Saturday, December 28, 2013

LockerRoomz Q.and.A: Pro Boxer PETER 'Kid Chocolate' QUILLIN

 
The Date: Wednesday 7/31/2K13
The Locale: Outside of HENRI BENDEL boutique, West 57th Street and Firfth Avenue, New York City
The Event: Angela Simmons' E-Commerce launch for IAmAngela.com

RG: What is your brand of pugilistic artistry?

PQ: Well, you know, I already know how to be a street fighter. I went in, and learned how to actually box. A lot of guys go in the gym and learn how to defend themselves, and that's what makes me different. Between my amateur and pro records, I only gotten 45 bouts in so far, and the experts are comparing me to guys that's boxed in 200-300 amateur events, with a handful of pro fights mixed in. So it's just letting me know that when you come from the bottom, you are chosen by GOD, and I feel like I have a special gift not only with the people, but with what GOD is doing with me, and working inside of me, and I know that it's only big plans that He has in store for me.

RG: Where are you based at?

PQ: I'm now based here in Brooklyn, New York. I've been in New York since I was 18. I'm 30 now, and it's been life and trial, man. I've made a lot of errors, but we learn from a lot of those things and applied them to what I know now, and now I have WISDOM.

RG: If you had to compare your style to two notable boxers, past or present, who would they be?

PQ: I would say that I'm a combination of both Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard. Those are my idols and who I looked up to. I also got the swag and personality like Muhammad Ali. Just altogether, I look up those guys that stepped forth the footsteps for me to follow in, and through them, I am now trying to create my own footprints.

*As of Saturday 12/28/2K13, Quillin is currently the WBO World Middleweight champion.

www.TheKidChocolate.com
www.twitter.com/KidChocolate
www.instagram.com/KidChocolate

Red Carpet Feature: MONET MERCHAND

 
Bronx, New York City-born and current Harlem USA representative Monet Merchand has been honing her craft as a Rap music artist since the early 2000's through hard work, perseverance, and the inspiration of her cousin and mentor - the late Andre 'Huddy 6' Hudson, who was instrumental in the careers of Platinum-selling artists Ma$e, Cam'Ron and countless others. But the twenty-something beauty of Dominican/Filipino/West Indian extraction to this point has been able to expertly build her own brand through the experiences of working behind-the-scenes and acquiring knowledge of the music business, and is primed to explode in a huge way in the Entertainment arena.

"Music is my 'drug,' my 'natural high,' and my main focus right now." said Merchand during my recent phone interview with her. "I just have the confidence and self-assuredness that I can do it. I know I am talented, and soon enough, everyone will be familiar with my name and how hard I put in work." Not only is Monet hot, on-the-rise rapper, she is also proactive as an actress who's been featured in popular VH1 network reality TV series such as 'Basketball Wives' and 'Love & Hip Hop: New York' thus far. With her hard grind, unbridled confidence, and immense business saavy, MONET MERCHAND will be a brand name that'll resonate within the global community for years to come!

Look for big things from the vivacious and eccentric Libra going into 2K14 with hot new music, more small screen projects, as well as on the big screen, and with her incredible looks and curvy physique, you can also anticipate potential layouts in some of the top men's magazines as well!

*Sending out a big THANKS to publicist ERNEST JACKSON of MNS Media Group (www.twitter.com/StricklyForTheP) for the opportunity to interview the intelligent, passionate and beautiful Monet!

www.twitter.com/MonetMerchand
www.instagram.com/QueenMonetMerchand
www.youtube.com/MonetMerchand
www.soundcloud.com/MonetMerchand

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 12/21 - Friday 12/27

My 'notable' happenings and keynotes from the sports world this past week:

 
NFL: Denver Broncos quarterback and leading candidate for the league's MVP Peyton Manning set the new single season mark for most touchdowns thrown with his 51st tally of 2K13 in the team's 37-13 victory over the Houston Texans. The Broncos clinched a playoff berth, plus the AFC West title with the win. The New England Patriots (AFC East champs), Cincinnati Bengals (AFC North champs), defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, and the Carolina Panthers also wrapped up postseason berths....Key injuries: Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo (Herniated disk, back; out for the season); Denver Broncos LB Von Miller (knee: out for the season)....32-year-old former All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha retires after 11 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles....Both the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will each have eight players represented in the annual Pro Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii on Sunday 1/26/2K14....The Chicago Bears re-signed placekicker Robbie Gould to a four-year, $15M extension. ($9M guaranteed)

NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 12/16 - Sunday 12/22)....Eastern Conference - G Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat; Western Conference - F Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers....Dallas Mavericks veteran forward Dirk Nowitzki passed Hall-of-Famer Alex English for 13th place on the all-time scoring list....Key injuries: Oklahoma City Thunder G Russell Westbrook. (knee; out until around February 2K14)

*Associated Press Male and Female Athletes of the Year: LeBron James; Serena Williams

Men's College Basketball: Associated Press Top 10 - 1.  Arizona  2. Syracuse  3. Ohio State  4. Wisconsin  5. Michigan State  6. Louisville  7. Oklahoma State  8. Villanova  9. Duke  10. Wichita State

Women's College Basketball: Associated Press Top 10 - 1. U.Conn  2. Notre Dame  3. Duke  4. Stanford  5. Tennessee  6. Kentucky  7. Louisville  8. Maryland  9. Baylor  10. UNC

MLB: Notable free-agent signing - OF Shin-Soo Choo, Texas Rangers. (seven-years, $130M)

College Football: Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn was voted Coach of the Year by the Associated Press.          

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Red Carpet MUSIC Feature: QT JAZZ

 
Super-talented and humble - big CHECK mark. Fun - double big CHECK mark. Unaveragely stylish and swaggarific - triple big CHECK mark. Stunningly gorgeous - quadruple big CHECK mark. Future superstar in the making - quintuple big CHECK mark! Urban Pop music recording artist/dancer/actress Jasmine Robinson, bka QT JAZZ, is all of the above and lots more, and if her catchy, hypnotic single HEELS BAGS (written and produced by her older brother G-Phonix: www.youtube.com/gphonix) featuring the equally talented and beautiful rhymestress BabyDoll from the hot, popular all-female trio THE OMG GIRLZ is any indication of what's to come in 2K14 and beyond, then music lovers of all age groups and ethnic backgrounds around the world are in for a uniquely refreshing treat to their collective ears from this lively Libra reppin' the city of Atlanta, Georgia! 'I would describe my music style as a combination of both (female artists) Jhene' Aiko and Ciara.' said QT during my recent phone interview with her. QT also mentioned that she would love to collaborate with the likes of Platinum-selling, award-winning artists such as Beyonce', Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and hit-making legend producer Timbaland in the future. Look out for nothing but GREATNESS from QT JAZZ in 2K14, which includes her sure-to-be entertaining and amazing debut EP, along with new projects on the small screen and lots more!

*Sending out a big THANK YOU to publicists TARA THOMAS (www.TaraThomasAgency.com) and ERNEST JACKSON of MNS Media Group (www.twitter.com/StricklyForTheP) for both blessing me with the opportunity to interview such a promising, awesome and beautiful young lady in QT, who is truly indeed that - A CUTIE on ALL LEVELS!

www.QTJazz.com
www.twitter.com/QTJazz
www.instagram.com/QTJazz

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 12/14 - Friday 12/20

My 'notable' happenings and keynotes from this past week in the sports world:

 
College Football: Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston became the second consecutive freshman to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy as the nation's top collegiate player in 2K13. Winston, despite dealing with some adversity off the field, was phenomenal on it - passing for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns with an astounding 190.1 QB rating and 68% completion rate. Alabama Crimson Tide signal-caller AJ McCarron was the runner-up in the voting; Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch placed third....The Texas Longhorns announced that Mack Brown will command the sidelines for the final time as head coach on Monday 12/30 vs the Oregon Ducks in the Alamo Bowl after 16 seasons and one national championship. (2K5)

NFL: After finishing with the worst record in the league last season, the Kansas City Chiefs rebounded in a big way in 2K13 to clinch a playoff berth with a 56-31 victory over the Oakland Raiders on the road. Chiefs running back and sure-to-be league MVP candidate Jamaal Charles became the first player ever to scored four touchdowns as a receiver and one on the ground in the victory.

NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 12/9 - Sunday 12/15)....Eastern Conference - G Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers; Western Conference - F LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers.... After just six games returning from a torn Achilles tendon injury, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant fractures his left knee against the Memphis Grizzlies, and will now miss an upwards of six weeks of action....As of Friday 12/20, the Indiana Pacers (21-5) continue to lead the East, while out West, league-leading scorer Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are atop the standings at 21-4.

MLB: Notable free-agent signings....2B Brian Roberts, New York Yankees (one-year, $2M); Reliever Joaquin Benoit, San Diego Padres (two-years, $15.5M).

NHL: Washington Capitals All-Star winger Alex Ovechkin scored his 400th career goal is just his 634th game in the league in a 4-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Ovechkin became the sixth-fastest to tally 400 shots successfully in the nets in NHL history.

Men's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Arizona  2. Syracuse  3. Ohio State  4. Wisconsin  5. Michigan State  6. Louisville  7. Oklahoma State  8. Duke  9. Villanova  10. U.Conn

Women's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top Ten - 1. U.Conn  2. Duke  3. Tennessee  4. Notre Dame  5. Kentucky  6. Stanford  7. Louisville  8. Maryland  9. Baylor  10. South Carolina

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Red Carpet Q.and.A: Actor/Rapper/Entrepreneur ISAIAH STOKES

 
The Date: Wednesday 7/31/2K13
The Locale: Outside of Henri Bendel boutique, New York City
The Event: E-Commerce website launch of AngelaIAm.com (Angela Simmons)

RG: Define your style of acting.

IS: I think I bring a natural style, because basically, everything that I learned in the streets growing up in southside Jamaica, Queens, I put it on to film. I put all those emotions into every character that I portray.

RG: How long have you've been doing the acting thing?

IS: I started out first as a solo Rap artist. (FONTY Records - that's the movement)....I had videos on BET, did mixtapes with DJ Whoo Kid of G-Unit. I just ran into the right person, asked if they was doing acting, they put me on and I just kind of lucked lucked up and made it happen for myself.

RG: What can we anticipate from you in five-to-ten years from now?

IS: You could see FONTY Records very poweful up in the Entertainment industry; You could see me close to making a billion dollars; You could see a lot of my films coming out and a lot of my music coming out from me and my company.

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 12/7 - Friday 12/13

My 'notable' happenings and keynotes from this past week:


College Football (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 (Final regular season standings) - 1. Florida State  2. Auburn  3. Alabama  4. Michigan State  5. Stanford  6. Baylor  7. Ohio State  8. South Carolina  9. Missouri  10. Oregon.... The No. 1 Florida State Seminoles and the No. 2 Auburn Tigers will play each other on Monday 1/6/2K14 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for the BCS National Championship....Reigning Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, fellow signal-callers Jameis Winston (Florida State), AJ McCarron (Alabama) and Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), along with running backs Tre Mason (Auburn) and Andre Williams (Boston College) are the finalists for the prestigious accolade of National College Football Player for 2K13. The winner will be crowned on Saturday 12/14 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City.

NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 12/2 - Sunday 12/8)....Eastern Conference - G Jordan Crawford, Boston Celtics; Western Conference - F LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers....Los Angeles Lakers veteran shooting guard Kobe Bryant played his first game of the season against the Toronto Raptors at home after tearing his Achilles tendon back in April. Bryant - officially entering his 18th NBA season with L.A. - scored nine points (2-9 FG), grabbed eight rebounds, handed out four assists and turned the ball over eight times (which was expected as he wears off the rust of not playing in a while) in 28 minutes of, for the most part, very productive action in his team's 106-94 loss to the Raptors....The Sacramento Kings traded guards Greivis Vasquez and John Salmons, along with big men Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes to the aforementioned Toronto Raptors for veteran talented swingman Rudy Gay, center Aaron Gray and forward Quincy Acy....Notable Milestones: Los Angeles Clippers forward Antwan Jamison became the 39th player in league history to reach the 20,000 career points plateau; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett added to his certain Hall-of-Fame credentials by grabbing career rebound number 14,000 in a loss to the Detroit Pistons on the road.....As of Friday 12/13, the Indiana Pacers (20-3) and the Portland Trail Blazers (19-4) own the two top records in the league.

MLB: Former big-league managers Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa and Bobby Cox were all elected into the Baseball Hall-of-Fame by the Expansion Era Committee....Notable Free-Agent Pickups - 2B Omar Infante, Kansas City Royals (4-years, $30M); Pitcher Bartolo Colon, New York Mets (2-years, $20M); 1B Justin Morneau, Colorado Rockies (2-years, $12.5M)....Notable Re-Signings - 1B/DH Mike Napoli, Boston Red Sox (2-years, $32M); Pitcher Charlie Morton, Pittsburgh Pirates (3-years, $21M); Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, New York Yankees (1-year, $16M)....Two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Roy Halladay retires after 16 stellar big-league seasons and 203 career victories....New managerial hire: Matt Williams, Washington Nationals.

NFL: Embattled Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan benches talented but struggling young QB Robert Griffin III for the final three games of their highly disappointing 2K13 campaign. Kirk Cousins was penciled in to start as the team's signal-caller under center for the remainder of the season.....Both the Indianapolis Colts (AFC South champs) and the Denver Broncos clinched playoff berths....The No. 89 Chicago Bears football jersey of Hall-of-Fame player/head coach Mike Ditka was retired by the franchise....Denver Broncos place-kicker Matt Prater boomed a record-setting 64-yard field goal - barely clearing the uprights - in his team's 51-28 victory over the Tennessee Titans at home.

 
Men's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Arizona  2. Syracuse  3. Ohio State  4. Wisconsin  5. Michigan State  6. Louisville  7. Oklahoma State  8. Duke  9. U.Conn  10. Villanova

Women's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. U.Conn  2. Duke  3. Tennessee  4. Notre Dame  5. Kentucky  6. Stanford  7. Louisville  8. Maryland  9. Baylor  10. South Carolina....Kentucky Lady Wildcats talented 6'3 forward and All-America candidate DeNesha Stallworth underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery, and will miss an upwards of four weeks of game action.

NHL: As of Friday 12/13, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks (51 points) and the Boston Bruins (46 points) have the two best records thus far in the early part of the 2K13 campaign on the ice.

Men's Pro Soccer: Sporting Kansas City defeated Real Salt Lake 7-6 on penalty kicks to claim their first MLS Cup title in 13 years.

Pro Boxing: Paulie Malignaggi outlasted the seemingly washed-up Zab Judah in a 12-round unanimous decision to capture the NABF welterweight championship at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.



 
 
 
 

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Red Carpet Q.and.A: CYNTHIA BAILEY-THOMAS and her husband PETER THOMAS (Bravo Channel's hit reality TV series REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA)

 
The Date: Saturday 10/19/2K13
The Locale: Walt 'Clyde' Frazier's WINE & DINE Restaurant, New York City
The Event: Cynthia and Peter's book signing for their debut release CARRY-ON LUGGAGE: OUR NONSTOP FLIGHT.

RG: Why was it important for both you and your wife to lay the foundation for the book?

Peter: When you watch 'Real Housewives of Atlanta,' you only get up to four minutes of segments from us, and there's about 5-6 million that watch the show when it comes on. So, you know, the people that's really checking for us - our fanbase - we just wanted to give them an extended version of the show in a memoir form as far as how me and Cynthia met, and how we've both grinded hard in order to secure a strong future for our family.

RG: When avid readers purchase your new book, what can they anticipate learning from it?

Cynthia: Marriage and relationships are not easy! It's a lot of work. What I hope for the book is to inspire couples of our age group to keep going on all levels; to keep the 'happy' going; to keep the love going; to keep the excitement in the bedroom going. Things don't just go on 'Auto-Pilot,' you know? Finding that balance is also important as well.

RG: What's the best piece of advice you could give to a young lady who has aspirations to become a successful entrepreneur like yourself in the future?

Cynthia: Just be willing to work. I think people look at the successful ones and say to themselves 'Oh, they got lucky.' and think that it's easy. Everyone that I know that is in a position of power/big money/success, they WORK, and all they do is WORK. I think that this generation assume that things should just be given to them, and they don't want to work for anything. If you are ambitious, and are willing to put the work in, you can have success in your life. And don't worry about looking at other people and what they are doing; DO YOU! You can't compare yourself to everybody else. Do YOU, carve your own lane and GO FOR IT!

www.twitter.com/CynthiaBailey10
www.twitter.com/PeterThomasRHOA

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 11/30 - Friday 12/6

My 'notable' happenings and keynotes of the sports world this past week:

NFL: The Seattle Seahawks upped their record to a league-best 11-1 with an impressive 34-7 victory over the New Orleans Saints, and is the first team to punch their ticket into the postseason dance....After losing their 11th game in a row to the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 to drop their record to a league-worst 2-11, the Houston Texans fired head coach Gary Kubiak after leading the franchise to back-to-back NFC South titles last season and in 2K11. Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips will coach the final three games of the regular season on an interim basis.

NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 11/25 - Sunday 12/1)....Eastern Conference - F LeBron James, Miami Heat; Western Conference - F Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder....Players of the Month (November 2K13): East - F Paul George, Indiana Pacers; West - F Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder....Rookies of the Month (November 2K13): East - G Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers; West - G Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings....Sharpshooting Atlanta Hawks veteran forward Kyle Korver set a new record by hitting at least one three-point field goal in 90 consecutive games....Sixers guard Michael Carter-Williams (27 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) and Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) became the first rookies in league history to each amass a triple-double in the same game - which was won by Carter-Williams and Philadelphia 126-125 in overtime.

MLB: Notable Free-Agent Signings: 2B Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners (10-years, $240M); OF Jacoby Ellsbury, New York Yankees (7-years, $153M); OF Carlos Beltran, New York Yankees (3-years, $45M); OF Curtis Granderson, New York Mets (4-years, $60M); Relief Pitcher Joe Nathan (2-years, $20M).

College Football (Associated Press Top 10):  1. Florida State  2. Ohio State  3. Auburn  4. Alabama  5. Missouri  6. Oklahoma State  7. Stanford  8. South Carolina  9. Baylor  10. Michigan State

Men's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 -- 1. Michigan State  2. Arizona  3. Kentucky  4. Syracuse  5. Ohio State  6. Kansas  7. Louisville  8. Wisconsin  9. Oklahoma State  10. Duke

Women's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 -- 1. U.Conn  2. Duke  3. Tennessee  4. Notre Dame  5. Kentucky  6. Stanford  7. Louisville  8. Maryland  9. Baylor  10. Penn State

Men's Pro Golf: World Rankings (Top 10) - 1. Tiger Woods (USA)  2. Adam Scott (Australia)  3. Henrik Stenson (Sweden)  4. Phil Mickelson (USA)  5. Justin Rose (England)  6. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)  7. Matt Kuchar (USA)  8. Steve Stricker (USA)  9. Brandt Snedeker (USA)  10. Jason Day (Australia)

Pro Boxing: Oscar De La Hoya, Felix 'Tito' Trinidad and Joe Calzaghe were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 11/23 - Friday 11/29

My 'notable happenings' in the sports world this past week:


College Football: Northern Iowa University quarterback Jordan Lynch rushed for 321 yards - the most ever in one game for a signal-caller - and three rushing touchdowns in a 33-14 rout over Western Michigan. As of this posting, Lynch has rushed for an ungodly 1,755 yards and 20 rush TDs thus far, and should absolutely be a finalist for the 2K13 Heisman Trophy....Associated Press Top 10: 1. Alabama 2. Florida State 3. Ohio State 4. Auburn 5. Missouri 6. Clemson 7. Oklahoma State 8. Stanford  9. Baylor 10. South Carolina

NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 11/18 - Sunday 11/24)....Eastern Conference - G John Wall, Washington Wizards; Western Conference - F LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers....Chicago Bulls' All-Star point guard Derrick Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee in the team's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on the road, and will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing successful surgery. Rose missed all of last season recovering from torn ACL injury to his left knee....The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed their franchise player and future Hall-of-Famer Kobe Bryant to a two-year, $48.5M contract extension, ensuring him that he will play 20 years in the Purple and Gold uniform....As of Friday 11/29, the Indiana Pacers continue to own the league's best mark at 15-1, while the defending champion Miami Heat are right behind them in the East conference at 13-3 with a nine-game winning streak as of this posting. The San Antonio Spurs lead the West with a 14-2 record.

MLB: Notable free-agent signings....Catcher Brian McCann, New York Yankees (5-years, $85M); Shortstop Jhonny Peralta, St. Louis Cardinals (4-years, $53M)....Former Atlanta Braves Cy Young Award-winning teammates Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, as well as former Chicago White Sox hitting great Frank Thomas headline as finalists for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Men's College Basketball (Division I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Michigan State  2. Kansas  3. Kentucky  4. Arizona  5. Oklahoma State  6. Duke  7. Ohio State  8. Syracuse  9. Louisville  10. Wisconsin....As of Friday 11/29, Duke Blue Devils freshman forward Jabari Parker has scored 20+ points in each of his first seven career games, and during the same clip, Kentucky Wildcats freshman forward Julius Randle has hit double-digit scoring and rebounding tallies in each game.

Women's College Basketball (Division I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. U.Conn  2. Duke  3. Tennessee  4. Louisville  5. Notre Dame  6. Stanford  7. Kentucky  8. Maryland  9. Baylor  10. Nebraska....Legendary Stanford Lady Cardinal head coach and Basketball Hall-of-Famer Tara VanDerveer became the fifth women's coach in history to reach the 900-win plateau with her team's 83-59 victory over Florida - Gulf Coast at the Hardwood Tournament of Hope.

Pro Boxing: Manny Pacquiao returned to his winning ways by defeating upstart Brandon Rios via unanimous decision and capturing the WBO International welterweight title. Pacquiao upped his career record to 55-5-2 in an emotional victory after his native Philippines suffered massive loss and devastion as a result of the deadly wrath of Typhoon Haiyan.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 11/9 - Friday 11/15

Notable happenings in the sports world this past week from my perspective:

 
 
MLB: Postseason Awards.....A.L. MVP - 3B Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (second consecutive year); N.L. MVP - OF Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates; A.L. Cy Young - RHP Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers; N.L. Cy Young - LHP Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers; A.L. Rookie - OF Wil Myers, Tampa Bay Rays; N.L. Rookie - RHP Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins; A.L. Manager - Terry Francona, Cleveland Indians; N.L. Manager - Clint Hurdle, Pittsburgh Pirates; Executive of the Year - Ben Cherington, General Manager, Boston Red Sox.....Notable Free-Agent Signing: OF Marlon Byrd, Philadelphia Phillies. (2-years, $16M)

NFL: Both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally won their first game of the 2013 season over the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins, respectively....The Denver Broncos (8-1) edged out a victory over the San Diego Chargers 28-20. QB Peyton Manning had yet another big game throwing the ball, but suffered a sprained right ankle injury late in the contest, and is listed so far as 'probable' for the Broncos big conference matchup against the undefeated 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday 11/17....The Seattle Seahawks upped their record to an impressive 9-1 with a 33-10 shellacking of the injury-plagued Atlanta Falcons.....Veteran safety and future Hall-of-Famer Ed Reed was picked up by the New York Jets after being released by the Houston Texans.....Also in Texans news, All-Pro RB Arian Foster will miss the rest of the season after undergoing back surgery. Foster finished with 542 yards rushing in a disappointing 2013 campaign for Houston pro football.

NBA: As of Friday 11/15, the Indiana Pacers are still undefeated at 9-0 - the first team since the 2002-03 Dallas Mavericks to start the regular season at 9-0. The defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs are off to a strong beginning as well with a 9-1 mark....The Utah Jazz won their first game of the new season 111-105 over the New Orleans Pelicans....Dallas Mavericks perennial All-Star Dirk Nowitzki passed Hall-of-Famer Jerry West for 16th place on the all-time scoring list.

College Football: Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Alabama  2. Florida State  3. Ohio State  4. Baylor  5. Stanford  6. Oregon  7. Auburn  8. Clemson  9. Missouri  10.  Texas A&M.....In what could be his final home game as a Texas A&M Aggies quarterback, reigning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel threw for 446 yards and five TDs in a 51-41 victory over Mississippi State. Manziel looks to be the favorite to capture the prestigious Heisman award for the second consecutive year.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 11/2 - Friday 11/8

Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

 
NBA: Players of the Week....Eastern Conference - G Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers; Western Conference - F Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves....Miami Heat forward LeBron James continues to make history by becoming the fifth player in league history to score 10 or points in 500 consecutive games....As of Friday 11/8, the red-hot Indiana Pacers are the lone unbeaten team at 6-0, while the Utah Jazz (0-6) are still searching for their first victory of the new campaign....Basketball Hall-of-Famer Watt Bellamy passed away at the age of 74. During his 14-year playing career, Belllamy averaged a 'double-double' (20.1 points; 13.7 rebounds), was a four-time All-Star and won the Rookie of the Year award back in 1962....New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler - their top defensive specialist - will miss up to six weeks after injuring his leg in a loss to the Charlotte Bobcats at Madison Square Garden.

NFL: As of Monday 11/4, the Kansas City Chiefs continue to roll with the best record in the league at an undefeated 9-0, while both the 0-8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars are searching for that elusive first victory of 2K13....Green bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers suffered a fractured left collarbone in a 27-20 loss to the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field, and will be out indefinitely. Veteran backup Seneca Wallace will take over behind center.....Denver Broncos head coach John Fox will miss time with the team, as he recovers from open heart surgery. Jack Del Rio will hold the fort down on the sidelines until Fox is physically able to return for duty....52-year-old Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak suffered from what amounted to a 'mini-stroke' at halftime during his team's loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Wade Phillips will take over on an interim basis until Kubiak is able to come back to work healthy.

Auto Racing (NASCAR): Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag at the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Forth Worth to take a seven-point lead in the Sprint Cup Series chase over Matt Kenseth with two big races to go. Johnson is vying for his sixth career Sprint Cup championship.

College Football: Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Alabama  2. Oregon  3. Florida State  4. Ohio State  5. Baylor  6. Stanford  7. Auburn  8. Clemson  9. Missouri  10. L.S.U.

MLB: New managerial hires: Brad Ausmus, Detroit Tigers; Lloyd McClendon, Seattle Mariners; Rick Renteria, Chicago Cubs.

Men's Pro Tennis: No. 2-ranked Novak Djokovic won his sixth singles title of 2K13 with a straight sets victory over David Ferrer of Spain at the Paris Masters.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 10/26 - Friday 11/1

 
Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

MLB: The Boston Red Sox outclassed the St. Louis Cardinals in six games to clinch their third World Series title of the New Millenium, and their first World Series clinching victory on their home field since 1918. 37-year-old DH/1B David Ortiz was an absolute offensive beast for the BoSox during the Fall Classic - hitting .688 (11-16) with two home runs and six runs batted in, easily earning the Series MVP.....2K13 Gold Glove Winners: A.L. - C Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals; 1B Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals; 2B Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox; SS J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles; 3B Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles; LF Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals; CF Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles; RF Shane Victorino, Boston Red Sox; Pitcher R.A. Dickey, Toronto Blue Jays....N.L. - C Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals; 1B Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks; 2B Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds; SS Andrelton Simmons, Atlanta Braves; 3B Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies; LF Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies; CF Carlos Gomez, Milwaukee Brewers; RF Gerardo Parra, Arizona Diamondbacks; Pitcher Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals....The New York Yankees extended team captain Derek Jeter's contract to a one-year, $12M deal....After pitching the first no-hitter in team history last June, the New York Mets released lefty Johan Santana.

NFL: The Kansas City Chiefs remain the lone unbeaten team at 8-0 with their 23-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns....The San Francisco 49ers crushed the still-winless Jacksonville Jaguars (0-8) 42-10 at Wembley Stadium in London, England....Detroit Lions All-Pro wide receiver Calvin 'Megatron' Johnson caught 14 balls for 329 yards and one TD in a 31-30 come-from-behind victory over the Dallas Cowboys at home. The 329 yards are the second-most in league history. Flipper Anderson of the then-Los Angeles Rams holds the record with 336 yards in 1989....Minnesota Vikings Coradarrelle Patterson returned a kickoff for a new record 109 yards for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers.

 
Auto Racing: 20-year-old Darrell Wallace Jr. made history at Martinsville (VA) Speedway by becoming the second African-American ever to win on NASCAR's national level, and the first since pioneer Wendell Scott did it back in 1963 - taking the Kroger 200 Camping World Truck Series race over runner-up Jeb Burton....Jeff Gordon won his first Sprint Cup Series race of the season, capturing the the Goody's 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. Gordon is currently in third place in the series standings with three races remaining. Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson at tied for first place for the Sprint Cup Championship.

NBA: The regular season got underway for all 30 teams.....As of late Friday 11/1, the defending two-time champion Miami Heat are off to a 1-2 start with an opening night win over the Chicago Bulls and back-to-back losses to the surprising 2-0 Philadelphia 76ers and the much-improved Brooklyn Nets.

Pro Boxing: 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins defended his IBF Light Heavyweight title with a unamimous decision over Kero Murat at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Brooklynite and on-the-rise superstar Peter Quillin successfully retained his WBO Middleweight championship with a 10th-round TKO of Gabe Rosado in the co-feature bout in Atlantic City.

Pro Tennis (Womens): 32-year-old No.1-ranked Serena Williams won yet another singles title here in 2K13, defeating Li Na of China to capture the TEB BNP WTA Championship in Instanbul, Turkey.

College Football: Associated Press Top Ten - 1. Alabama  2. Oregon  3. Florida State  4. Ohio State  5. Baylor  6. Stanford  7. Miami (FL)  8. Auburn  9. Clemson  10. Missouri

College Basketball (Womens Division I): USA TODAY Preseason Poll Top 10 - 1. U.Conn  2. Duke  3. Stanford  4. Tennessee  5. Louisville  6. Maryland  7. Notre Dame  8. Kentucky  9. California  10. Baylor


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 10/19 - Friday 10/25

Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

MLB: The 109th World Series got underway between arguably the two best teams in the league this season - the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals. As of Friday 10/25, the series is knotted up at one-apiece, with games 3, 4 and 5 being played at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri....68-year-old Jim Leyland steps down as manager of the Detroit Tigers after eight years at the helm....Pitching coach Bryan Price replaces the recently departed Dusty Baker as new manager of the Cincinnati Reds....The Chicago White Sox sign talented Cuban 1st baseman Jose Abreu for six-years, $68M....The San Francisco Giants re-sign their ace right-handed pitcher Tim Lincecum to a two-year, $35M extension.

NFL: The Denver Broncos lose their first game of the season to the Indianapolis Colts 39-33 on the road. QB Peyton Manning, in his return to Lucas Oil Stadium as an opposing player, completed 29 of 49 passes for 386 yards and threw three more TD tosses in the loss....The 7-0 Kansas City Chiefs remain the only undefeated team with their 17-16 victory over the struggling Houston Texans. The 0-7 Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still searching for their first victory of 2K13....Notable injuries, Week 7: QB Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams (Left knee; out for season); WR Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts (Torn ACL, right knee; out for season); QB Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears (Groin; out for four weeks); LB Lance Briggs, Chicago Bears (Left shoulder fracture; out for six weeks)....Legendary Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams passed away at the age of 90 from natural causes.

NBA: The Phoenix Suns traded center Marcin Gortat and guards Shannon Brown, Kendall Marshall and Malcolm Lee to the Washington Wizards in exchange for center Emeka Okafor and future draft picks....The Utah Jazz re-sign forward/center Derrick Favors to a four-year, $49M extension. The 22-year-old Favors was the third-overall pick by the then-New Jersey Nets in the 2K10 draft....Legendary Hall-of-Fame player and head coach Bill Sharman passed away at the age of 87 from complications of a stroke.

College Football: Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Alabama  2. Oregon  3. Florida State  4. Ohio State  5. Missouri  6. Baylor  7. Miami (FL)  8. Stanford  9. Clemson  10. Texas Tech

Saturday, October 19, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 10/12 - Friday 10/18

Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

MLB: The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games to advance to their second World Series in the last three seasons. It is also the 19th National League pennant in the franchise's illustrious history. Rookie right-handed starting pitcher Michael Wacha was voted the NCLS MVP with his two winning and dominant performances against L.A. The Cards now await the winner of the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. As of Friday 10/18, the BoSox have a 3-2 series lead, and can clinch the A.L. pennant with a victory in Game 6 on their home field on Saturday 10/19.

NFL: The Denver Broncos remain unbeaten at 6-0 to start the season with their 35-19 victory over the still winless Jacksonville Jaguars (0-6). QB Peyton Manning completed 28 of his 42 passes for 295 yards and 2 TDs in the win....The Kansas City Chiefs are the other team that's a perfect 6-0 thus far, beating their arch rival Oakland Raiders 24-7....Both the New York Giants (0-6) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) are the only teams without a 'W' six weeks into the 2K13 campaign....Dallas Cowboys veteran All-Pro defensive end DeMarcus Ware will miss up to four weeks of game action due to a quadriceps injury - ending his 134 consecutive games played-streak.....The New York Jets signed veteran All-Pro kick return specialist Josh Cribbs....Legendary former head coach of the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints "Bum" Phillips passed away in his home in Goliad, Texas at the age of 90.

College Football: Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Alabama  2. Oregon  3. Clemson  4. Ohio State  5. Florida State  6. L.S.U.  7. Texas A&M  8. Louisville  9. U.C.LA  10. Miami (FL).....25th-ranked Missouri Tigers shocked previous #7 Georgia 41-26 - the upset of the week.

NHL: As of Friday 10/18, The Colorado Avalanche and the San Jose Sharks are still without a loss with perfect 6-0 marks....The New Jersey Devils are still looking for their first victory of the young season with their 0-4-3 OT losses records.

Men's College Basketball (Division I): Coaches' Preseason Top 10 - 1. Kentucky  2. Michigan State  3. Louisville  4. Duke  5. Arizona  6. Kansas  7. Syracuse  8. Florida  9. Michigan  10. Ohio State

Friday, October 18, 2013

Jewelry Designer ROSILAND BURCH's "Jewelz of Fall" Debut

Creatively talented and award-winning customer jewelry designer Rosiland Burch, founder of STEP OUTSIDE THE JEWELRY BOX, is set to debut her uniquely gorgeous pieces to the masses with a 'Jewelz of Fall' Fashion Show on Saturday, October 19, 2013 from 7pm to 9pm EST at the Hillyer Art Space in her hometown of Washington, D.C. The special event will include live performances, vendors, light refreshments and hors' d'oeuvres.

"All of my pieces have an inspirational story behind them with their own name, and my works are implemented with a lot of colors and design originality. In one word, my brand of custom jewelry is EXTRAORDINARY!' Burch stated.

Witness and experience the brilliant artistry of Rosiland Burch and STEP OUTSIDE THE JEWELRY BOX by logging on to www.STOJewels.com. If you are in the DMV (Washington, D.C./Maryland/Virginia) area, and would like to attend her "Jewelz of Fall" Fashion Show, you can only purchase the tickets online at http://sparklingjewelz.eventbrite.com/
This special event promises to be a memorable and fun experience on all levels for every individual who attends!

www.twitter.com/RBJewelz

Saturday, October 12, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 10/5 - Friday 10/11

Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

WNBA: The Minnesota Lynx swept the Atlanta Dream in three games to capture their second WNBA title in the past two seasons. Lynx All-Star forward Maya Moore was voted Most Valuable Player - averaging a little over 19 points and six rebounds per game in the three-game sweep.

 
MLB: The National League Championship Series got underway between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals, and as of Friday 10/11, the Red Birds have a 1-0 series lead with their 3-2, 13-inning victory at home. Game Two takes place Saturday afternoon 10/12 again in St. Louis, Missouri. Game One of the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers kicks off Saturday night 10/12 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachussetts.....The New York Yankees re-sign manager Joe Girardi to a four-year, $16M contract extension.

NFL: The Denver Broncos' "Mile High Express" continued its roll, edging out the Dallas Cowboys on the road 51-48. The 99 combined points scored by both teams were the second-highest total since the AFL-NFL merger 43 years ago. Cowboys QB Tony Romo threw for a franchise-record 502 yards in the loss. Broncos QB Peyton Manning threw four more TD passes to extend his record-breaking total of 20 in five games....The Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and the New Orleans Saints are still undefeated through five games thus far. The New York Giants (0-6), Jacksonville Jaguars (0-5), Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (both 0-4) are all searching for victory #1 of the season....The teams that had Week #5 open were the Steelers, Bucs, Vikings and Redskins.....Atlanta Falcons All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones badly injured his right foot against the New York Jets at home, and will miss the remainder of the season....The Minnesota Vikings sign QB Josh Freeman.

College Football: Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Alabama  2. Oregon  3. Clemson  4. Ohio State  5. Stanford  6. Florida State  7. Georgia  8. Louisville  9. Texas A&M  10. LSU.....The Ohio State Buckeyes beat Northwestern on the road 40-30 to win their 18th consecutive game dating back to last season. OSU's next game comes on Saturdday 10/19 when they face the Iowa Hawkeyes on their home field in Columbus, Ohio.

Pro Tennis: #1 Serena Williams won her 10th WTA title of the year, besting eighth-seeded Jelena Jankovic in the China Open in Shanghai. On the men's side, Novak Djokovic defeated new #1 Rafael Nadal in straight sets to capture the China Open championship trophy.

Pro Golf: Captain Fred Couples and Team USA beat the International squad to win the Presidents Cup for the fifth consecutive time.

Pro Boxing: 37-year-old Wladimir Klitschko successfully defended his WBA and IBF Heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Alexander Povetkin in Moscow, Russia. Klitschko improved his career mark to 61-3 with the hard-fought victory.

Auto Racing: Three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti fractured two vertebrae, broke his right ankle and suffered a concussion in a crash racing in the Garnd Prix of Houston.

NHL: Through the first four games of the new season, the San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche are the lone unbeatens thus far with perfect 4-0 records....19-year-old San Jose Sharks rookie left winger Tomas Hertl tallied four goals in a game at home against the New York Rangers, leading to a 9-2 win....Head coach firing - Peter Laviolette, Philadelphia Flyers.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 9/28 - Friday 10/4

 
Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

NFL: The Seattle Seahawks defeated a tough Houston Texans squad on the road 23-20 in overtime to up their record to 4-0 for the first time in franchise history. Also without a loss through four games are the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, the surprising Kansas City Chiefs, and the New Orleans Saints. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers are all 0-4 and playing dreadful football thus far early in the season...My Notable Performance of the Week: San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers - 401 yards passing and 3 TDs in a big 30-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys at home....Former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro defensive great and four-time Super Bowl champion L.C. Greenwood passed away at the age of 67 from natural causes....The struggling Buccaneers released starting quarterback Josh Freeman in a surprising move by the coaching staff. Freeman threw for 4,065 yards and 27 TDs in all 16 games for Tampa Bay in 2K12, but struggled mightily out the gate this season due to personal issues.

MLB (Playoffs): As of Friday 10/4, the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals are tied 1-1 in their best-of-five National League Division Series, as well as the matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves. In the American League bracket, both the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers have 1-0 series leads over the Tampa Bay Rays and the Oakland A's respectively....Despite the club finishing 74-88 in 2K13, the New York Mets re-signed manager Terry Collins to a two-year extension....Former All-Star catcher Mike Piazza was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame - the 27th player in franchise history to achieve honor. Piazza played eight seasons in New York, hit 220 home runs and helped led the team to their last World Series appearance in 2000, where they lost to the New York Yankees in five games.....Miami Marlins young righty Henderson Alvarez pitched a no-hitter on final day of the regular season at home against the playoff-bound Detroit Tigers....Manager firings - Dale Sveum, Chicago Cubs; Dusty Baker, Cincinnati Reds.

College Football: Associated Press Top Ten - 1. Alabama  2. Oregon  3. Clemson  4. Ohio State  5. Stanford  6. Georgia  7. Louisville  8. Florida State  9. Texas A&M  10. LSU....The USC Trojans pulled the plug on Lane Kiffin's head coaching job after an underperforming 3-2 start. Assistant Ed Orgeron will take over on the sidelines for the remainder of the season.

NBA: Training camp began for all teams....Head coaches Erik Spoelstra and Mike Woodson were each rewarded with contract extensions to remain with the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks respectively.

WNBA (Playoffs): The defending champion Indiana Fever were eliminated by the Atlanta Dream in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Dream will make their third league championship appearance in the past four seasons, and will face the Minnesota Lynx, who swept the Los Angeles Sparks in two games in the West bracket to advance to the WNBA Finals for the third consecutive year. The WNBA Finals begins on Sunday 10/6.

NHL: The 2K13 regular season kicked off with the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks winning their first game of the new campaign 6-4 over the Washington Capitals.

Auto Racing (NASCAR): Jimmie Johnson won the AAA 400 at Dover (Delaware) International Speedway - his record-eighth career victory on the track.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 9/21 - Friday 9/27

 
Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

MLB: New York Yankees great and future Hall-of-Famer Mariano Rivera pitched his final game at Yankee Stadium on Thursday 9/26 against the Tampa Bay Rays....The Oakland A's (A.L. West), Atlanta Braves (N.L. East), Detroit Tigers (A.L. Central) and St. Louis Cardinals (N.L. Central) all clinched division titles.....The Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates also punched their tickets into the postseason party.....The Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers will battle it out for the two wild-card playoff berths in the American League....Bud Selig announced that he will step down as league commissioner after the 2K14 season. Selig has been at the helm full-time since 1998.

NFL: As of Friday 9/27, seven teams are off to undefeated 3-0 starts. (Patriots, Dolphins, Broncos, Chiefs, Saints, Bears, Seahawks); Six teams are still without a victory through three games. (Jaguars, New York Giants, Redskins, Steelers, Buccaneers and Vikings).....Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning through the first three games has thrown 12 touchdown passes and has yet to yield an interception.

College Football: Associated Press Top Ten - 1. Alabama  2. Oregon  3. Ohio State  4. Clemson  5. Stanford  6. LSU  7. Lousiville  8. Florida State  9. Texas A&M  10. Georgia....Backup Ohio State Buckeyes QB Kenny Guiton threw a school-record six TDs in a 76-0 blowout victory over Florida A&M at home....Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel passed for 244 yards and one TD and ran for 102 yards and two TDs in a 42-13 win over SMU.

NBA: Indiana Pacers All-Star forward Paul George signs a five-year, $80M contract extension.....The 2K15 All-Star festivities and the annual game will take place in New York City at the Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden.

WNBA: As of Friday 9/27, the Minnesota Lynx lead the Phoenix Mercury 1-0 in the Western Conference finals, and are one win away from advancing to their third consecutive WNBA Finals appearance. Game Two is on Sunday 9/29 in Phoenix. In the East Finals, the Atlanta Dream are up 1-0 against the defending champion Indiana Fever with a chance to advance and play for the title with another win on Sunday 9/29 in Indianapolis.

Men's Pro Golf: Tiger Woods was named PGA Tour Player of the Year for the 11th time of his career.....37-year-old Henrik Stenson of Sweden won the FedEx Cup championship - earning a whopping $11.44M in the process. With the victory, Stenson moved up the rankings to No. 4 in the world.

NHL: The New York Rangers sign their emerging young star Derek Stepan to a two-year, $6.15M contract extension.

Sailing: In major come-from-behind fashion, ORACLE Team USA stunned EMIRATES Team New Zealand to retain the America's Cup championship.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 9/14 - Friday 9/20

Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

Pro Boxing: Floyd 'Money' Mayweather Jr. defeated Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in a majority decision to claim both the WBC and WBA Junior Middleweight titles at the MGM Grand Garden in his hometown Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayweather earned $41.5M for the fight, which became the highest grossing Pay-Per-View TV event in history to date....Former heavyweight champion Ken Norton, Sr. - one of Muhammad Ali's greatest arch rivals in the square circle back in the early 1970s - passed away at the age of 70 due to congestive heart failure.

NFL: The surprising Kansas City Chiefs are off to a 3-0 start under new head coach Andy Reid....The Cleveland Browns traded talented young running back Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts for a future fisrt-round draft pick....Notable performance: Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 480 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-20 rout of the Washington Redskins at Lambeau Field.

College Football: Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Alabama (2-0)  2. Oregon (3-0)  3. Clemson (2-0)  4. Ohio State (3-0)  5. Stanford (2-0)  6. LSU (3-0)  7. Louisville (3-0)  8. Florida State (2-0)  9. Georgia (1-1)  10. Texas A&M (1-1)....Defending Heisman Trophy-winning Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel threw for 464 yards and ran for another 98 yards in a 49-42 loss to top-ranked Alabama on the road....Paralyzed former linebacker Eric Le Grand had his No. 52 jersey retired by the Rutgers Scarlet Knights - the first player ever in the school's 144-year history to have this special honor bestowed upon.

MLB: Both the Boston Red Sox (AL East) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West) clinched division titles and are the first teams to officially punch their tickets into the upcoming playoffs.... Washington Nationals outfielder Denard Span had his 28-game hitting streak snapped, ending the longest such streak in the majors this season....New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte and Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton both announced that they will retire from the game after the end of this season....New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez hit the 24th grand slam home run of his career - setting the new all-time mark in league history by a single player in a 5-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium.

WNBA: Semifinal round of the playoffs began with the defending league champion Indiana Fever, last year's runner-up Minnesota Lynx, Washington Mystics and Phoenix Mercury all holding 1-0 leads in their best-of-three series against the Chicago Sky, Seattle Storm, Atlanta Dream and Los Angeles Sparks respectively....Postseason award winners: MVP - F Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks (her second in five-year career); Rookie - F Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky; Defensive Player - C Sylvia Fowles, Chicago Sky.

NHL: Preseason games began for all teams this past week.

Women's Pro Golf: 32-year-old American Suzann Petterson won the Evian Championship in Evian-les-Bains, France. The victory was Pettersen's first major title since the LPGA Championship back in 2K7.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 9/7 - Friday 9/13

 
Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

Pro Tennis (U.S. Open): No. 1 Serena Williams outlasted No. 2 Victoria Azarenka to capture her fifth U.S. Open title and Grand Slam championship #17 of her illustrious career. In the men's singles final, No. 2 Rafael Nadal defeated No. 1 Novak Djokovic to win his second U.S. Open trophy and 13th career major title.

NFL (Week 1): The defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers edged out the Green Bay Packers in a heated battle 34-28 at home. On-the-rise quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw for a career-high 412 yards and three TDs. New Niners veteran wideout Anquan Boldin caught 13 balls for 208 yards and one touchdown.....The New England Patriots are off to a 2-0 start after close victories to division rivals Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets....Detroit Lions' talented but enigmatic defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was fined a whopping $100G for illegally low-blocking Minnesota Vikings center Jim Sullivan during 34-24 victory by the D.

Men's Soccer: Team USA clinched their seventh consecutive World Cup berth with a stunning 2-0 victory over Mexico in the qualifying round. The 2K14 World Cup championships will take place in Brazil.

MLB: Baltimore Orioles slugging first baseman Cris Davis hit his league-leading 50th home run of the season in a victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on the road. Davis is the third player in history to hit 50 homers and 40 doubles in the same season. Babe Ruth (1921) and Albert Belle (1995) were the others to accomplish the rare feat.

NBA: Future Hall-of-Famer and current Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd learned that his No. 5 jersey will be hung from the rafters by the organization he helped lead to two NBA Finals appearances as a New Jersey Nets player at the Barclays Center before their preseason matchup against the defending champion Miami Heat on October 17.

 
WNBA: Players of the Week (Monday 9/2 - Sunday 9/8)....Eastern Conference - F Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream; Western Conference - G Riquna Williams, Tulsa Shock. Williams scored a league single-game record of 51 points on 17 of 28 shooting (8-14 from 3-point land) in a victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars on the road....Defending league champion Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics locked up the final berths for the upcoming postseason.

NHL: 23-year-old All-Star center John Tavares was named the New York Islanders' 14th captain in franchise history.

WNBA All-Star Cappie Pondexter celebrates the success of 4Season Style Management during Fashion Week

The Date: Wednesday 9/4/2K13
The Locale: Gansevoort Hotel (Penthouse), Meatpacking District, New York City

Super-talented New York Liberty All-Star guard Cappie Pondexter and her business partner Lisa Craig Smith celebrated the third anniversary of their successful image consulting firm "4Season Style Management" with a Fashion Night In - Pop Up Style Review that was exciting on all levels imaginable!

The evening was hosted by the ever-so-gorgeous style maven/celebrity mixologist Ariane Davis of the VH1 reality TV series LOVE & HIP HOP: ATLANTA, and the amazing fashion accessories and designs by Coco&&Breezy, Alicia P, LaureLuxe and other talented designers were showcased by the gorgeous models partaking in the festivities. The majority of Cappie's New York Liberty teammates (who are ALL gorgeous, by the way) - including head coach/general manager Bill Laimbeer - were on hand to celebrate the special occassion, as well as J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from the New York Knicks. Various media outlets, tastemakers, up-and-coming fashion stylists and designers were also in attendance to witness Miss Pondexter's incredible event, and notable celebrities such as recording artist Luke James, actor/recording artist Mack Wilds, New York radio personality K-Foxx and journalist Sharon Carpenter of the VH1 reality series THE GOSSIP GAME, and recording artist Olivia Longott of LOVE & HIP HIP: NEW YORK all came through to show their support, just to name a few!

Big kudos go out to the gorgeous Sudanese model/DJ STILLETO and the multitalented and beautiful AMANDA SEALES for blessing the entire evening with hot music from the past and present on the 1 and 2s. Also big props to lovely publicist TAMAR BAZIN and the entire ALERTE, CARTER & ASSOCIATES PR staff for extending the invite, and for a job WELL DONE all across the board!

www.4seasonstylemanagement.com
www.twitter.com/4seasonstylemgt
*LIKE "4Season Style Management" page on Facebook


Saturday, September 7, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap (Saturday 8/31 - Friday 9/6)

 
Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

NFL: The 2K13 regular season campaign got underway with a bing bang, as the host team Denver Broncos outlasted the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens 49-27. Broncos' quarterback Peyton Manning tied a league record by throwing seven touchdown passes in the game on 27 for 42 completion efficiency and 462 yards in the air. QB Joe Flacco threw an astounding 62 passes in the game - completing 34 of them for 362 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort for the Ravens. The rest of the league play their first games on Sunday 9/8 and Monday 9/9....The Cincinnati Bengals re-sign All-Pro defensive tackle Geno Atkins to a five-year, $55M extension.

Pro Tennis (U.S. Open): No. 1-ranked Serena Williams will face off against No. 2 Victoria Azarenka for the women's singles title on Sunday 9/8. Williams will be going for her fifth U.S. Open championship and Grand Slam title #17 of her legendary career. On the men's side, defending champion Andy Murray was upset by ninth-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland in the quarterfinal round. No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Rafael Nadal are on a collision course to meet in the finals on Monday 9/9.

MLB: The Pittsburgh Pirates enjoy their first winning season since 1992 - the longest drought for any North American sports franchise in history. In addition to their amazing accomplishment, they acquired former AL MVP first baseman Justin Morneau from the Minnesota Twins for a couple of players....The Los Angeles Dodgers picked up veteran infielder Michael Young from the Philadelphia Phillies.

College Football (Division I): The 2K13 season kicked off with the defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide rolling past Virginia Tech 35-10.

WNBA: Players of the Week (Monday 8/26 - Sunday 9/1).....Eastern Conference - F Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever (Her 20th career honor - setting a new league record, passing Seattle Storm center Lauren Jackson); Western Conference - F Tina Thompson, Seattle Storm)....As of Friday 9/6, the Chicago Sky clinched the East conference with their 21-9 record. The Minnesota Lynx, Los Angeles Sparks and the Seattle Storm have all clinched postseason births.

NBA: Enigmatic New York Knicks guard and reigning Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith was suspended by the league for the first five games of the upcoming regular season without pay for violating the anti-drug policy....The Milwaukee Bucks sign veteran free agent forward Caron Butler.

NHL: 41-year-old Teemu Selanne re-signs with the Anaheim Ducks on a one-year, $2M extension. This upcoming regular season will be the 21st and final one for the future Hall-of-Famer Selanne.

Boxing: Former WBO Heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison passed away at the young age of 44 from various illnesses that have taken a toll on his body over the years. Morrison also acted alongside Sylvester Stallone in the film 'Rocky V.'

Saturday, August 24, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 8/17 - Friday 8/23


Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

Track & Field: At the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, 22-year-old American Brianna Rollins edged out 2K12 Olympic gold medalist Sally Pearson of Australia by a narrow margin of .06 seconds in the 100-Meter Hurdles to take home the gold with a time of 12:44....Usain Bolt won gold again in the 200M (19.66 sec) and as a member of Team Jamaica's 4X100M relay in Moscow.

MLB: Kansas City Royals veteran infielder Miguel Tejada was suspended by the league for 105 games for violating the anti-doping policy. Tejada, 39, was the American League Most Valuable Player back in 2K2 as a member of the Oakland Athletics....New York Yankees right fielder Ichiro Suzuki collected his 4,000th career professional hit off of Toronto Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on the home field in the Bronx. Ichiro has accumulated his hit tally in both the Major Leagues and in the Japanese League. Pete Rose (4,256) and Ty Cobb (4,191) are the only players in Major League Baseball history with 4,000+ career hits.

Pro Tennis: No.2 Victoria Azarenka defeated No.1 Serena Williams to win the Western & Southern Open title in Mason, Ohio. On the men's side, Rafael Nadal bested American John Isner to win back-to-back titles on the hardcourt for the first time in his illustrious career thus far. Nadal's victory in the Western & Southern Open was also his ninth of the WTA season.

NBA: Los Angeles Clippers All-Star point guard Chris Paul was elected the new president of the National Basketball Players Association, replacing Derek Fisher for the position.

WNBA: Players of the Week (Monday 8/12 through Sunday 8/18)....Eastern Conference - C Sylvia Fowles, Chicago Sky; Western Conference - G Kristi Toliver, Los Angeles Sparks....As of Friday 8/23, the Minnesota Lynx continue to own the league's best overall record at 19-7, and have automatically clinched playoff berth. The Chicago Sky are right on the Lynx's heels with a franchise-best 19-8 mark so far.

NFL: The Dallas Cowboys re-signed emerging superstar middle linebacker Sean Lee to a six-year, $51M extension - which includes a $10M signing bonus.

Pro Golf: On the men's PGA circuit, the FedExCup playoffs (The Barclays) got underway at the Liberty National golf course in Jersey City, New Jersey. As of Friday 8/23, both Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland lead the pack at nine-under par for the tournament. On the women's side, Team USA was routed by the European team for the Solheim Cup championship at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Colorado.



Sunday, August 18, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 8/10 - Friday 8/16


Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

Men's Pro Golf: American Jason Dufner won his first major title at the PGA Championship, and for the fifth year in a row, world No.1 Tiger Woods fails to win his 15th career major championship.

NASCAR: Kyle Busch took the checkered flag at the Watkins Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

MLB: New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez connected on his first home run of the season off our Detroit Tigers All-Star ace Justin Verlander in a 5-4 victory at home in the Bronx....The vastly underachieving Philadelphia Phillies fired the franchise's all-time winningest manager - 69-year-old Charlie Manuel. Manuel will be replaced on an interim basis by third base coach/Baseball Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg for the remainder of the season....The league announced that it will further expand instant replay for the team's managers on all plays besides balls and strikes for the 2014 season.

Pro Tennis: Reigning Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli of France, 28, retired from the sport due to injuries that have taken a toll on her body over the past few years. Bartoli leaves as the No.7-ranked women's player in the world....No. 1-ranked Serena Williams won her eighth title of 2K13 - and the 54th WTA championship of her career - defeating Sorana Cirstea of Romania in the Rogers Cup final. On the men's side, Spaniard Rafael Nadal also won singles title #8 of the year - the 58th championship of his incredible career - besting Canadian Milos Raonic for Rogers Cup supremacy.

NBA: The Minnesota Timberwolves re-sign center Nikola Pekovic to a five-year, $60M contract extension. Pek averaged 16 points and nine rebounds in 62 games played last season.

WNBA: Players of the Week (Monday 8/5 through Sunday 8/11).....Eastern Conference - F Elena Delle Donne, Chicago Sky; Western Conference - F Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx.

 
Track and Field: Usain Bolt of Jamaica (9.77) edged out USA's Justin Gatlin (9.85) to win the gold medal in the 100M sprint at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia. In other notable events, USA's Ashton Eaton took the gold in the Decathlon with a total of 8,809 points, and Brittany Reese of USA captured gold in the Women's Long Jump competition.

Wrestling: 29-year-old WWE superstar Darren Young comes out of the closet to reveal that he is homosexual - the first wrestler in history to do so.

NHL: Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris purchases the financially struggling New Jersey Devils franchise for $320M.




Saturday, August 10, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 8/3 - Friday 8/9

 
Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

MLB: Beleaguered New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was initially suspended by Major League Baseball for the remainder of this regular season plus all of the 2K14 campaign for his involvement of using performance-enhancing drugs, which amounts to an unprecedented total of 211 games. Rodriguez has filed to appeal the historic suspension and is expected to play out the remainder of this regular season amidst all the backlash and controversy. All-Star players Nelson Cruz (Texas Rangers), Jhonny Peralta (Detroit Tigers) and Everth Cabrera (San Diego Padres) were each suspended 50 games for violating the league's anti-doping policy and did not appeal....Detroit Tigers All-Star starting pitcher Max Scherzer continued his dominance on the mound by winning his league-leading 17th game against the Cleveland Indians....As of Friday 8/9, the Atlanta Braves are the hottest team in baseball, and are currently enjoying a 14-game win streak going into their matchup against the lowly Miami Marlins at home Saturday night 8/10.

Men's Pro Golf: Tiger Woods won his fifth tournament this season - besting Keegan Bradley in the WGC - Bridgestone Invitational. Woods has now won a total of 79 PGA Tour titles in his illustrious career thus far....The final major tournament of the season - the PGA Championship - got underway at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. As of Friday 8/9, Jason Dufner is atop the leaderboard at nine-under par going into the third round of play on Saturday 8/10.

Women's Pro Golf: 28-year-old American Stacy Lewis won the Women's British Open - the second major title of her career - and ended South Korean superstar Inbee Park's incredible run of three consecutive major championship victories.

 
NFL: Football head coaching legend Bill Parcells, along with notable former players Cris Carter, Larry Allen, Jonathan Ogden and Warren Sapp were enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio....Preseason football action got underway for all teams....The Green Bay Packers signed QB Vince Young to a one-year deal.

Swimming: 18-year-old Missy Franklin picked up where she left off from her iconic and memorable debut in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London by winning a record six gold medals at the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. 

WNBA: Players of the Week (Monday 7/29 - Sunday 8/4).....Eastern Conference - F Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun; Western Conference - C Elizabeth Cambage, Tulsa Shock....The underachieving Phoenix Mercury parted ways with head coach/General Manager Corey Gaines after five seasons and a league title at the helm. Russ Pennell will take over on the bench on an interim basis and Amber Cox - the team's President and CEO - will also assume the duties of General Manager short-term. As of Friday 8/9, the Mercury are 11-11 and in the third playoff position in the western conference standings.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 7/26 - Friday 8/2


Notable happening in the sports world this past week:

Auto Racing (NASCAR): Ryan Newman outdueled Jimmie Johnson to capture the checkered flag at the Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard in Indianapolis. The victory ended a 49-race winless streak and was Newman's 17th career win in Sprint Cup competition.

Men's Pro Soccer: The USA national team defeated Panama 1-0 to win the Gold Cup championship for the first time in six years. Landon Donovan scored 5 goals for Team USA during the tournament and was named Most Valuable Player.


NFL: Former Philadelphia Eagles great QB Donovan McNabb retired after 13 seasons.....The New York Jets sign their top draft pick - cornerback Dee Milliner - to a four-year, $12.66M rookie contract.

College Football: A.P. Preseason Top 10.....1) Alabama  2) Ohio State  3) Oregon  4) Stanford  5) Georgia  6) Texas A&M  7) South Carolina  8) Clemson  9) Louisville  10) Florida....Paralyzed former linebacker Eric LeGrand became the first player in Rutgers football history to have his number retired. (#52)

NBA: The Washington Wizards sign PG John Wall to a five-year, $80M extension....The Milwaukee Bucks traded talented and emerging young point guard Brandon Jennings to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for equally young and talented point guard Brandon Knight and two other players....The Indiana Pacers acquired veteran forward Luis Scola from the Phoenix Suns for foward Gerald Green and young center Miles Plumlee...Center Greg Oden - the top pick in the 2K7 draft - signs with the Miami Heat for one year and $1M. Oden has not played since 2K9 due to serious knee injuries.

MLB: St. Louis Cardinals All-Star catcher and NL MVP candidate Yadier Molina was placed on the 15-day disabled list with knee ailment....The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim placed first baseman Albert Pujols on the 15-day DL with a foot injury that could potentially ended his season....Key Acquisitions: Pitcher Jake Peavy, Boston Red Sox; Pitcher Bud Norris, Baltimore Orioles.

Women's Pro Golf: The Women's British Open Championship got underway at St. Andrews, Scotland. The red-hot Inbee Park of South Korea is looking to become the first golfer in history - male or female - to win all four major titles in one calendar year. As of Friday 8/2, Park was eight shots behind leader and fellow countrywoman Na Yeon Choi after two rounds.

Men's Pro Tennis: 6'10 American John Isner defeated 6'8 Kevin Anderson of South Africa to win the BB&T Atlanta Open championship - the tallest final in ATP history.





Saturday, July 27, 2013

R.G.'s Weekly Sports ReCap: Saturday 7/20 - Friday 7/26

 
Notable happenings in the sports world this past week:

Men's Pro Golf: Phil Mickelson captured his first British Open championship - the fifth major title of his career - with a blistering score of 66 in the final round to claim the coveted Claret Jug trophy. Mickelson is now the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world with the victory behind Tiger Woods.

MLB: Milwaukee Brewers All-Star outfielder Ryan Braun was suspended for the final 65 games of the regular season, plus the playoffs by the league for using performance-enhancing drugs, therefore violating it's strict drug policy. Braun was the National League MVP in 2K11 and was rewarded with a $100M+ guaranteed contract extension....All-Star second baseman Dustin Pedroia re-signed with the Boston Red Sox on a seven-year, $100M extension....Veteran outfielder Alfonso Soriano leaves the Chicago Cubs to return to the New York Yankees, where he first played from 1999-2K3 before signing big free-agent contract to play for the Cubs.

NFL: Training camps got underway around the league....Denver Broncos All-Pro linebacker Von Miller faces a four-game suspension to start the upcoming regular season for allegedly violating the league's substance abuse policy....Cowboys Stadium will now be officially known as AT&T Stadium when the regular season begins in Dallas, Texas....Notable re-signings - QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (five years, $103.75M, $59M guaranteed); WR Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (six years, $40.25M, $10M guaranteed).

NBA: The Denver Nuggets signed guard Nate Robinson to a two-year contract worth $4.1M. Robinson averaged 13 points per game this past season for the Chicago Bulls....The New York Knicks re-signed veteran forward Kenyon Martin to a one-year deal.

WNBA: Players of the Week (Monday 7/15 - Sunday 7/21)....Eastern Conference - F Tamika Catchings, Indiana Fever; Western Conference - C Liz Cambage, Tulsa Shock....At the All-Star break, the Minnesota Lynx owns the league's top record at 14-3, with the Chicago Sky (12-5) and the Los Angeles Sparks (12-6) in the mix for the No. 1 overall spot as well.

NHL: The New Jersey Devils signed 41-year-old veteran scoring forward Jaromir Jagr to a one-year contract.

Women's Tennis: No. 1 Serena Williams bounced back from a disappointing showing at Wimbledon to win the Swedish Open - her 53rd career singles championship.

Men's College Basketball: Head coach Rick Pitino and the reigning national champion Louisville Cardinals were honored for their crowning victory over the Michigan Wolverines back in April by President Barack Obama at the White House.

 
Pro Cycling: 28-year-old Chris Froome of Great Britain won the centennial edition of the Tour de France by 4 minutes and 20 seconds over runner-up Nairo Quintana of Columbia - the largest margin of victory in eight years. (Lance Armstrong)