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Top headlines from the sports world in the past month
By Michael Waltz
Winter Olympics Results
As the 23rd Winter Olympic games have come to an end, there are many amazing moments to look back on. The U.S. finished the competition with 23 medals which put them in 4th place behind Canada (29), Germany (31), and Norway (39). In women’s snowboarding halfpipe, 17-year-old Chloe Kim took home the gold for the U.S.A. after landing back-to-back 1080s, a first in women’s Olympic history. Shaun White pulled off an amazing run in halfpipe to score his third Olympic gold medal. The U.S. women’s Hockey team beat longtime rival Canada in an overtime shootout to win gold, ending a 20-year medal drought. The biggest shocker of the Olympics was the first ever gold for the U.S. Men’s Curling team after beating top-ranked Sweden. Although this wasn’t one of the best Olympic Games for the U.S, it definitely had its fair share of memorable moments.
NCAA Basketball Corruption
An FBI investigation into many different NCAA basketball players and schools have been put in place as what is being called an “underground recruiting operation.” It all started when Yahoo! Sports uncovered documents that showed evidence of cash advancements, paid expenses, and other incentives towards college players and their families. A report from ESPN showed that Arizona head coach Sean Miller was caught discussing a payment of up to $100,000 to freshmen DeAndre Ayton. While this was only discussion, there have been confirmed reports of players like Dennis Smith who have received up to $73,000 while playing at NC State. The FBI investigation is still ongoing, but charges have already been made against teams such as Auburn, Arizona, USC, and Oklahoma State.
Kobe Bryant Wins Oscar
At the 90th annual Academy Awards, retired five-time NBA champion for the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant won an Oscar in the animated short category. Bryant was the executive producer in the animated short “Dear Basketball” which was based on a poem he wrote in 2015 when announcing his retirement. Disney animator Glen Keane also won an Oscar for his role in the film. In disbelief, Bryant gave his acceptance speech, thanking his wife and three daughters pointing to them as his inspiration. It seems that Bryant has taken up his second career as he stated that he is also working on a series of novels.
Tiger Woods is Back
A near 1st place finish in the Valspar Championship may be a start to a new era for Tiger Woods. To many people a Woods comeback was doubtful, to say the least. He has spent the majority of the past two years out of the Golfing world, mostly struggling with his back injuries. On April 19, 2017, Woods had his fourth back surgery, an anterior lumbar interbody fusion. He returned to Golf in January and was excited to get back to work. After a couple weeks of steady play, he looked like one of the best players on the PGA Tour. Keep in mind not every part of his game is perfect, there is still work to be done, but it’s important to realize that playing at a competitive level is a massive accomplishment for Woods as not to long ago he was wondering if he’d ever step on the course again. With the Masters starting on April 5, Tiger Woods is definitely a fan favorite.
