. Robert Griffin III showed some substance to the hype, as he threw for two touchdowns, 258 yards, and rushed for 89 more. However, it was all in a losing effort, as Eli Manning and the Giants refused to be counted out—what a surprise—scoring a 77-yard touchdown with 55 seconds left to claim the victory. In another tight contest, the Jets provided a shockingly strong performance against the usually unstoppable New England Patriots. The game went deep into overtime, with New England ultimately moving to the top of the AFC East with a 29-26 victory. Finally, the Saints are gaining some momentum in New Orleans, as they improved to 2-4, on the heels of Drew Brees’ 377 yard, four touchdown performance. The Baltimore Ravens obviously aren’t the same strong defence without Ray Lewis and LaDarius Webb—both of whom are out for the season—as the team fell to the 6-1 Houston Texans 43-13.
