Happy Tuesday! Let’s start a short week off with some highlights from the end of the NFL Divisional match-ups over the weekend.
QUIPS FOR THIS WEEK
NFL
First, things first, are the St. Louis Rams moving to LA? Yes, they are.
Now, back to the wild weekend that was the divisional playoffs.
On Saturday, the New England Patriots looked strong in a 27-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs to advance to the AFC Conference Championship. The second game of the night between the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals featured a series of game-ending heroics starting with an incredible touch down throw from Aaron Rodgers to send the game into OT and then an amazing run by Larry Fitzgerald that led to a victory for the Cardinals 26-20.
On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers dominated the first half and overcame a comeback by the Seattle Seahawks to win the game 31-24 while the Denver Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-16 to move on to the next round.
What’s next? The Conference Championships, of course! Next Sunday, the Denver Broncos will meet the New England Patriots in Denver at 3:05pm EST on CBS followed by the Arizona Cardinals at the Carolina Panthers at 6:40pm EST on FOX.
College Football
Did you watch the National Championship last week? Alabama beat Clemson 45-40 last Monday night. This was Alabama’s 4th national title since the 2009 season, and head coach Nick Saban’s 5th career title.
NBA
Talk about a statement game. On Sunday night, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in a dominating fashion, 132-98.
In other professional hoops news, Team USA released the 30 finalists for the Rio Olympics roster.
Oh, and Kevin Durant clarified his feelings on sports media. FYI.
College Basketball
Tough week for the higher ranked teams in college hoops. On Sunday night, #1 Oklahoma lost to #19 Iowa State 77-82, #20 Duke had their third straight loss after falling to Syracuse 62-64, and #15 Kentucky lost to Auburn 70-75.
This week, tune in for #7 Maryland v. #11 Michigan State next Saturday on ESPN at 6:30pm EST.
Soccer
League-leader Arsenal drew 0-0 against Stoke City on Sunday with the help of goalkeeper Petr Cech, as Manchester United won 1-0 over Liverpool after Wayne Rooney’s goal in the 78th minute. Other top contender, Leicester City drew 1-1 against Aston Villa on Saturday (just days after Aston Villa scored their first win since opening day of this season), Manchester City won 4-0 against Crystal Palace, Chelsea drew 3-3 against Everton, and Tottenham won 4-1 over Sunderland. It’s important to note that after City’s win on Saturday, they’re now only one point behind Arsenal and Leicester City at the top of the table.
In other news, congratulations to Argentinian Lionel Messi for receiving his fifth FIFA Ballon d’Or, and American Carli Lloyd for being crowned as the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year.
JUST FOR FUN
Looking for a sports movie?
A list of the best ones on Netflix, and details on how to find them
STORIES FOR INSIGHTS, COOL FACTOR + DEBATE
This week’s stories highlight several important sports figures that passed away since the start of 2016. We’re so sorry to see them go, and our hearts go out to their friends and families. Rest in peace.
Andrew Smith
The former Butler center was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014, and died on Tuesday. During his time at Butler, the team went to the national championships in 2010 and 2011. His former coach – Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens – missed a game against the Chicago Bulls to visit Smith in the hospital.
Monte Irvin
The Hall of Fame outfielder who played for the New York Giants in the 1950s passed away at his Houston home at the age of 96.
The SportsQuip 