Monday Sports Review: 12/5/2011

It’s been a weekend of champions. From those claiming titles to past champions returning, this weekend has meant success for those that earn it. Here’s the weekend in review.

Tiger Woods Gets Win

After two years and 26 tournaments, Tiger Woods has finally won. In the Chevron World Challenge, it took two birdies to surpass Zach Johnson and earn Tiger his first win since 2009. The one-stroke victory in which he finished with a 10-under par gave Tiger his confidence back. The experts are now beginning to wonder: Is Tiger Woods back? Can he be the man he once was? Tiger has overcome injuries and issues in his personal life and golf game that dropped him in the rankings continuously. Finally, Woods got his win and is pushing back toward the top. A rejuvenated Woods, who is 35-years old, will definitely put the spice back in the PGA Tour. The only thing we do now, is sit and watch to see if the 2011-12 Woods can be the same dominant force that propelled him to countless titles throughout his career.

NFL on Repeat?

It’s an interesting way to look at things, but it appears two major NFL headlines continue to reappear week after week. For the 12th straight time this year (18th straight overall), the Green Bay Packers have won. The 38-35 win was the icing on the cake for the Aaron Rodgers led Packers. With 58 seconds to go in the game, with the score sitting at 35-35, Rodgers led the offense 68 yards going 4-4 to set up the game-winning field goal as time expired. It kept the Packers undefeated on the season and earned them the NFC North division crown. That wasn’t the only late push for a win. Once again, Tim Tebow completed his 7th straight start, leading the Denver Broncos to a win over the Minnesota Vikings in dramatic fashion. The quarterback completed 10 of 15 passes for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns. The win gave the team their 5th straight win and Tebow a record of 6-1 as a starter this season. During the game-tying drive, Tebow completed 2 of 3 passes for 52 yards to set up the 46-yard field goal. Again, Tebow is getting many of the headlines. Is Tebowmania for real and will it continue to punish teams late in the game?

Jose Reyes is Taking His Talents to South Beach

Jose Reyes just completed the best year in his career. He hit .337 last season with the New York Mets. Now, the 28-year old shortstop is moving down the Atlantic coast to play for the Miami Marlins. The Marlins and Reyes agreed to terms on a six-year contract that will pay him $106 million. The deal includes a $22 million option with $4 million guaranteed for a seventh year. The move comes after Thursday’s deal with closer Heath Bell and the Marlins are not done. The next player on their radar: first baseman Albert Pujols. The signing of Reyes gives the Marlins the option to move All-Star Hanley Ramirez to third base, giving the team a young, star-studded left side to the infield.

NBA Talks Allowed

With free agency set to begin on Friday, teams can now begin talks with players and start negotiations. After the lockout was lifted, players and teams were anxious to get negotiations started to determine where their future would be. Free agents like Tyson Chandler and Nene will finally be able to look for deals while players like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul could be on the move via trade. The beginning of negotiations is essentially the unwritten start to the basketball season that begins playing games on Christmas Day. Be prepared for four days of rumors and discussions galore, all leading up to the start of free agency on December 9th.

College Football at its Finest Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to go Bowling; not that kind of bowling. Over the weekend, the conference championship games took place with some surprising outcomes and some lopsided scores. Baylor Bears, Oklahoma State Cowboys, L.S.U. Tigers, Clemson Tigers, Boise State Broncos, T.C.U. Horned Frogs, Oregon Ducks, and Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles all took care of their competition with much ease. The win for the L.S.U. Tigers gives them the undefeated season and a spot in the National Title Game. Their opponents: the Alabama Crimson Tide. In a rematch of a game that ended 9-6 in overtime, the #1 Tigers will battle it out with #2 Alabama on January 9, 2012 for the National Championship. Heisman candidates Trent Richardson (Crimson Tide) and Tyrann Mathieu (Tigers) will set the tone for both of these teams. The All-SEC title game came down to just a field goal in the previous meeting in which neither team scored a touchdown. The previous game had L.S.U. win by 3, however, it wasn’t without Alabama’s kickers missing a total of 4 field goals throughout the game. The rest of the bowl games are as follows:

Fiesta Bowl: Stanford Cardinal vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys, January 2 Rose Bowl: Wisconsin Badgers vs. Oregon Ducks, January 2 Sugar Bowl: Michigan Wolverines vs. Virginia Tech Hokies, January 3 Orange Bowl: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Clemson Tigers January 4

The 2011-12 Bowl Season should be a great one with all these competitive match-ups.
By: Brandon Williams