Grace was not the key word of the weekend in sports as bizarre injuries ran amok.
Caffeine in hand this morning and we’re buzzing like bees at a Cubs spring training game.
Sweeter than honey,
The Last Night’s Game Team
MLB (Major League Baseball)
Freak accident. Milwaukee Brewers Reliever Will Smith (no not THAT Will Smith) tore a ligament in his knee while attempting to take off his cleats after a game. He expected to miss "significant time.”
Buzz off. A swarm of bees were the cause of a delay in the Mariners vs. Cubs spring training game on Sunday. Cubs’ outfielder Jason Heyward was surrounded by a swarm and stung several times.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
Was the crime worth the time? Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin has been medically cleared to resume basketball activities after a quad injury and broken hand have kept him out since Christmas Day. Since he has been cleared from his injuries he must now serve his suspension for punching a team equipment manager outside a restaurant in January. Griffin will be back on the court on April 3rd. Clippers clinched a playoff spot with a win last night.
NCAA Basketball (College)
Not so fast. Going into to Saturday all four #1 seeds were still in the NCAA tournament. The picture looked a little different by Sunday night. Oregon (#1) lost to Oklahoma (#2) and Kansas (#1) lost to Villanova (#2).
But wait there’s more! Syracuse (#10) beat Virginia (#1) to secure their place in the Final Four. North Carolina, who beat Notre Dame (#6) on Sunday, is the only #1 ranked team to make it to the Final Four. The Final Four is this weekend.
- Orange fever. Both Syracuse’s men and women’s basketball teams secured a spot in their respective Final Four tournaments for 2016. The men won the National Championship in 2003 and this is the first ever trip for the ladies.
PGA (Professional Golfer’s Association)
At the top. Jason Day surpassed Jordan Spieth to claim the spot as #1 ranked golfer in the world after winning the Dell Match Play Tournament in Austin, Texas. Day is not a newcomer to the spotlight as he was ranked #1 last year but he had a humble beginning. Growing up Day was so poor that his first golf club was one his father pulled from the town dump.
Overtime
- In the spirit of Easter, the Houston Cougars changed up a drill during spring practice by dressing up in bunny costumes. No bunnies (or football players) were harmed in the making of this video.
Sideline stat
University of Connecticut women's basketball team won their Elite Eight game, handing Mississippi State a 98-38 loss. The UConn ladies will play Texas (#2) tonight. So far they have outscored their tournament opponents 296-138.
Coaches’ Corner
- Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey injured himself in the game vs. Wisconsin last week. No it wasn’t from his rebound skills but from stepping awkwardly on the grip pad (which the players’ use so their shoes have a better grip on the court). He reportedly pulled a calf muscle. Apparently the luck of the Irish wasn’t shining on Brey or his team. They lost to North Carolina last night.
