Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/30/2025

For all its warts, College Football remains the sport of many fans in November, especially Thanksgiving / Rivalry weekend.  While our Sportsman of the Week wasn't in a pure rivalry, his performance upended the college football playoff in a huge win in their season finale.  California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele had nearly a perfect day in shredding 2024 playoff participant and expected ACC Championship Game contender Southern Methodist.  Sagapolutele hit all but 9 of his 40 passes, and four of the 31 completions went for touchdowns.  To four different receivers.  The four TDs and 330 yards in the game were a career high.  He was sacked never.  He threw no interceptions.  And the freshman led the kinds of two-minute drives legends do.  JKS went 5 for 6, making his biggest completion to the 5-yard line with 40s left before having his RB punch it in.  Cal ends the season at a quietly good 7-5 and will be bowling.  Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is a big name to watch in the future and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/23/2025

In a bit of a "calm before the storm" week in college football, there were some surprising outcomes and performance that shaped the conference title races.  None more than the Pittsburgh Panthers upset of the previously ranked #16 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets sent shockwaves through the ACC standings.  The Panthers got a command performance from Ja'Kyrian Turner, a true freshman running back who is surging with experience.  Against the Jackets, "Boosie" Turner ran for a career high 201 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, nearly toting the ball 10 yards per carry.  The climax was a spectacular 56 yard run up the middle to put the Panthers ahead by more than a touchdown for good.  Pittsburgh doesn't have a great chance to make the ACC title game, but the future is bright with Turner, the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/16/2025

In a playoff deciding game, big players and leaders step up and that was the case for our Sportsman of the Week.  Georgia Quarterback Gunner Stockton was clutch in the second half for his Bulldogs against the Texas Longhorns for the second time in 12 months.  This time, he showed that Georgia may be the hottest team in the country.  The Junior had his best game of the year, throwing nothing but darts hitting 83% of his passes four 4 touchdowns, while running for a fifth as they pulled away from a Top 10 team.  Georgia seems to be the kind of team that is getting better with time and has a favorable schedule.  They may not make the SEC title game, but finishing 11-1 won't keep them out of the playoffs, hosting a game, then being a force to be reckoned with.  Stockton is the leader they need, and the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/9/2025

Sometimes a single play, in an amazingly surprise situation, in the clutch can get you Sportsman of the Week.  This is the week.  The Indiana Hoosiers football (that's right football, not basketball) program continues to astound experts.  "They're not that good, just easy schedule."  "Once they play the big boys they'll lose."  "Why are they ranked so high?".  They are 21-1 over the past two regular seasons.  Read that again.  Slowly.  21.  And.  1.  We usually make fun of a Boise State or Coastal Carolina for such numbers, but this is the Big 10.  Did they not play everyone?  No, they didn't.  You can't with an 18-team conference.  But they're winning and this week against Penn State.  The final winning drive was punctuated by what will be a finalist if not winner for catch of the year.  Heisman trophy short odds QB Fernando Mendoza through a piss missile to Omar Cooper Jr.  Who snagged it against all odds.  Cooper Jr. high pointed the ball and made an impossible toe touch on third and goal from the 7 under 40s.  To give Indiana a key win 27-24 over Penn State in their Big 10 title hopes.  Not all wins are perfectly pretty.  But going into Happy Valley against a desperate team deserves props and the catch by Cooper Jr. was in line with that.  A worthy Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/2/2025

A World Series for the ages.  The matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers had it all.  Back and forth wins.  Heroes stepping up from obscurity.  Extra innings. Walk off wins.  Close plays.  And a pitcher who won 3 of the 4 games for his team.  Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the ball in Game 2 with his team facing a potential debilitating 2-0 deficit and he took the ball.  For 9 innings.  Just 4 hits.  First complete game since 2015 as the Dodgers won.  Then he took the ball in Game 6.  One loss away from losing the series to the Jays.  6 innings of 1 run baseball.  Dodger win  Then THE NEXT DAY as an epic Game 7 was unfolding he took the ball with the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, one out.  Got out of it.  Two more innings.  And he won his third game.  Hero wore a cape.  And was a worthy World Series MVP and the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/26/2025

We enter the time of the sports calendar that I call syzygy.  That is, all four major men's sports (and MLS) are in full swing at once, with NHL and NBA starting up, MLB in the final throws of the World Series, and the NFL in midseason form.  All.  Aligned.  It's the latter we focus on as one of the marquee matchups of the NFL was future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers (and two-time Sportsman of the Week [9/2013, 11/2014)] leading the Pittsburgh Steelers against his former Packers team.  However it was the current Packers QB who stole the show.  Jordan Love stared down a 9-point deficit at halftime, and 5 points going into the fourth before he took control of the game.  Just like an elite QB does.  Love was efficient, hitting 27 passes, missing only 8, no interceptions and 3 TD to go with 365 yards.  Also took no sacks in a decisive 35-25 victory in Prime Time.  Looked all the part of the Packers QB legacy and is poised to take them to the Super Bowl.  Jordan Love is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/19/2025

The game everyone is still buzzing about and it may not ever stop.  Shohei Ohtani went all Little League best player on the field but it wasn't Little League, but the National League Championship Series.  As the Los Angeles Dodgers storm through their playoff bracket (now 9-1 so far in these playoffs). Shohei keeps doing it all.  Of course by all, we mean hitting and pitching.  In NLCS Game 4, Shohei took the mound and went 6 innings, just 2 hits and 10 strikeouts over 100 pitches.  But to quote the telemarketing campaign "but wait, there's more".  Batting leadoff he staked his starting pitcher (in this case, himself) to a 1-0 lead (which ballooned to a 3 run lead by the end) with a leadoff home run.  But wait, there's more.  He hit two more solo home runs and drew a walk for a perfect day at the plate as the Dodgers eased to a 5-1 win and their fifth pennant in 9 years.  Tying a playoff home run record with 3 home runs in a game (joining Reggie Jackson, Babe Ruth, Jose Altuve, and many more).  What can't he do?  Time will tell.  But Shohei Ohtani is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

This is Shohei Ohtani's third Sportsman of the Week in three years

July 30, 2023

September 22, 2024

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 10/12/2025

The Las Vegas Aces ran roughshod through the WNBA finals in big part to who may become the best player in League History.  Superstar front court player A'ja Wilson capped her record fourth WNBA MVP with a Final MVP, her second, while leading the Aces to their third title in four years with a sweep of the Phoenix Mercury.  Wilson scored 65 points with 23 rebounds over the two games this week, with 8 assists.  The decisive moment was her nailing a game winning shot with under a second left in Game 3, effectively ending any hopes for Phoenix.  Overall averaging 28.5 points in 36 minutes with over 12 boards a game.  Dominant.  Speaking of dominant, the Aces were just too much and moved to 10-1 in the Finals over their three titles in four years.  The 29-year-old is a great of the game, and great of this Blog with her Second Sportswoman of the Week!

A'ja Wilson first won Sportswoman of the Week in 2017.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/5/2025

The Major League Baseball postseason when flying through the Wild Card round and into the Division Series.  One of the more intriguing matchups were traditional American League East powers the Boston Red Sox visiting the New York Yankees for a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.  After both teams landed punches to split the first two games, the stage was set for a rookie to emerge as the hero.  Cam Schlittler didn't have his major league debut until July 9th but by October 2nd, he was carrying his team. In a postseason performance not seen for years, Schlittler notched a career high 8 innings, fanning a career high 14 Red Sox, while walking none in 107 efficient pitches.  And the crowd went wild.  The 4-0 win got the Yankees to the Division Series round, but our Sportsman of the Week was a surprising reason why.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/28/2025

The first major conference matchup week in college football unfolded in the last weekend in September and it did not disappoint.  In the New Conference Order, suddenly a matchup between Illinois and Southern California is (1) a conference matchup and (2) one between ranked teams.  And on national TV, the Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer took over.  Altmyer struck early, was efficient, and finished the game.  He ended 20-26 with 328 yards on such limited attempts.  And two TDs in a thrilling 34-32 victory.  And no interceptions.  And he was efficient with his legs on five carries and tack on another touchdown.  Oh and, he caught a TD pass.  Talk about doing it all.  Altmyer answered the critics after a tough loss and has positioned Illinois with their conference title fate in front of them.  Luke Altmyer is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!