Weekly Update – Week of August 2, 2021

Baseball: Team USA baseball loses but not not out yet! Betts is back. Red Sox recovering. Rangers get a W.

Basketball: Team USA plays ESP tonight late in QFinals. Westbrook to Lakers. OSU Cunningham goes 1st in NBA draft.

Football: OU and Texas to SEC officially but in 2025 so far! Chubb extension. Clemson CB speeds 115mph.

Golf: Shauffle brings home gold for USA.

Olympic Sports: Daley in diving. ITA success on the track. Biles is back! M HJ shared gold. USA Swimming – how did we do?

Soccer: Team USA W are out! Lost to CAN in QFinals.

Tennis: Djokovic and Osaka out. Zverev and Bencic win gold for GER & SUI.

Baseball-MLB:

• Team USA baseball is out. Just like in Softball, it was the host nation who took it away. JPN tied the game in the 9^th inning and then won with a single in the 10^th. How does a single win the game you ask? Bc in extra inning rules by the Olympics, runners are placed on 1^st and 2^nd (MLB only does this on 2^nd since the pandemic) and then Scott McGough walked a JPN batter with 1 out. Therefore when Hideto Asamura hit his single, that brought the run in. We’re not out yet though as the tournament is double elimination. However we have to go through the loser’s bracket now.
• Mookie Betts is back and he homered in his first game after that sore hip took him out. He also made this killer defensive play in the 1^st. The Dodgers thrashed the Diamondbacks 13-0.
• The Red Sox are finally looking at the return of LF Kyle Schwarber (hamstring) and LHP Chris Sale (Tommy John surgery in 2020). Both players are getting closer and have started playing in the minors/ workouts.
• As a follow up the Rangers did actually manage to get a W over the Diamondbacks but it was close. The team won 5-4 on Tuesday ending their 12 game losing streak. But they did lose the next one to them…

Basketball:

• Team USA will play ESP on Monday @ 11:40pm in the Quarterfinals. This is the game of the reigning Olympic champs vs reigning World Cup champs. It always seems to come down to ESP vs USA. In Beijing and London, it was for gold; in Rio it was in the semis. Current record is 16-2 USA. The last 3 times these teams have met in the Olympics, the biggest winning margin was 11.
  • Other teams in the Quarterfinals: FRA, ITA, AUS, ARG, SLO (with Luka Doncic), GER

• Russell Westbrook is packing his bags yet again (4^th time in 4 yrs) but this time for LA. The Lakers acquired him in a deal with the Wizards in exchange for 3 players (Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) along with a #22 draft pick this year, and 2^nd round picks in 2024 & 2028 (they wanted to stick with the Olympic theme I guess)? The Lakers are looking stacked with LeBron, Anthony Davis and now Westbrook all on the same team to bring a ring back to LA. LA now has 2 of the top 5 triple-double players.
• Oklahoma St Cade Cunningham went #1 in the NBA draft this past week the the Pistons.

Football:

• OU and Texas are officially moving to the SEC. It is official. Both the SEC and the schools have accepted the invitations and have told the Big 12 that they will not be renewing their media deals. Now, for all those people who are saying ‘next season they’ll be in the SEC’ so far that is FALSE. Media rights for the Big 12 expire in 2025. Both universities officials have given public speeches and emails have been sent out that 2025 is the year. Now that doesn’t mean that the Big 12 conference wont eventually be like ‘leave now’ but for now the year is 2025 people.
• Browns have signed a 3 year extension for RB Nick Chubb for $36.6MM. This secures him in Cleveland until he is 29 years old.
• Clemson CB Fred Davis II was charged with reckless driving after going 115 mph and causing a crash that injured a postal worker. The stated speed limit was 55. Smart.

Golf:

• Xander Schuaffle took home gold for Team USA in the men’s golf competition on Sunday un Japan. It looked to be a rematch of the Masters in April but this time Hideki Matsuyama in 2^nd and was chasing Schuaffle and this time Schauffle came out on top. SLO Rory Sabbatini shot a 61, 10 under, on the final round to also put pressure on the American. Schauffle’s grandparents are from Japan and still leave there. His mother is from there so this games was very special for the American golfer. The last American to win gold in golf was in 1900. Now remember that’s not fair as golf has only been back these last 2 games and went out in 1906. But it sounds really good hah.

Olympic Sports:

• Diving:
  • After 4 Olympics and a heartbreaking bronze in Rio and London, GBR Tom Daley finally gets his gold in the 10m synchro with his partner Matty Lee. Tom Daley is and has been the face of GBR diving but never had that gold until this time!

• Gymnastics: Simone Biles out of team final, individual all-around, floor, uneven bars & vault final. But she is back for the beam!
  • Team USA got silver in the team competition, fighting back against the ROC bravely but it just wasn’t enough without Simone.
  • W All-Around however was going to see a new champion when Simone bowed out of that event as well. And it stayed in America with Suni Lee. This is the 5^th straight Olympics with an American champion. BRA Rebecca Andrade (an-drah-day) took silver earning the country’s first medal in Gym.
  • Jade Carey captured gold in the floor individual event today! She had a heartbreaker on the vault so she was about due!
  • Speaking of vault, McKayla skinner, who did not make a final after the qualification round got her second chance when Biles sat out of the vault. She took home silver! BRA Andrade won the event making it 2 medals for BRA which previously had 0!
  • Suni Lee got bronze in the Uneven bars.
  • The last of the women’s events gets competed tomorrow with the beam. Simone Biles is back along with Suni Lee.
  • On the men’s side, no USA medals so far. They have 2 more chances with 2 athletes in the high bar and parallel bars. But ISR got its first medal in gym and their only gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics so far.
• All the hub bub around NZL Laurel Hubbard being the first trans woman to compete in the Olympics was for not. She DNF’d in her event the 87kg+ weightlifting event.
• Swimming is over now and T&F has started!
  • M 4x100m medley relay broke the WR in the perfect ending to the swimming events.
  • Caleb Dressel lived up to expectations taking home 5 of 5 Olympic golds. The 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 4x100m free and 4×100 medley relays.
  • Team USA took home 11 golds in swimming and 30 medals total. That is lower than Rio with 16 golds and 33 medals total.
  • Team USA swept the long-distance events in the pool. Katie Ledecky won the 800m and the debut 1500m while Bobby Finke won gold in both events for the men. The 800m was a debut event for the men’s side.
  • The women’s relays were not up to snuff only winning 2 silvers and a bronze. Granted this was more than what was expected on paper coming into Tokyo.
  • Team AUS dramatically improved their medal count in the pool from Rio. They had 10 medals total, 3 gold in Rio which they doubled to 20 overall medals of which 9 were gold. Emma McEown and Ariana Titmus were particularly prolific for the team down under.

• Track & Field (Athletics)
  • In an unprecedented moment, in the M HJ, QAT Mutaz Barshim & ITA Gianmarco Tamberi shared the gold medal rather than having a jump off. Both competitors had no misses until they both failed to clear 2.39m (7’10” for us Americans). Barshim asked if they could have 2 golds rather than jump off for it and Tamberi immediately accepted. This is Qatar’s first gold medal ever and Tamberi’s as well. Barshim has been the favorite for a long time but he won Silver in Rio. Tamberi came back from terrible injury that almost ended his career.
  • 100M W & M have both run. ITA Marcell Jacobs stunned the world by running 3 PRs to get himself into the final and the gold medal. That tallies up to 2 golds for ITA in athletics in one day! American Fred Kerly got 2^nd. His main event is he 400m but I guess not anymore. On the Women’s side: JAM had the favorite and the reigning Olympic champ and as a matter of fact, they swept the event. Elaine Thompson-Herah won with a 10.60, a new OR. That Olympic record was set in 1988 by FloJo!
  • In an event that the USA usually dominates, PR Jasmine Camancho-Quinn won the 100h W beating the current world record holder Keni Harrison who took silver for USA.
  • Ju’Vaughn Harrison (no relation) finished 5^th in the LJ and 7^th in the HJ. Still an impressive feat.

• • But the first USA gold in T&F came in the W Discus with Val Allman! Now that the seal is broken, let’s win some more.

• Medal count:
  • Total: USA 64, CHN 62, ROC 50
  • Golds: CHN 29, USA 22, JPN 17

Soccer:

• USA W Soccer: We advanced to the Semifinals after winning against NED in PKs. Our Semifinal opponents, CAN, also advanced in PKs. However that game played this morning. Team USA has been knocked out by CAN 1-0 in a penalty kick. Our goalie, Alyssa Naeher, went out in the first half with a knee injury and then a penalty in the box awarded our neighbors to the north a penalty kick, which they scored on successfully. Team USA never really looked like themselves in this tournament.
  • Remember we lost in Rio to SWE in the Quarterfinals.
  • Team USA had 9 goals discounted on offsides penalties
  • No team has won the world cup and then the Olympics. That will continue…
  • We will play for the bronze medal on Thursday morning @ 3am

Tennis:

• Novak Djokovic will not be getting the golden slam this year. He lost to GER Alexander Zverev in the semifinals. Zverev went on to win the gold over RUS Khachanov in straight sets. Djokovic played for the Bronze medal on Saturday but he lost that match as well.
  • #GFHint: The Golden Slam is when you win all the Grand Slam events and the Olympic Gold Medal all in one calendar year. Since the Olympics happen only every 4 years, this is extremely rare. It has only been accomplished one time, by Steffi Graf in 1988.
• Naomi Osaka, lighter of the Olympic torch and darling of the Tokyo games, lost in the 3^rd round to CZE Marketa Vondrousova. Osaka has spoken about the pressure she feels by being the highest paid female athlete and the face of the Tokyo games. Belinda Bencic won the gold for SUI in the women’s singles on Saturday.

What to watch this week

Baseball-MLB:

• Mon 8/2
  • Phillies at Nationals @ 6pm on ESPN
    • Suarez vs Gray
• Wed 8/4
  • Braves at Cardials @ 7pm on ESPN
    • Smyly vs Happ
• Thurs 8/5
  • Braves at Cardinals @ 7:15pm on ESPN
    • Toussaint vs LeBlanc
• Fri 8/6
  • Mets at Phillies @ 6pm on ESON
    • Stroman vs Gibson
• Sat 8/7
  • Mets at Phillies @ 3:05pm on FS1
    • Megill vs Suarez
  • Diamondbacks at Padres @ 7:40pm on FS1
    • Widener vs Darvish
• Sun 8/8
  • Mets at Phillies @ 12:05pm on TBS
    • Walker vs Wheeler
  • White Sox at Cubs @ 6pm on ABC
    • Cease vs Davies

Basketball:

• Mon 8/2
  • M Olympic Quarterfinal: USA vs ESP @ 11:40pm on USA
• Tues 8/3
  • W Olympic Quarterfinals: Teams TBA @ 8pm & 11:40pm
• Wed 8/4
  • W Olympic Quarterfinals: Teams TBA @ 3:20am & 7am
  • M Olympic Semifinal @ 11:15pm
• Thurs 8/5
  • M Olympic Semifinal @ 6am
  • W Olympic Semifinal @ 11:40pm
• Fri 8/6
  • W Olympic Semifinal @ 6am
  • M Olympic Final – Gold Medal Game @ 9:30pm
• Sat 8/7
  • W Olympic Final – Bronze Medal Game @ 2am
  • M Olympic Final – Bronze Medal Game @ 6am
  • W Olympic Final – Gold Medal Game @ 9:30pm

Beach Volleyball:

• Mon 8/2
  • W Quarterfinal: USA vs GER @ 7pm on NBC
• Wed 8/4
  • W Semifinal: Teams TBA @ 7pm & 8pm
• Thurs 8/5
  • W Finals: Teams TBA – Bronze Medal Match @ 8pm
  • W Final: Teams TBA – Gold Medal Match @ 9:30pm

Golf:

• Tues 8/3
  • W Olympic Round 1 @ 6:30pm on Golf Channel
• Wed 8/4
  • W Olympic Round 2 @ 6:30pm on Golf Channel
• Thurs 8/5
  • PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Classic – Round 1 @ 11am on Golf Channel
  • W Olympic Round 3 @ 6:30pm on Golf Channel
• Fri 8/6
  • PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Classic – Round 2 @ 11am on Golf Channel
  • W Olympic Round 4 @ 6:30pm on Golf Channel
• Sat 8/7
  • PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Classic – Round 3
    • @ 11am on Golf Channel
    • @ 1pm on CBS
• Sun 8/8
  • PGA Tour: FedEx St. Jude Classic – Round 4
    • @ 11am on Golf Channel
    • @ 1pm on CBS

Olympic Sports:

• Mon 8/2
  • Shooting: M 25m Rapid Fire Pistol @ 12:30am
  • Sailing: W 49er FX @ 12:33am
  • Sailing: M 49er @ 1:33am
  • Weightlifting: W 87kg @ 1:50am
  • Shooting: M 50m Rifle 3 Position @ 2:50am
  • Gymnastics: M Rings @ 3am
  • Equestrian: Open Team Jumping @ 3am
  • Gymnastics: W Floor @ 3:45am
  • Cycling-Track: W Team Sprint @ 4am & 4:09am
  • Gymnastics: M Vault @ 4:54am
  • Wrestling: M 60kg @ 5:30am, 5:40am & 5:55am
  • Weightlifting: W 87kg+ @ 5:50am
  • Athletics: W Discuss @ 6am
  • Wrestling: M 130kg @ 6:05am, 6:15am & 6:30am
  • Equestrian: Open Individual Jumping @ 6:45am
  • Wrestling: W 76kg @ 6:55am, 7:050am & 7:20am
  • Athletics: M 3000m Steeplechase @ 7:15am
  • Athletics: W 5000m @ 7:40am
  • Athletics: W LJ @ 8:50pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: M K1 200m @ 9:37pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: M C2 1000m @ 9:53pm
  • Athletics: M 400m Hurdles @ 10:20pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: M K1 1000m @ 10:20pm
  • Sailing: W 49er FX @ 10:33pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: W K2 500m @ 10:46pm
  • Sailing: M 49er @ 11:33pm
• Tues 8/3
  • Sailing : M Finn @ 12 :33am
  • Diving: M 3m Springboard @ 1am
  • Sailing: Mixed Narca 17 @ 1:33am
  • Gymnastics – Artistic: M Parallel Bars @ 3am
  • Cycling-Track: W Team Pursuit @ 3:05am & 3:26am
  • Cycling-Track: M Team Sprint @ 3:35am & 3:44am
  • Gymnastics – Artistic: W Beam @ 3:44am
  • Gymnastics – Artistic: M Horizontal Bar (aka High Bar) @ 4:42am
  • Boxing: M Welterweight @ 5:05am
  • Athletics: M Pole Vault @ 5:20am
  • Weightlifting: M 109kg @ 5:50am
  • Wrestling: M 77kg @ 5:50am
  • Wrestling: M 97kg @ 6:20am
  • Athletics @ W Hammer @ 6:35am
  • Wrestling: W 68kg @ 7:15am
  • Athletics: W 800m @ 7:25am
  • Athletics: W 200m @ 7:50am
  • Swimming: W 10km Open Water @ 4:30pm
  • Athletics: W 400m Hurdles @ 9:30pm
  • Skateboarding: W Park @ 10:30pm
• Wed 8/4
  • Sailing: M 470 @ 12:33am
  • Sailing: W 470 @ 1:33am
  • Boxing: M Light Heavyweight @ 1:35am
  • Cycling-Track: M Team Pursuit @ 3:45am & 4:06am
  • Equestrian: Open Individual @ 5am
  • Artistic Swimming: W Duet @ 5:30am
  • Wrestling: M 67kg @ 5:30am & 5:40am & 5:55am
  • Weightlifting: M 109kg+ @ 5:50am
  • Athletics: W 3000m Steeplechase @ 6am
  • Wrestling: M 87kg @ 6:05am & 6:15am & 6:30am
  • Athletics: M Hammer @ 6:15am
  • Wrestling: W 62kg @ 6:55am & 7:05am & 7:20am
  • Athletics: M 800m @ 7:05am
  • Athletics: M 200m @ 7:55am
  • Swimming: M 10km Open Water @ 4:30pm
  • Athletics: M TJ @ 9pm
  • Table Tennis: W Team @ 9pm
  • Athletics: M Shot Put @ 9:05pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: M K1 200m @ 9:42pm
  • Athletics: M 110h @ 9:55pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: W C1 200m @ 9:57pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: W K1 500m @ 10:29pm
  • Skateboarding: M Park @ 10:30pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: M K2 1000m @ 10:55pm
• Thurs 8/5
  • Diving: W 10m Platform @ 1am
  • Boxing: M Featherweight @ 1:35am
  • Athletics: M 20km Walk @ 2:30am
  • Cycling-Track: W Kerin @ 3:45am
  • Cycling-Track: M Omnium @ 3:55am
  • Cycling-Track: M Sprint @ 4:27am
  • Field Hockey: M Gold Medal Game @ 5am
  • Athletics: W Pole Vault @ 5:20am
  • Table Tennis: W Team @ 5:30am
  • Wrestling: M 57kg @ 5:30am & 5:40am & 5:55am
  • Wrestling: M 86kg @ 6:05am & 6:25am & 6:30am
  • Karate: M -67kg Kumite @ 6:40am
  • Karate: W -55kg Kumite @ 6:50am
  • Wrestling: W 57kg @ 6:55am & 7:05am & 7:20am
  • Athletics: M 400m @ 7am
  • Sport Climbing: M Combined @ 7:10am
  • Athletics: W Heptathlon 800m @ 7:20am
  • Athletics: M Decathlon 1500m @ 7:40am
  • Athletics: M 50km Race Walk @ 3:30am
  • Beach Volleyball: W Teams TBA @ 8pm & 9:30pm
  • Soccer: W Gold Medal match: SWE vs CAN @ 9pm
  • Table Tennis: M Team @ 9pm
• Fri 8/6
  • Boxing: M Heavyweight @ 1:05am
  • Athletics: W 20km Race Walk @ 2:30am
  • Cycling-Track: W Madison @ 3:15am
  • Cycling-Track: M Sprint @ 4:03am
  • Field Hockey: W Gold Medal Game @ 5am
  • Modern Pentathlon: W Individual @ 5:30am
  • Table Tennis: M Team @ 5:30am
  • Wrestling: M 74kg @ 5:30am & 5:40am & 5:55am
  • Wrestling: M 125kg @ 6:05am & 6:15am & 6:30am
  • Karate: W -61kg Kumite @ 6:40am
  • Athletics: W Jav @ 6:50am
  • Karate: M -75kg Kumite @ 6:50am
  • Wrestling: W 53kg @ 6:55am & 7:05am & 7:20am
  • Athletics: M 5km @ 7am
  • Sport Climbing: W Combined @ 7:10am
  • Athletics: W 400m @ 7:35am
  • Athletics: W 1500m @ 7:50am
  • Athletics: W 4x100m Relay @ 8:30am
  • Athletics: M 4x100m Relay @ 8:50am
  • Athletics: W Marathon @ 5pm
  • Golf: W Final Round @ 5:30pm
  • Beach Volleyball: M Team @ 8pm & 9:30pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: W C2 500m @ 9:37pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: M C1 1000m @ 9:53pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: W K4 500m @ 10:12pm
  • Canoe-Sprint: M K4 500m @ 10:37pm
• Sat 8/7
  • Boxing: M Flyweight @ 12am
  • Boxing: W Flyweight @ 12:15am
  • Boxing: M Middleweight @ 12:45am
  • Diving: M 10m Platform @ 1am
  • Boxing: W Welterweight @ 1:15am
  • Gymnastics-Rhythmic: Individual All -Around @ 1:20am
  • Cycling-Track: M Madison @ 2:55am
  • Equestrian: Open team @ 5am
  • Baseball: M Gold Medal Match @ 5am
  • Artistic Swimming: W Team @ 5:30am
  • Modern Pentathlon: M Individual @ 5:30am
  • Wrestling: M 65kg @ 5:30am & 5:40am & 5:55am
  • Athletics: W HJ @ 5:35am
  • Athletics: W 10000m @ 5:45am
  • Karate: W +61kg Kumite @ 5:45am
  • Karate: M +75kg Kumite @ 5:55am
  • Athletics: M Jav @ 6am
  • Wrestling: M 97kg @ 6:05am & 6:15am & 6:30am
  • M Soccer: Gold Medal Match @ 6:30am
  • Athletics: M 1500m @ 6:40am
  • Wrestling: W 50kg @ 6:55am & 7:05am & 7:20am
  • Handball: M Gold Medal Match @ 7am
  • Volleyball: M Gold Medal Match @ 7:15am
  • Athletics: W 4x400m Relay @ 7:30am
  • Athletics: M 4x400m Relay @ 7:50am
  • Athletics: M Marathon @ 5pm
  • Gymnastics- Rhythmic: W Group All-Around @ 9pm
  • Cycling-Track: W Sprint @ 9:06pm & 9:23pm
  • Cycling-Track: M Keirin @ 10pm
  • Cycling-Track: W Omnium @ 10:25pm
  • Volleyball: W Gold Medal Match @ 11:30pm
• Sun 8/8
  • Boxing: W Lightweight @ 12am
  • Boxing: M Lightweight @ 12:15am
  • Boxing: W Middleweight @ 12:45am
  • Handball: W Gold Medal Match @ 1a,
  • Boxing: M Super Heavyweight @ 1:15am

Soccer:

• Thurs 8/5
  • W Olympic Bronze Medal game: USA vs AUS @ 3am
  • W Olympic Gold Medal game: SWE vs CAN @ 9pm
• Fri 8/6
  • M Olympic Bronze Medal game @ 6am
• Sat 8/7
  • M Olympic Gold Medal game @ 6:30am

Volleyball:

• Tues 8/3
  • W Quarterfinal: DR vs USA @ 11pm
• Thurs 8/5
  • W Semifinal: Teams TBA @ 11pm
• Fri 8/6
  • W Semifinal: Teams TBA @ 7am
• Sat 8/7
  • W Final Bronze Medal Match: Teams @ 7pm
  • W Final Gold Medal Match: Teams TBA @ 11:30pm