This morning, we take a moment to reflect on the career of storied NFL Hall of Fame star, Frank Gifford. Gifford passed away at the age of 84 this weekend. Once a member of the New York Giants, he won Comeback Player of the Year in 1962, and was also an eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro.
QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK
MLB
The Toronto Blue Jays are the talk of the town after sweeping the New York Yankees and getting their 8th straight win over the weekend. This was the first time since May of 2003 that Toronto swept New York in a series of at least three games. The gap for the American League (AL) East lead is now even closer.
David Ortiz plans to return to the Boston Red Sox next season. Big Papi announced his intentions for the 2016 season after a clause in his contract kicked in on Saturday night with his 425th plate appearance (against the Detroit Tigers).
Soccer
English Premier League kicked off this weekend with several important games. Last season’s Premier League champions, Chelsea, drew their opening match 2-2 against Swansea City, while Arsenal lost a disappointing home opener to West Ham United 2-0. Up north, Manchester United started the new campaign with a 1-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, while Liverpool was also victorious against Stoke City, 1-0. The last of the “Big 5” title contenders, Manchester City, starts its season this afternoon against West Bromwich Albion at 3pm EST.
In MLS this Sunday, the LA Galaxy overcame a slow start to clinch a 3-1 win against Seattle Sounders FC. Of note, Giovani dos Santos scored his first goal for the Galaxy in his MLS debut, a week after arriving from Mexico’s Gold Cup title run. In addition, the New York Red Bulls finished their match with a 2-0 win over New York City FC. The Red Bulls are now unbeaten for their past five games, and are 3-0 against NYCFC.
Other
Professional football kicked offed their preseason with the Hall of Fame game on Sunday night. Get ready, the NFL season is about to begin.
This weekend, 22-year-old Sloane Stephens took home a win after the final round of the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. She won a hard fought battle for her first WTA title against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Next stop, the U.S. Open!
Katie Ledecky is still on the rise. This week at the swimming world championships, she took gold in the 200-meter race (in addition to her usual distances). She’s expanding her skill set to both sprints and endurance events, and is dominating across the board. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for this 18-year-old.
JUST FOR FUN
Staying in shape
Getting ready for game day is unique for 350-pound football players
STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE
Unheard Speech
Junior Seau’s daughter wanted to give a speech on his behalf at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony
She was unable to do so, as the Hall does not allow others to give speeches on behalf of deceased inductees. But, we thought her speech was important to share
Goodbye!
The story of two elite athletes on their way down
Tiger Woods and A-Rod are both at the point where their best just isn’t good enough
Need help with soccer?
You’re not alone. Here’s a guide to the EPL
It started up again this weekend, and we have to stay on top of it!
The SportsQuip 