Sports Week 2nd Edition

Gentlepersons, why not listen to "This is the End," the latest Kaplowitz Radio installment, whilst reading this Sports Week post?


JOSHUA VS PULEV
I did not watch to-day's presser for the Joshua-Pulev fight on October 28th. I correctly suspected that no chairs nor insults would be hurled. Do they want me to watch this fight or not? Someone threaten to eat some one's children, pronto! Feh. Pulev is a sturdy pug, reminiscent of club fighters a' yore. A basic practitioner of our sweet science. Is this meant to under-cut the Bulgarian's chances of snatching the straps? Heavens, no. This is a warning for Anthony Joshua to not look past him. There are plenty of wholes left in AJ's young game for a tough and stoically abled fella to widen and wiggle through.

Whenst Klitschko KO'd Kubrat Pulev in their fifth 2014 stanza, that was a different Klitschko than Joshua downed. So throw that out. 'Cause 2014 Dr. Steelhammer finishes Joshua mid-point through. My prediction? A fairly terrible match wherein AJ looks green in spots and Pulev looks limited in more. Thankfully it won't be a late night: Joshua via early-mid KO that's explosive 'nuff to save the night. Almost.

NATS CLINCH
Washington's Stephen Strasburg hurled eight scoreless stanzas, leading the Nationals to a 3-2 win over Philadelphia. Then, with safety glasses to protect 'gainst champagne shrapnel and the PTSD it brings in its wake -- the squad waited in their locker-room. Fans waited in the stadium. Waited. Then, 90 minutes later, the Braves beat the Marlins and on went the National League Championship tees. Strasberg led the team back out to the adoring fans.

This is the earliest clinch-job since the 2008 Angels, whom also done the deed on 9/10. Weak(est) division or not -- the Nats are a tough post-season out, with a one-two punch of Strasberg and Max Scherzer. Let alone the brains a' Dusty Baker and the hopeful return of a back-to-form Bryce Harper, with his yearly injury already outta the way. Too, a weak division makes for an easier and more even-keel'd campaign and play-off run... Smooth momentum. Sans the hysterical roller-coaster melodrama the likes of, say, the '17 Dodgers.

BITES:
"It wasn’t the sweetest of wins, but I’ll take it and build on this for the next one. There wasn’t much I could do when he [Nieves] was running from me the whole time ... I was into it -- too into it, actually. It was kind of a waste, I’ll admit that." - Naoya Inoue

"The Theater at Madison Square Garden is really a perfect place for Sergey to start the next chapter of his career. He needs to go out and remind people why they love the Krusher. Sergey is an exciting fighter who is a pleasure to watch in the ring and that's what everyone is going to see on November 25." - Kathy Duva
"Vyacheslav Shabranskyy is back, and ready to prove he will do everything to climb to the top, including facing a top-level fighter such a Kovalev." - Oscar De La Hoya
"I learned a lot from my fights with Andre Ward. When you don't win and when you suffer adversity, it makes you stronger. It also shows you who your real friends are. I feel like I cleaned out my life and now I'm ready to start fresh. I'm very excited to get back in the ring, and fight at Madison Square Garden for the first time, and I'm focused on the future. I'm not looking back." - Sergey Kovalev

"It's [Indians 17 (now 18) game win-streak] been fun. It's been productive. Other than that we really don't talk about it. We move on pretty quick. In some aspects it helps keep guys sharp or focused because it's there. When it goes away, the next game isn't going to mean any less or any more. But I think the guys are having fun with it. Other that that, we move on pretty quick." - Terry Francona

"I trained very hard for four months. I fought for Thailand, and this is what I dedicate this fight to, Thailand. For the first fight I only trained for two months. For this fight I trained for four months. I knew I was going to knock him out." - Sor Rungvisai

"We were both trading punches, but his were harder, and they landed harder. I was a little hurt on the second knockdown but I'm OK now." - Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez

"I will fight whoever. I am not scared of anyone." - Sor Rungvisai 

"Good luck, we'll be pulling for you. Aren't we gonna be pulling for him [Gennady Golovkin]?" - Tommy Lasorda

"Just sitting back and saying ‘We’re still the best team in baseball’ isn’t the answer. Because regardless of what the record says, right now we’re the worst team in baseball. What we did three months ago doesn’t mean a whole lot right now. No one in this league is going to feel sorry for us. No one in this league is going to show up and be like, ‘Oh, poor Dodgers.’ There are a bunch of sharks in the water. We’re bleeding a little bit right now. I think teams are smelling the blood." - Justin Turner

"Yeah, it sucks." - Cody Bellinger

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