2008 Woodie Awards
Good Week /Bad Week
National sports in a nutshell
Ben Shupe
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Sports
Good week for Dikembe's finger
I am talking about the finger of 41-year-old Dikembe Mutombo. The Houston Rockets center and his signature finger wag were out in full force when Mutombo had four blocks against Washington last week. The bad news for the Rockets? Mutombo was playing in place of All-Star Yao Ming who is out for the season with a stress fracture. Houston fans can only hope Mutombo keeps giving the finger to opposing teams.
Mixed week for Tennessee
Just three days after beating the number one team in the land and in-state rival Memphis on their home floor, the Vols fell victim to the Commodores of Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. The Vols secured their first ever number one ranking only to see it all disappear in the oddly shaped trap that is the Memorial Gym, where Vandy has beat six of the nine number one teams that have taken the floor.
Good Week for UConn Basketball
The men have won 12 of 13 and are currently ranked fifteenth in the nation, whereas the women are ranked number one, and are coming off a strong win over number six LSU. Both are guaranteed to be playing come March, when the NCAA tournament begins.
Bad Week for Miracles
Islanders center Alexei Yashin and many other Russian hockey players are leaving the NHL and returning to their home countries, prompting a resurgence in the competition and skill level of Russia's professional hockey league, the Superliga. This movement of premier hockey skill is giving clubs in Russia an edge over the US for the world's most competitive league and will only continue as a growing amount of homegrown talent stays within the Russian borders. Russian clubs are protecting more and more of their players from being drafted into the NHL and with Russia's win of the 2014 Olympic bid, the world might possibly see a rematch of the 1980 gold medal match. Only this time, with the caliber of the Superliga continuing to rise, it might end up with the Russian national team on top.
Good Week for Red Sox Nation
Red Sox Nation inducted it's newest member to their famed nation this week - Yankees boss Hank Steinbrenner. The 'induction' was in response to Steinbrenner's nasty attack against Red Sox Nation in the New York Times' Play Magazine, where Steinbrenner said, "Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of shit that is." According to the Boston Herald, Sox owner John Henry sent Steinbrenner his brand new Sox Nation membership card over the weekend. along with other special collectibles reserved for members of the Nation. Welcome aboard, Hank!
I am talking about the finger of 41-year-old Dikembe Mutombo. The Houston Rockets center and his signature finger wag were out in full force when Mutombo had four blocks against Washington last week. The bad news for the Rockets? Mutombo was playing in place of All-Star Yao Ming who is out for the season with a stress fracture. Houston fans can only hope Mutombo keeps giving the finger to opposing teams.
Mixed week for Tennessee
Just three days after beating the number one team in the land and in-state rival Memphis on their home floor, the Vols fell victim to the Commodores of Vanderbilt on Tuesday night. The Vols secured their first ever number one ranking only to see it all disappear in the oddly shaped trap that is the Memorial Gym, where Vandy has beat six of the nine number one teams that have taken the floor.
Good Week for UConn Basketball
The men have won 12 of 13 and are currently ranked fifteenth in the nation, whereas the women are ranked number one, and are coming off a strong win over number six LSU. Both are guaranteed to be playing come March, when the NCAA tournament begins.
Bad Week for Miracles
Islanders center Alexei Yashin and many other Russian hockey players are leaving the NHL and returning to their home countries, prompting a resurgence in the competition and skill level of Russia's professional hockey league, the Superliga. This movement of premier hockey skill is giving clubs in Russia an edge over the US for the world's most competitive league and will only continue as a growing amount of homegrown talent stays within the Russian borders. Russian clubs are protecting more and more of their players from being drafted into the NHL and with Russia's win of the 2014 Olympic bid, the world might possibly see a rematch of the 1980 gold medal match. Only this time, with the caliber of the Superliga continuing to rise, it might end up with the Russian national team on top.
Good Week for Red Sox Nation
Red Sox Nation inducted it's newest member to their famed nation this week - Yankees boss Hank Steinbrenner. The 'induction' was in response to Steinbrenner's nasty attack against Red Sox Nation in the New York Times' Play Magazine, where Steinbrenner said, "Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of shit that is." According to the Boston Herald, Sox owner John Henry sent Steinbrenner his brand new Sox Nation membership card over the weekend. along with other special collectibles reserved for members of the Nation. Welcome aboard, Hank!
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