Baseball:
Coming into this week, the Philadelphia Phillies were on the very edge of being in playoff contention. But their recent performances have made it quite obvious that this will not be happening without some miracles. For the moment, they are tied with the Washington Nationals for 2nd place. They are 8 games behind the Atlanta Braves, who have officially run away with the division.
At this point, it’s questionable whether the Phillies will even finish with a 500 record. I'm sad to say that my early predictions may be what comes true even though they had given us something to hope for at mid season. There are only 17 games left. How did the baseball season fly by so quickly?
Tennis:
Unfortunately, this year‘s US Open tennis tournament will be remembered for who did not win the Women’s singles championship instead who did. Naomi Osaka beat Serena Williams soundly in straight sets to win the title. She did not get to enjoy the victory because of what happened midway through the second set. Naomi was clearly the better player for most of the match and she deserved the win.
I have always felt that the rule that restricts coaches from coaching their players from the stands during any match makes no sense. As long as it's not delaying the match or during a point, what difference does it make? This was the first coaching violation Serena has ever had. She and the umpire both overreacted to the situation which only made things go from bad to worse.
On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic cruised through the finals in straight sets beating Juan Martin del Potro from Argentina. I had hoped to see del Potro win, after his recovery from multiple wrist surgeries after he won the US Open in 2009. His performance was no match for Novak. Between the heat and the disappointing finals, this year's US Open was unusual from start to finish.
Golf:
Keegan Bradley won on Monday at the rain-soaked Aronimink golf course, after the rain delayed the BMW Championship playoff with Justin Rose. I was surprised that they were even able to play on Monday to finish the tournament. It was great to see Bradley win after a 6 year drought. He had not won a significant event since the 2011 PGA Championship.
The next two weeks of golf will be an enjoyable way to end this year's season. The Tour Championship at Eastlake golf course, the home of the famous amateur golfer Bobby Jones, is always a great venue. Then, after the Tour Championship, golf becomes a team sport in the Ryder Cup, which will be played in Paris. This US vs. Europe event has become a favorite, whether you even play golf or not. The teams are well thought-out on both sides and the U.S. has not won on European soil for 25 years! I am very much looking forward to watching.
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A 2002 Cape grad and 2007 UD grad, Lewes resident Sumner Spence is one of the Cape area's biggest sports fans. Although he’s used a wheelchair his entire life, he has lived vicariously through his sports-playing father, brother, and friends, who gave him his love of sports. He hopes to provide new and interesting perspectives on the sports stories and issues of the day. Email Sumner at sumspence@gmail.com.
