This Week in Sports: August 15, 2012

The Week that Was:

(Kerim Okten/EPA)

Olympics:  Last weekend, the Games of the XXX Olympiad came to a close in London.  Although it had been a tight race throughout the games, the United States ended up winning the overall medal total over China by a count of 104-88.  Russia came in third with 86 medals.  The host country of Great Britain rallied in the second week of the games for a strong 4th place finish with 65 medals.  The Jamaican sprinters put the final exclamation point on the games when Bolt and company set a new world record in the 4x100 relay.

PGA Championship:  As the Olympics were wrapping up, golf was quietly holding its final major of the year.  The PGA Championship was played at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina.  Twenty-three year-old Rory McIlroy captured his 2nd major victory in as many years.  And, like last summer at the U.S. Open, McIlroy did it in dominating fashion.  McIlroy won by a record 8 strokes over Englishman David Lynn.

MLB:  The two biggest baseball stories of the week occurred on Wednesday.  In Seattle, Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game for the Mariners against the Tampa Bay Rays.  This was just the 23rd perfect game ever thrown in the history of Major League Baseball.  Meanwhile, it was announced that San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera tested positive for performance enhancing drugs ... specifically, testosterone.  In accordance with MLB's drug policy, Cabrera will be suspended without pay for 50 games.  At the time of the suspension, the Giants trailed the Dodgers by just a half game in the NL West.  Cabrera was 2nd in the National League in batting average and was the MVP of the All Star game.  If the Giants do make the post season, Cabrera's suspension would extend through the Giants' 5th game of the playoffs.


The Week Ahead:  It is a bit of a slow week ahead.  But honestly, sports fans need a little rest between the Olympics and the start of the football season.


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