Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/31/2025

College Football kicked off a huge Labor Day Weekend and the United States Open (of Tennis) is in full swing but we're back to baseball for our honors this week.  For the third time this season, a four home run game has been achieved.  Most ever.  This time, by home run machine Kyle Schwarber.  Schwarber is one of the great power hitters in the current era and did not disappoint against the rival Atlanta Braves.  The Wearing the classic powder blue uniforms, the Philadelphia Phillies slugger hit a HR in the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 7th inning against the Atlanta Braves collecting 9 RBI along the way, which is a good month for many players.  Wherever he plays he produces and his teams make postseason runs.  He is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/24/2025

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  No more.  The best player to never win a PGA event has won one and it was the literal Tour Championship.  Tommy Fleetwood had too many runners up to count, including Majors.  Including recent events.  Playing the best golf on the tour by a duffer not named Scottie.  This week.  He did it.  Finished three shots clear of the field and an elite field at that only the 30 best that qualified.  Nobody nailed an impossible putt against him.  He didn't get the shanks on the last couple of holes.  Closed.  With ease.  By all counts one of the best gentlemen and sportsmen on the tour, and now the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/17/2025

I took a week pause but we are back at it.  Like it or not, Baseball is the only game in town at the moment, be it Major Leagues or Little League.  We turn to the Big Apple as one of the city's biggest stars shined.  Francisco Lindor did all he could to keep the New York Mets in the National League East race.  Lindor put up Little League numbers this week, going 14-25 with 4 HR, 3 2B, 8 runs, 7 RBI.  And stole a couple of bases.  The Mets are likely tagged for the postseason as a Wild Card and may spoil some bigger winners teams.  If they do, it will be a result of the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 8/3/2025

Summer sports abound, we turn our attention to the swimming pool and one of the, if not the greatest American swimmer in history.  Katie Ledecky continues to assault the swimming record books fending of younger challengers now as she approaches 30 years old.  At the 800m distance there is no question.  She has not lost a major race at the distance since 2012.  She hasn't left the last four Olympics with fewer than five medals.  American legend and the Longhorndave Sportswoman of the Week! 

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/27/2025

As the late summer sports season rolls around, Major League Baseball begins to take center stage for the All-Star Game, Hall of Fame Weekend, Trade Deadline, and the Pennant Race.  And rookie players emerging.  The Athletics rookie Nick Kurtz became the first rookie in major league baseball to hit a record-tying four home runs in a game against perennial power Houston Astros blowing them out 15-3.  Kurtz tore into two additional hits as well, going six for six, scoring six times, with 8 RBI like it was a Little League Game.  Maybe this is a turned corner for the Athletics as they try and rebuild, but with rookies like Kurtz it may not be too long.  Nick Kurtz is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/20/2025

The Tour de France remains one of the most visually appealing sports events of the summer and a favorite of this Blog.  The scenes of 150+ cyclists going through the French countryside by small town churches and museums along with 4 hours of action and strategy every day.  However, it's usually settled in the big mountains of the Pyrenees or Alps and 2025 was no different.  And a familiar face dominated.  Tadej Pogačar is making a case for best ever in the sport and on his way to his third General Classification victory in Le Tour well before the age of 27.  Pogačar's biggest threat has been 2022-23 winner Jonas Vingegaard but it's been no match.  Stage 12 is where he made it happen, going one on one with Vingegaard and just crushing him to take over the Maillot Jaune probably for good.  It should be noted, Vingegaard beat the rest of the field, but Pogačar put his stamp on it. Stage 13 to leave no doubt, he won the Time Trial as well.  Maybe the Slovenian will crack in the Alps but not likely.  Tadej Pogačar is poised for his third Tour de France win on the Champs Elysees on Sunday and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/13/2025

Summer is a wide world of sports indeed with warm, outdoor temperatures drawing a variety of sports, fans, and winners.  Two times in eight days, NASCAR road king and rookie Shane Van Gispergen dominated the field to go to easy wins.  This week at Sonoma, the New Zealand wheelman Gispergen (commonly called SVG) took the Toyota/Save Mart 350.  Coming from Australian Supercar Series, SVG started NASCAR last year in the Xfinity (lower) circuit while running some road courses to full time Cup Series and won his first race in Chicago's street course in 2024.  This year he took a race in Mexico City, repeated in Chicago, and now in Sonoma.  All cars being equal, he and his 88 hot rod can't be beat on road courses.  Only in his first full season Gisbergen won for the fourth time in 34 starts, becoming the quickest to four wins since Parnelli Jones won at Riverside in 1967 in his 31st Cup start.  This win thrusts him to 3rd overall in the playoff standings despite being essentially non-competitive on ovals.  One of the playoff courses is a road course, can SVG parlay that into a shot at the Cup?  Depends on his oval skills, but he's a great drive and learning.  Shane Van Gispergen is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/6/2025

As the calendar turns to July, the summer variety of sports season starts, with Baseball, Golf, Tennis, and Soccer taking center stage.  No bigger soccer stage than the Gold Cup settling North America's greatest eleven.  Not surprisingly, the United States and Mexico weaved their way through the group and knockout rounds for a winner take all brawl in Houston.  And a brawl it was.  Estados Unidos struck quickly for a 1-0 lead within the first five minutes, and the crowd went wild.  But that was all the goals they would score.  In the 27th minute, veteran Raul Jimenez netted El Tri first goal on a soft entry and defense and punch of what would be two.  He was the one who scored the lone goal for Mexico in the semifinal to defeat Honduras 1-0 as well.  Mexico finished the task in the last 15 minutes to retain the Cup.  No glory in the United States, the Cup is to Mexico and the Sportsman of the Week goes to Jimenez.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 6/29/2025

The Detroit Tigers have quickly emerged as the team to beat in the American League, surging to an 11.5 game lead in the AL Central and 2.5 best in the League.  They showed no intimidation last year facing the Houston Astros in the playoffs and quickly dispensing them in two games in Houston, the first time the Astros didn't make the ALCS in 8 years.  A great deal of their recent success has been due to reigning Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal.  Never a heralded draft pick or prospect, he is probably now the best pitcher in baseball.   This week he was a strike out machine in two wins, striking out 18 over 13 IP.  In 5 of his last 7 outings, he's allowed 1 or fewer runs. He won 6 of them with the other a 1-0 loss due to the bullpen.  He's every bit of the ace and every bit, the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Wee!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 6/22/2025

The NBA Finals were a boon of excitement, intrigue, and uncertainty.  While the latter reigned, a particular player was a certainty.  The NBA MVP.  Shai Gilgeous Alexander showed no doubt that he was the best player in the NBA and on the best team as his Oklahoma City Thunder won their first NBA Championship against the Indiana Pacers.  The Thunder were the best team in the regular season yet tried in the playoffs against resilient teams like the Pacers and the Denver Nuggets.  But in Shai they trusted.  The reigning MVP poured in 80 points over the last three games, including 11 rebounds and 24 assists.  The totals were somewhat muted in a Game 6 blowout to the Pacers in which key players took rest.  Gilgeous-Alexander is starting the comparisons to other champion greats like MJ, Kobe, and LBJ.  Will the Thunder win more titles like those did?  Signs point to yet.  But for now, Gilgeous-Alexander is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!