From: The Dynasty
Championship Season has returned! Plus a shocking resignation and a historic victory
A lot caught my eye this week in sports -- almost too much for this quick summary. Although it didn’t make the cut, I couldn’t leave this Lionel Messi goal out of the mix. Enjoy.
Let’s take a look at what happened in the past week of sports.
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Sepp Blatter resigns four days after winning a fifth term as FIFA president
In a dramatic turn of events, FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced on Tuesday that he will be resigning from office after winning a fifth term. His announcement comes amid speculation that he is under investigation as part of the corruption conspiracy that put seven major FIFA officials behind bars last week. Blatter miraculously won re-election over Jordanian challenger Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein, but he declared his resignation only four days after his election victory. However, Blatter will not leave office until his successor is announced in a special election that will take place between the months of December 2015 and March 2016. His resignation offers good news for soccer fans because Blatter, who is known as one of the most powerful men in sports, will no longer be in charge of one of the most corrupt organization in the world of sports. FIFA is cleaning up its act, which can only mean good things for the future of soccer.
2. With Kyrie Irving lost to injury, it’s the Warriors series to lose.
The Golden State Warriors took Game 1 of the NBA finals Thursday night, beating Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-100. The Warriors held James and the Cavs. to only two points in the overtime period. However, the biggest storyline that emerged from the game was Kyrie Irving’s injury. Irving sat out of most of the Eastern Conference finals with knee and foot issues. Early in the overtime period of Game 1, Irving appeared to re-injure his left knee, which led to an emotional locker room after the game. Irving is set to miss the next three or four months with a fractured kneecap. Irving’s injury is a huge loss for the Cavs. Irving is the Robin to Lebron’s Batman, and he can be even more spectacular than Lebron. Without Irving’s creativity and scoring ability, the Cavaliers will struggle to perform at the same level. It will take a herculean effort from Lebron James -- who had 44 points last night -- to beat Steph Curry and the Warriors. Game 2 is set for Sunday.
3. The U.S. men’s national soccer team just made history.
Down 3-1 with 53 minutes in the books, the U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) struggled to match the more experienced Netherlands team. However, the U.S. summoned the perseverance of the founding fathers and mounted an improbable comeback, defeating the Netherlands 4-3 in Amsterdam today. When the USMNT plays a European power like the Dutch, they typically field a weaker team. That was not that case in today’s match. Dutch stars Robin Van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar played, along with midfielder maestro Wesley Sneijder. Leading the Stars and Stripes were not the usual culprits, but young players that are looking to make this summer’s Gold Cup roster. Four different players scored for the US -- LA Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes, Hertha Berlin defender (and World Cup hero) John Brooks, Reading midfielder Danny Williams and 1860 Munich forward Bobby Wood. Three out of the four scorers are under the age of 24. This result is awesome for the USMNT, as they look to built for the Copa America in 2016 and the World Cup in 2018, where head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is shooting for a semifinal appearance. The USMNT will play one more friendly against world champions Germany on June 10th.
4. The Blackhawks’ Andrew Shaw channeled his inner Luis Suarez.
During the Blackhawks’ 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, forward Andrew Shaw bit Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman, leading to a small fight.. After the scrum broke apart, Hedman went to the bench and showed bite marks his teammates and staff.
With this bite, Shaw is the newest member of the Bite Club, a collection of athletes that includes Mike Tyson and Luis Suarez. Apparently, the NHL has a history of biting incidents. Game 2 is set for tonight at 9pm ET.
5. Broncos linebacker Von Miller got fined for what?!
Von Miller, all-pro outside linebacker for the Denver Broncos, was fined by the team for flatulence during team meetings. Yes, you read that correctly. Flatuence. A player was fined for farting in team meetings. Let’s be honest, it must be pretty bad if the team is forced to fine a player for an action like that.
Today, one of the world’s best athletes -- Lionel Messi -- will be on full display in the Champions’ League final as Barcelona faces off against Italian powerhouse Juventus. Kickoff is at 2:45 ET on Fox. My prediction is that the attacking triumvirate of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar will be too much for Juventus, and Barcelona will win 4-1.
