Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/17/2021

The Dallas Cowboys may FINALLY be for real and it's because they built up offensive weapons all over the place and their defense isn't bad.  This week, in an extraordinarily entertaining game, the Cowboys beat the longstanding dynasty (albeit waning) New England Patriots in overtime.  While QB Dak Prescott torched the Patriots defense time and time again, it was receiver CeeDee Lamb that hauled in most of them.  Lamb hauled in 9 receptions (career high) for 149 yards (career high) and 2 TD (tied career high) including the overtime winner after the Patriots won the toss and had to punt.  Targeted just 11 times, Lamb got just about everything thrown his way and for the first time since Barry Switzer stalked the sidelines, the Cowboys look like serious Super Bowl Contenders.  Will America's team finally win a title for the first time in 25 years?  They will if Lamb keeps it up.  He is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/10/2021

The Major League Baseball postseason hit full throttle this week and big teams and big names took center stage.  A surprise surging team was the Boston Red Sox.  On a wild final Sunday of the regular season, they Red Sox stage a huge comeback to avoid having a one-game playoff against the Toronto Blue Jays.  Bought them a one game blood bath against the Yankees.  And a win.  Turn the page to the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays and they stormed to a 3-1 series win in the ALDS.  The star?  Enrique 'Kike" Hernandez.  Overall the Sox went 4-1 against the two best teams in the AL East.  Hernandez was 10-18, 3 doubles, 2 HR, 5 runs, 6 RBI in the 4 wins.  Perhaps his most dramatic at bat was a series walk off against the top seeded Rays on a Sacrifice Fly.  He was nothing short of unstoppable in taking the Red Sox to their second ALCS in four years.  He has played in 3 of the last 4 World Series, winning a title last year.  He may make it 4 out of 5.  Our Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 10/3/2021

The last week of the Major League Baseball Season produced drama as the last few playoff spots were grabbed in the final weekend.  One of the most contested races were between the two best teams in baseball (in win total), the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.  The preseason World Series favorite Dodgers trucked along the regular season, but always found themselves looking up at the Giants in the standings.  Going into the final week, they stayed that way.  Despite the efforts of our Sportsman of the Week.  Trea Turner, a mid-season acquisition by the cash and prospect rich Dodgers, sealed a National League batting title by torching opponents all week.  Turner went 11-24, 8 runs, 11 RBI as the Dodgers won all games and positioned themselves to nip the Giants at the finish line.  It was not to be, as the Giants held out.  But the Dodgers earned a Wild Card berth and, if they win, will face the Giants with a chance to finally get the upper hand and advance in the World Series.  Turner will be a big factor, and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/26/2021

Sixty six.  66.  Sesenta y seis.  A number never before breached by a field goal kicker.  On a successful Field Goal at least.  Until Sunday.  What appears to be the best kicker of at least this generation or maybe ever, Baltimore Ravens uber-leg Justin Tucker both wowed the entire NFL fan population and punched another hole in the Detroit Lions gut by kicking the longest field goal in NFL history.  A record that may not ever be broken.  With three seconds left after the heavily favored Ravens converted a near impossible fourth and 19, they found themselves with no choice but to send out Tucker to convert a record 66-yard FG to win 19-17.  Mind you, in his career, he'd only converted one of five from 60+ yards.  Make it two of six.  Note the other was also against the Lions, also as time expired, also a 2 point win.  Tucker cemented his legacy with a highlight for generations and a record for maybe ever.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/19/2021

The first two weeks of the NFL has provided a number of tight games, upsets, surprises and top performances.  And upsets.  Two of the biggest wins so far have been executed by the Las Vegas Raiders led by our Sportsman of the Week Derek Carr.  Shuffled a tough schedule to start, hosting the formidable Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, then travelling to menacing Pittsburgh for a noon start (over three time zones) to face the Steelers.  2-0.  After a thrilling overtime on Monday Night, including 10 points in the last 4 minutes, including a last minute FG drive for the tie, Carr led his team to a 33-27 victory essentially twice as a TD was overturned the Raiders survived a Ravens possession to win on a 31 yard TD pass.  Head to Sunday in Pittsburgh in which Carr led a workmanlike effort to down the Steelers with ease 26-17.  Two of their biggest contenders behind them, the Raiders schedule lightens up.  Carr has clocked a 66.7% completion rate, 817 yards (that's over 400 per game) and 4 TD.  The Raiders have vaulted themselves into contention in the AFC, two showdowns with the Kansas City Chiefs loom but Derek Carr is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week! 

This is Derek Carr's second Sportsman of the Week honor and at eight years, believed to be the longest duration between as he was the 91st Sportsman of the Week in 2013!

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 9/12/2021

An exciting and unpredictable finish punctuated the 2021 United States Open (of Tennis) and the biggest surprise was on the ladies side of the bracket.  Youth was served as teenagers Leylah Fernandez (Canada) faced off against Great Britain's Emma Raducanu in what turned out to be a straight set victory for the latter. Raducanu became the first qualifier to make the Finals of the Open and didn't drop a set throughout the two week tournament.  She never even needed a tiebreak.  Fernandez did some heavy lifting in ousting favorites such as Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber and actually beat 3 of the Top 5 seeds.  But Raducanu was just too amazingly hot to stop.  Raducanu may be on the precipice of a stalwart career and is the Longhorndave Sportswoman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/5/2021

In the biggest game of the college football kickoff weekend, the biggest win was by the Georgia Bulldogs.  Led by their defense, they defeated the defending ACC Champions 10-3 in an effort that felt like the Tigers couldn't score if they had 40 quarters instead of four.  While the Bulldogs offense struggled, their defense struck for the only touchdown of the game in a big win over the Clemson Tigers 10-3.  Senior Chris Smith made a quick break on a ball and did the rest with his legs and blocks in scoring a classic "Pick-6" which was the difference in the game.  While certainly his effort wasn't the only part of the defensive domination, he represents the Dawgs in their big win and made a huge statement in being SEC East Favorites.  Chris Smith is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/29/2021

Football and tennis are kicking up for the fall, but baseball is still the National Pastime of summer.  And one of the greats of the game in a small market is getting the attention he deserves as one of the greatest at this position.  Not just this year.  But of all time.  Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals is rewriting the record books for a catcher right in front of our eyes.  We should open them and see.  He had as good a week as anyone in baseball this year.  Seven games, with home runs in six of them, 14 RBI, only 5 K, with 5 BB, and 10 hits in 28 AB.  Oh, and he led his young Royals team to a 4-3 record on the road against 2 playoff contenders over .500.  All adds up to a strong Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/22/2021

There may not be a more appropriate 500th Sportsman of the Week than to look to a man who hit his 500th Home Run this week.  You can't make this up.  Miguel Cabrera etched his name next to baseball elite when he clobbered his milestone home run.  He was a hero in 2003 when he emerged as a post season phenom in securing a world Series for the Florida Marlins, and now he puts another stamp on his Cooperstown passport in getting 500 home runs.  Cabrera clobbered number 500 against Toronto Blue Jays hurler Steven Matz in a game in which the Tigers won in a resurgent season as they rebuild.  Next up. 3000 hits hoping to become the (Aaron, Mays, Palmeiro, Murray, Rodriguez, Pujols, and two of those have some PED issues.)

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/15/2021

It's been a while since we've featured a No Hitter in the Blog, but here we are again.  This time the rub is, there was no way to expect it.  The Arizona Diamondbacks are the worst team in baseball.  They have been in rebuild mode for a few years and this second half is just the dog days of summer.  So all the better to have something to reward their patient fans.  And Tyler Gilbert did just that.  In his first career start, he tossed a no hitter against playoff contending San Diego Padres.  It was the first pitcher to throw a no hitter in his first career start since 1953.  And with eight no hitters, the season with the most no hitters since 1900.  Without overpowering stuff, walking two, but no hits.  What a day for the Diamondbacks and for Gilbert and what a great day for Baseball.  Tyler Gilbert is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!