Sunday Sports Rundown
1. The Pittsburgh Steelers won their third consecutive road game in the NFL playoffs in defeating the Denver Broncos 34-17 to represent the American Football Conference in Super Bowl XL (that's 40, not extra-large). They entered Invesco Field in the Mile High City, overcame reduced oxygen and a bearded quarterback, and jumped out to a commanding 24-3 halftime lead, stunning not just the rowdy home crowd but also the 13-3 Broncos, the #2 seed in the playoffs. Big Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers played with aggression and passion to carry their elder teammate, Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, back home to Detroit, where Super Bowl XL will be played on Sunday, February 5th. Here's hoping they pull out the victory for Bussie, as well as for Coach Bill Cowher (the guy on the sidelines who bears a striking resemblance to Sgt. Slaughter).
2. The Seattle Seahawks, playing in the loudest stadium in the league, defeated the Carolina Panthers 34-14 to clinch their first Super Bowl berth in their history, which dates back to 1976. What I thought would be a tough matchup turned out to be an utter domination by the Seahawks. Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander led the charge, while Panthers QB Jake Delhomme could never get on track, and WR Steve Smith was a virtual non-factor (aside from his punt return TD in the first half). The most dangerous receiver in the playoffs was limited to 2 catches for 8 yards. According to my brother, who lives in downtown Seattle, the city was alive with celebration after the game, with screams filling the streets and fireworks lighting up the sky.
3. Not to be outdone, the sport of basketball found a way to make the news as well. In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers torched the Toronto Raptors for 81 points, to give the Lakers a 122-104 victory in front of the Staples Center crowd. Bryant broke Elgin Baylor's team-record of 71 points in one game, and only trails Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point outburst as the second highest scoring performance of all time. Picking up where he left off from a game against Dallas, where he scored 62 points in only 3 quarters, Bryant played 42 minutes, made 28 of 42 field goals, 7 of 13 3-point shots, and 18 of 20 free throws, leading a Laker comeback that resulted in victory. (Thanks to Cody, who attended the game, for calling me about it just after it happened.) Here's the story if you want to read more. Even more impressive is the shot chart for the game. Use the drop-down menu to isolate Kobe's shots. That's a lot of hugs and kisses (X's and O's).
2. The Seattle Seahawks, playing in the loudest stadium in the league, defeated the Carolina Panthers 34-14 to clinch their first Super Bowl berth in their history, which dates back to 1976. What I thought would be a tough matchup turned out to be an utter domination by the Seahawks. Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander led the charge, while Panthers QB Jake Delhomme could never get on track, and WR Steve Smith was a virtual non-factor (aside from his punt return TD in the first half). The most dangerous receiver in the playoffs was limited to 2 catches for 8 yards. According to my brother, who lives in downtown Seattle, the city was alive with celebration after the game, with screams filling the streets and fireworks lighting up the sky.
3. Not to be outdone, the sport of basketball found a way to make the news as well. In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers torched the Toronto Raptors for 81 points, to give the Lakers a 122-104 victory in front of the Staples Center crowd. Bryant broke Elgin Baylor's team-record of 71 points in one game, and only trails Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point outburst as the second highest scoring performance of all time. Picking up where he left off from a game against Dallas, where he scored 62 points in only 3 quarters, Bryant played 42 minutes, made 28 of 42 field goals, 7 of 13 3-point shots, and 18 of 20 free throws, leading a Laker comeback that resulted in victory. (Thanks to Cody, who attended the game, for calling me about it just after it happened.) Here's the story if you want to read more. Even more impressive is the shot chart for the game. Use the drop-down menu to isolate Kobe's shots. That's a lot of hugs and kisses (X's and O's).
posted by F at 1:42 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home