The Sheriff’s Quick Takes of the Week

– Zachary El- Sharif

It’s starting to feel like summer out there, so it’s getting to the time of the year that even if you’re the biggest sports fan in the world, you still may find yourself doing things outside instead of sitting on the couch and watching every second of every game. So, I’ll take it upon myself to fill you in on everything you may have missed this past week of sports.

NBA:
Western Conference Finals: Houston got booted from the playoffs thanks to Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Lil B. (No clue who this guy actually is, but he put a curse on James Harden.) Dwight Howard is still a champion (in his eyes), but the Golden State Warriors won the Series (4-1).

Eastern Conference Finals:

Matthew Dellavedova has played important minutes this postseason run. Source: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images North America)

No Kyrie, no K. Love, no problem. LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, and Matthew Dellavedova take care of business rather easily against the top seeded Atlanta Hawks. LeBron James showed why he’s the best player on the planet, Tristan Thompson showed why he needs a new contract, and Matthew Dellavedova showed that even if you’re a long lost cousin of the O’Doyles (Always Sunny in Philadelphia), you can still be an X factor on an NBA team. Cleveland swept the series (4-0).

NFL:
Ray McDonald got charged with assault again and endangering the welfare of a child, then was rightfully released by the Chicago Bears. I feel as though it is on the NFL for letting these players back into the league; it’s a privilege to be in the NFL, and the players that break the law don’t deserve to have that privilege.

MLB:
Alex Rodriguez passed Lou Gehrig and is now tied with Barry Bonds for second on the all-time RBI list. The fact that ARod and Bonds aren’t put on a separate list blows my mind. Players that disrespect the game shouldn’t be allowed to be put in the same category as Lou Gehrig or Hank Aaron.

Michael Wacha (7-1) recorded his first loss of the season on Saturday night vs. the Dodgers. It was the first time the Cardinals have lost a game that he started this season. It’s a lot of pressure being unbeaten, and he started the game with a no-hitter, which created even more pressure and pressure breaks pipes. The Cardinals ended up losing the lead, and Wacha got credited with the loss.

FIFA:
FIFA is corrupt; it always has been. They mess with countries all the time and play with their hope for a World Cup, even though behind the scenes they take bribes, and the winner is always the country with the highest bribe. Little did they know that there’s one country you don’t mess with, and that’s the United States of America. The FBI brought charges against 14 people as a result of a 4 year investigation into FIFA. The 47-count indictment included wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering conspiracies. The US Department of Justice held a press conference this week as well, calling this just the beginning of their case against FIFA. Meanwhile, the person who is the most corrupt, FIFA president Sepp Batter, won another election two days after the indictments were unsealed, so at this point, FIFA is doing it to themselves.

Toews scored 2 goals in Game 7 to help the Chicago Blackhawks advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Richard Mackson/USA Today Sports, via Reuters

NHL:
Eastern Finals: Tampa Bay and New York went back and forth for 6 games, and in Game 7, Ben Bishop shut out the 2014 Eastern Champions 2-0. In arguably the best series all playoffs, you saw the Eastern Conference at its’ finest, 2 great goalies squaring off against great goal scorers, such as Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson, who is leading all players in goals scored in the playoffs. Tampa Bay bolts on to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Western Finals: Anaheim battled the Chicago Blackhawks in a series that garnered the top players in the West. Toews, Kane and Keith beat Getzlaf, Perry and Kesler in 7 exciting games. Chicago is becoming a staple in the West come playoff time; those guys know how to get the job done. They faced a lot of adversity right before the playoffs regarding injuries, but they got their guy Kane back right before the first round and haven’t looked back since. The Blackhawks will face the Lightning for Lord Stanley’s Cup in a series that will keep you on the edge of your seat every game.

– Zachary El-Sharif, @zackelsharif23