Sportswoman of the Week Ending 9/24/2023

After a week hiatus due to personal circumstances, we animate the Blog again.  The story of the NFL was blowouts, and none were bigger than the upstart Miami Dolphins looking like a Don Shula dominant Super Bowl team like they haven't in 40 years.  A surprise star thrashed the Denver Broncos defense for one of the greatest offensive games of all time.  Rookie De'Von Achane made his NFL statement in his third NFL game by lighting up the scoreboard in a 70-20 beat down.  18 carries, 203 yards, and 2 TDs on the ground.  4 catches for 30 yards and two more TDs receiving.  So 22 touches, 4 TD, that's a pretty good ratio.  Achane was overlooked as a third-round pick projected to be a utility back return guy but may be the key to a Miami Dolphins TD run with a loaded offense.  Achane is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 9/10/2023

A changing of the guard took place right before our eyes on Saturday and a previously dominant sports entity is back.  No, we are not talking about the Texas Longhorns upset of Alabama.  But rather, American Ladies Tennis with a new superstar poised to pick up where her foremothers went before.  Coco Gauff put on an absolute display of talent and grit over the two weeks of the US Open to bring home the first trophy for an American teenage lady since a Williams Sister.  And the 19-year-old did it the hard way.  In seven rounds she dropped the first set three times, including the opening set of the tournament.  But battle back she did, beating four Top 32 opponents and riding the momentum of the roaring American Crowd in Flushing defeating two seeded Aryna Sabalenka for the title.  This won't be the last time we hear her name; Coco is the future of American ladies' tennis.

Sportsman of the Week Ending 9/3/2023

Another exciting opening weekend of college football with upsets and surprises and new teams in the mix.  But two traditional powers squared off on Sunday night as Louisiana State University faced off against Florida State University in an SEC / ACC showdown of top ranked teams.  And one team emerged by a lot.  Unlike last year when the same two teams played sloppy.  Both looked better.  But Florida State QB Jordan Travis was the unmistakable force that checkmated the Tigers of the Bayou.  Trailing at halftime, Travis would not waver and surgically dismantled LSU over the second half and made it a runaway.  Overall, Travis only missed 8 passes in 31 throws against what was expected to be a fast and tough defense.  Four of the 23 completions were touchdowns.  And he ran for another.  Travis could not be stopped in what was expected to be their toughest early matchup.  Win checked.  FSU is now in position for a big ACC push and maybe a playoff.  Jordan Travis is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/27/2023

This Blog is a big, if not HUGE fan of track and field and this week provided the most fireworks outside of the Olympics I can remember in a long time.  And it's all about American sprint domination (not to take away from other big golds but let's focus).  American Noah Lyles set the sprint world on fire with not just winning times, but World Class record times at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.  Known to have the 200m locked down, he increased his burst speed (against all odds) to burn the 100m in under 10s.  Well under 10s.  Before winning his third straight 200m World title (ho hum, foregone conclusion) he shocked the 100m field with a 9.83s.  His 200m time was 19.52s.  This made him the first man to sweep the 100m/200m since probably the best overall sprinter in history, former Sportsman of the Week Usain Bolt, in 2016.  Then when he was the anchor on the 4x100m race (for me, one of the most exciting events in all of sports), he became the first since Bolt since 2015.  He's elite and showing it and will likely set the Olympic world on fire next week in Paris.  For now, he is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/20/2023

Late summer sports continue to be fun in the sports landscape but again it's baseball that had the story.  Seattle Mariners phenom Julio Rodriguez reset the record books for success at the plate.  Rodriguez absolutely mashed pitching with four consecutive four hit (or more) games.  Four game stretch, 17 hits.  including 2 doubles, 2 home runs, five runs, and 8 RBI.  In the "other" three games that week he was 4-15 (not too shabby) with 3 more doubles.  Oh, and he stole 6 bases.  Probably most important his team went 6-1, taking three huge games from their rival (and defending Champion) Houston Astros in a sweep.  They're going to rattle the postseason and the leader is their superstar, Julio Rodriguez is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!  

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/13/2023

Another week, another single pitcher no hitter.  I promise you this doesn't happen as often as this normally.  Trade deadline acquisition for the Philadelphia Phillies, Michael Lorenzen notched the third (non-combined) no hitter and the second in eight days as he flummoxed the Washington Nationals over 9 innings for no hits to go along with 4 walks.  He finished with 124 pitches but had a comfortable 7-0 cushion so didn't need to worry about needing bullpen help as long as he kept the Nationals off the board.  The 31-year-old starter has moved across teams the last few seasons but defending National League Champion Phillies welcome him with open arms.  He's 2-0 with 17 IP, 6 H, 2 ER as he may find himself in the playoffs as a key piece of a rotation that took the team within 2 wins of a World Series championship last year.  Lorenzen etches his place in history and is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week! 

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/6/2023

In a League in which complete games are going the way of the dodo, our Sportsman of the Week navigated a playoff contending lineup while keeping the pitch count in check and left with not only a win, not only a complete game, but a no-hitter.  The second by an individual in 2023.  Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros cut through the Cleveland Guardians lineup like a knife through butter surrendering just one walk which was erased on a double play and faced the minimum.  Part of the endeavor was limiting pitches, so he only struck out 7.  The game was just 2-0 so despite no apparent weakness, a hit or a couple of walks would have submarined the whole outing if not game.  But instead, Framber ensured little drama as nothing was much of a threat besides one ground ball tipping off the pitcher's glove to the shortstop.  No hitters are in the Houston Astros blood, and now it is in Framber Valdez history, the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/30/2023

The legend of Shohei continues but it's the first time he's recognized for this honor in this Blog.  The do everything baseball player (literally everything) put on a display this week both on the mound and at the plate.  On the mound Ohtani threw a (2023 rare) complete game 1-hitter to get up to 9 wins and ..  At the plate Los Angeles Angels OF/P Shohei Ohtani continued his torrid pace since the start of June (but was only mildly fiery before that).  He was 6 of 20 (6 of 12 after the first two games) with 3 HR, 4 RBI, and 6 runs scored.  Overall, batting .307 with 39 HR (top 3 in AL for all Triple Crown categories) and it's just the beginning of August.  On the mound, Top 20 AL Wins and ERA and Tied for fourth in strikeouts.  What else to say.  Just waiting for success in the MLB postseason to match his World Baseball Classic success with Japan.  Shohei Ohtani is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 7/23/2023

In what was expected to be a wide-open Open Championship (known State Side as the British Open), a relative underdog streaked to easy victory. American Brian Harman surged to a 5-stroke lead by the cut day and never looked back.  Helping him (or indicative of the challenge of the course), it seemed to be different challengers on different days as some players would surge, then fade, then another would get hot but not sustain.  In the end, the steady 5'7" lefty American gapped the field by 6 strokes.  His four rounds of 70 or under was more than enough to hold off chargers like Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, and Tom Kim.  The 36-year-old Harman wins his first major and made it look easy, the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportswoman of the Week Ending 7/16/2023

Another week, another Major or Grand Slam Championship and another first time winner on the big stage.  Love to see it.  In a predictable Wimbledon Championship on the Gentlemen's side, the Ladies produced a complete surprise.  Czech surprise Marketa Vondrousova shocked the tennis establishment by winning the Ladies Championship over 6-seeded Ons Jabeur in straight sets 6-4 squared.  It wasn't so easy, both sets Vondrousova stormed comebacks that Jabeur could not answer.  Vonsrousova is the first unseeded champion on the Ladies side in All England history.  Jabeur had to settle for the runner's up trophy for the second straight year.  The 24-year-old Vondrousova stormed through four other seeds on the way only dropping two sets the entire fortnight.  She represents everything our Blog supports, and is the Longhorndave Sportswoman of the Week!