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So much for first place

October 16, 2020

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles lost the Battle of Pennsylvania to the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a final score of 38-29. It was clear to me that the game wasn’t even that close. The Eagles offense was not very consistent and only scored because of one long run by Miles Sanders. Without his 79-yard run in the beginning of the second quarter, the Eagles had only one running yard in the game up to that point. So they were using smoke and mirrors to stay in contention in that game.

The Eagles’ defense looked quite confused in pass coverage for most of the game. They better have a great game plan this week against the Baltimore Ravens running attack. The Ravens have one of the best in the league.

And whether you are a Cowboys fan or not, let's hope Dak Prescott can have a full recovery from his serious ankle injury!

I picked the Tampa Bay Rays to represent the American league in the World Series, but I am surprised that they are up three games to two over the Houston Astros. They had a chance to sweep this series. It just goes to show you how great pitching and defense are very important in the playoffs. If Tampa can go all the way, they can replace Boston as the city of champions, at least for this year since the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in hockey.

The same thing can actually happen in Los Angeles since the Lakers won in basketball as expected and the Dodgers are in a battle with the Atlanta Braves to advance to the World Series for the National League. The Braves are in the lead so far in the series, but I think the Braves are going to pull off the upset in the end. I say this because the Dodgers best pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, is pitching even though he’s hurt with a back injury. We will see what happens.

In the NBA, the Lakers did finish off the Miami Heat in game six, winning by a significant margin. This was pretty much an expected outcome. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are quite a powerful combination. They will probably be the favorite to win the NBA championship for as long as they play together. I don’t think this will last many years because LeBron James will probably retire when he turns 40. 

In the French Open, Rafael Nadal dominated Novak Djokovic to win a ridiculous 13th open in 15 tries. He is 100-2 at the French Open. Just unbelievable! On the women’s side, they had a first-time winner, 19-year-old Iga Swiatek from Poland. She won in two sets over American Sofia Kenin. It was the first time that the French Open had nighttime matches and it was cooler than when the open is usually held. Even though this was another 2020 oddity, it didn't seem to affect the players’ performances.

 

  • 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.

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