2008 Stanford Super Series, Qualification
The Stanford Superstars was a squad selected from the best players in the Stanford 20/20 competition. England competed in the first year of a five-year contract to be involved in the tournament. Trinidad and Tobago qualified as the winners of the Stanford 20/20 whilst Middlesex Crusaders qualified as winners of the Twenty20 Cup in England and Wales.


2008 Stanford Super Series, Summary
The tournament was seen to have been commenced successfully, though pitch conditions meant that its opening matches were low-scoring. Criticism was also levelled at the floodlights in the Antigua pitch, which were low enough to obstruct the vision of fielding players, with Middlesex captain Shaun Udal stating "I have not known a ground where the visibility is as bad".


2008 Stanford Super Series, Summary
The behaviour of organiser Allen Stanford was also questioned, particularly after he offended a number of England players by acting flirtatiously with their wives during a match, actions for which he later apologised The England team was later hit by a stomach bug, leading Kevin Pietersen to declare that he was looking forward to the tournament's completion. Before the tournament ended, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that they would be reviewing the five-year contract that they had signed with Stanford, bringing into question their participation in future tournaments


2008 Stanford Super Series, Summary
However, the Trinidad and Tobago v England game was described as 'thrilling'. The tournament received a large amount of media coverage whilst it was extremely popular with fans in the West Indies. Commentators were generally positive about the success of the tournament within its host venue, with Jonathan Agnew claiming that it was organised significantly better than the previous World Cup, also held in the West Indies.


2008 Stanford Super Series, Squads, 2008 Stanford SuperStars
On 14 August 2008, the All-Stars selection panel, which was led by cricketing legend Sir Viv Richards, and which included fellow  West Indies cricketing luminaries as Sir Everton Weekes, Curtly Ambrose, Lance Gibbs, Richie Richardson, Andy Roberts and Courtney Walsh, announced 17 players who would play under the Stanford SuperStars colours in the Super Series.


2008 Stanford Super Series, Squads, 2008 Stanford SuperStars
Chris Gayle (c) Daren Powell Jerome Taylor Sylvester Joseph (Vice-captain) Chad Hampson Dave Mohammed Kieron Pollard Rayad Emrit Ramnaresh Sarwan Shivnarine Chanderpaul Lennox Cush Andre Fletcher Sulieman Benn Lionel Baker Lindon James


2008 Stanford Super Series, Squads, 2008 Stanford SuperStars
Support Staff: Coach, Head: Eldine Baptiste Coach, Asst: Roger Harper Coach, Fielding: Julien Fountain Coach, Manager: Cardigan Connor Analyst: Robin Singh Trainer: Hector Martinez Physiotherapist: Kim Jackson Physiotherapist Julio Gonsalves Physical Therapist: Virgil Browne


2008 Stanford Super Series, Squads, 2008 Stanford SuperStars
(Dwayne Bravo  (injury), and Xavier Marshall  (failed drug test) were named to the initial team under the initial selection procedures, but withdrew before the Series was played. Darren Sammy  and Travis Dowlin  were named to replace them in the squad.)


2008 Stanford Super Series, Squads, 2008 English squad
On 9 September 2008, three weeks after the Superstars squad was named, the England Cricket Board announced their 15-man squad for the 2008 Super Series.


2008 Stanford Super Series, Squads, 2008 English squad
Kevin Pietersen, Hampshire, (captain)James Anderson, LancashireIan Bell, WarwickshireRavi Bopara, EssexStuart Broad, NottinghamshirePaul Collingwood, DurhamAlastair Cook, EssexAndrew Flintoff, LancashireStephen Harmison, DurhamSamit Patel, NottinghamshireMatt Prior, SussexOwais Shah, MiddlesexGraeme Swann, NottinghamshireRyan Sidebottom, NottinghamshireLuke Wright, Sussex


2008 Stanford Super Series, Squads, 2008 Trinidad and Tobago Squad
Rishi BachanSamuel BadreeDarren BravoKevon CooperDaron CruickshankDaren Ganga (captain)Sherwin GangaJustin GuillenAmit JaggernauthRichard KellyWilliam PerkinsDenesh RamdinRavi RampaulLendl SimmonsNavin Stewart


2008 Stanford Super Series, Squads, 2008 Middlesex Squad
Neil CarterNeil DexterSteven FinnBilly GodlemanTyron HendersonEd JoyceMurali KartikDawid MalanEoin MorganTim MurtaghDavid NashAlan RichardsonBen ScottAndrew StraussShaun Udal (captain)


2008 Stanford Super Series, Commercial dispute
Digicel, who sponsors the West Indies Cricket Board, filed suit to halt the Stanford Super Series. They claimed that due to their deal with the West Indies Cricket Board,  that they were due certain advertising and broadcasting rights that weren't being granted to them. The response from the West Indies Board, and from the representatives of the Super Series was that the Stanford Superstars were an unofficial team, and thus the Digicel agreement did not come into play. Digicel won the suit, in front of the High Court in London, England. However, they later reached a deal with Stanford Super Series officials, that allowed the tournament to continue for at least three years.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2007–08 season, and the culmination of the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings and the Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins. This was Detroit's 23rd appearance in the Finals, and its first since winning the Cup in 2002. This was Pittsburgh's third appearance in the Finals, and its first since winning consecutive Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. The Red Wings defeated the Penguins four games to two to earn the Stanley Cup. Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals
This was Detroit's 11th Stanley Cup title and was also the first Cup Finals between two United States-based NHL teams since 2003.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals
In the United States, Versus televised games one and two, and NBC broadcast the rest of the series. It was broadcast in Canada on CBC in English and on RDS in French. In the United Kingdom, all games were aired live on Five, and on the cable sports channel NASN. The series was also broadcast by NHL Radio via Westwood One.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals
To date, this remains the last sports championship to be won by a Detroit franchise.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
The Detroit Red Wings entered the Finals after winning the Presidents' Trophy as the team that had the best record during the regular season. Led by forwards Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, and Johan Franzen, Detroit scored 55 goals in the first three rounds of the playoffs. With struggling goaltender Dominik Hasek being replaced mid-series by Chris Osgood, the Red Wings defeated their division rival Nashville Predators in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, in six games.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
The team swept the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Semifinals, in which Franzen scored nine goals – tying with the entire Avalanche squad, who also scored nine goals in the series. The Red Wings then defeated the Dallas Stars in six games to win their fifth Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in franchise history.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the championship series after winning the Atlantic Division and earning the second-best regular season record in the Eastern Conference. The team was led by Sidney Crosby; missing 29 games throughout the regular season because of an ankle injury, the captain returned to lead the first three rounds of the playoffs in assists, and to tie for the lead in points heading into the Stanley Cup Finals. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury recorded three shutouts throughout the playoffs, to lead the league in that category.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
Evgeni Malkin and Marian Hossa each recorded nine goals and ten assists throughout the playoffs. The Penguins swept the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, a reversal of the series of the previous season when Ottawa beat Pittsburgh 4–1. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Penguins defeated division rival the New York Rangers, in five games. The team won the Prince of Wales Trophy by defeating another division rival, their in-state rivals, and another fierce rival of the Rangers, the Philadelphia Flyers, also in five games.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries
The 2008 Stanley Cup Finals marked the first time that the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins met in postseason play, and the first time since the 1909 World Series that professional sports teams from Detroit and Pittsburgh met in a postseason series or game. The Red Wings and Penguins did not play each other during the 2007–08 regular season.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game one
Pittsburgh's Gary Roberts and Detroit's Chris Chelios were both healthy scratches for game one. Prior to the game, a ceremonial faceoff featuring former Pittsburgh captain and current team chairman Mario Lemieux and former Detroit captain and team vice president at the time Steve Yzerman. Each dropped a puck to their current captains Sidney Crosby and Nicklas Lidstrom, respectively.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game one
At 15:20 into the first period, a goal scored by Lidstrom was waved off after Tomas Holmstrom was called for goaltender interference. The remainder of the first period went scoreless, as Pittsburgh failed to capitalize on four consecutive power plays. At 13:01 into the second period, Mikael Samuelsson gave the Red Wings the unassisted game-winning goal, on a wrap-around. Just over two minutes into the third period, Samuelsson added his second unassisted goal of the game. At 17:18 into the third period, Dan Cleary scored shorthanded to give the Red Wings a 3–0 lead. Henrik Zetterberg scored on the power-play with 13 seconds remaining. Chris Osgood recorded his second shutout of the playoffs, to give the Red Wings a 4–0 victory in game one. The Red Wings outshot the Penguins 36–19.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game two
In preparation for game two, head coach Michel Therrien revised Pittsburgh's lines; the revision included Gary Roberts who did not play in game one. Johan Franzen, the leading goal-scorer in the playoffs, returned to the line-up for Detroit.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game two
Detroit's Brad Stuart scored the first goal of the game 6:55 into the first period, on a slap shot, with an assist from Valtteri Filppula. Tomas Holmstrom added a goal at 11:18 into the first period, to put Detroit up 2–0. Pittsburgh struggled throughout the period, failing to get a shot on goal for the game's first twelve minutes. Detroit outshot the Penguins 11–6 in the second period, but both teams failed to score. At 8:48 into the third period, Valtteri Filppula scored his first goal of the series, beating goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury with a wrist-shot. Chris Osgood recorded his second consecutive shutout, stopping all 22 shots faced.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game three
Game three was held in Pittsburgh, where going into the matchup the Penguins had won sixteen consecutive home games. Pittsburgh continued to shuffle their lineup by replacing defenceman Kris Letang with veteran Darryl Sydor, but going back to the top line combinations from game one. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored the team's first goal of the series late in the first period, with an assist from Marian Hossa. The Penguins went up 2-0 after Crosby scored a second time, his second coming on the power-play, just 2:34 into the second period.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game three
Johan Franzen pulled the Red Wings within one, when he scored on the power-play at 14:48 of the second period. Adam Hall scored his second goal of the post season, when the Penguins winger scored at 7:18 of the third period, putting his team up 3-1. Mikael Samuelsson scored a second goal for the Red Wings, with assists from Brad Stuart and Valtteri Filppula. However, Pittsburgh's 3-2 lead held, giving the team their first victory of the series. Despite winning the game, Pittsburgh was outshot by the Red Wings for the third consecutive game by at least 10 shots.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game four
Entering Game Four, Petr Sykora said the game was a must-win for the Penguins, "For us, basically, [game four] is a do-or-die game". Jiri Hudler's game-winning goal at 2:26 of the third period broke a 1–1 tie, and the Red Wings killed off a Penguins 1:26 5-on-3 advantage midway through the final period to help preserve the victory, thanks in large part to a terrific defensive play by Henrik Zetterberg on Sidney Crosby, preventing what would have been a tap-in goal when he tied up Crosby's stick at the front of the net. Pittsburgh scored first on Marian Hossa's power play goal 2:51 into the game before Nicklas Lidstrom tied the game at 7:06 of the first period.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game five
Pittsburgh's Marian Hossa scored the first goal of the game at 8:37 into the first period. Teammate Adam Hall added his second goal of the series at 14:41 of the first period, giving the Penguins a 2–0 lead. Detroit then scored three consecutive goals—by Darren Helm, Pavel Datsyuk, and Brian Rafalski—to gain the lead. After Pittsburgh pulled its goalie with less than one minute remaining in regulation, Maxime Talbot scored with 34.3 seconds remaining to tie the game and force overtime.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game five
The goal marked only the second time in NHL history that a team avoided elimination in the Finals by scoring in the last minute of the third period. The first two overtime periods were scoreless, and the game went into the third overtime with Detroit killing two consecutive penalties, and Pittsburgh killing one. At the 9:21 mark, Pittsburgh's Petr Sykora scored the game-winning goal on another power-play, forcing the series back to Pittsburgh for game six.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game five
The goal was assisted by defenceman Sergei Gonchar, who was playing his first shift in forty minutes as a result of an injury, and Evgeni Malkin, who got his first point of the Finals. Pittsburgh became the first team in modern NHL history to have three overtime power-plays in the Finals. Goaltenders Marc-Andre Fleury and Chris Osgood stopped 55 and 28 shots, respectively. The triple overtime game was the fifth-longest in Stanley Cup Finals history.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game six
Pittsburgh's Ryan Malone was scheduled to have X-rays on June 3, after being hit in the face with the puck in game five, but was expected to play.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game six
The Red Wings took a 2–0 lead in the second period in game six en route to a 3–2 victory to clinch the Stanley Cup. Brian Rafalski scored a power play goal at 5:03 in the first period before Valtteri Filppula extended the lead with a goal at 8:07 in the second. The Penguins had an opportunity to get their first goal later in the first period, with a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:33, but could not convert. Pittsburgh finally cut the lead at 15:26 of the second period with Evgeni Malkin's power play goal.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game six
However, a third period shot by Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg squeezed through the legs of Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who, after noticing he was not covering the puck, fell backwards and accidentally knocked the puck across the goal line for the Red Wings' third goal.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game six
Marian Hossa scored a power play goal (in addition to the Penguins pulling Fleury for an extra attacker and the Red Wings' Andreas Lilja having lost his stick as a result of Malone knocking it out of his hands) at 18:33 of the third period to cut the lead to 3–2, but the Penguins, despite a shot by Sidney Crosby and shot off rebound by Hossa in the final seconds, could not tie the game before time ran out. Lidstrom became the first European-born Stanley Cup captain.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game six
The Wings' victory also saw the Triple Gold Club, made up of individuals who have won the Stanley Cup plus gold medals at the Olympics and World Championships, gain three new members. Niklas Kronwall, Mikael Samuelsson, and Zetterberg had previously won the other two components with the Sweden national team in 2006 at that year's Olympics and World Championships.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Television
In the United States, Versus aired games one and two while NBC televised the remainder of the series. Game one of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals had a 1.8 rating, drawing 2.3 million viewers. The rating was a 157% increase over the previous Playoff Finals opener, and a 100% rise from two years previous. Game two had a 1.9 rating, drawing 2.5 million viewers. It was the highest-rated and most-watched cable telecast of the Finals in six years in the United States.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Television
The rating was the highest for an NHL game on Versus and the second highest rating for a Versus broadcast ever only to Lance Armstrong's seventh straight Tour de France victory in 2005 (2.1). Game three drew a 2.8 rating, representing an 87% increase over the previous year's game three. In Detroit, game three drew higher ratings (18.2) than game five of the 2008 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics (15.9). Game four earned a 2.3 rating, up 21% over the previous year's game four.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Television
Game five drew a 4.3 rating, representing a 79% increase from the previous year's game five. It drew the highest ratings for a game five since 2002. Game six had a 4.4 rating, the best performance in a game six since 2000. It was a 100% increase over game six of 2006 and was the highest rated game for NBC since they reacquired the NHL broadcasting rights in 2004.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Television
On the CBC in Canada, this was the last Stanley Cup Finals that Bob Cole served as the play-by-play announcer for, as Jim Hughson took over the following year.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Team rosters
Years indicated in boldface under the "Finals appearance" column signify that the player won the Stanley Cup in the given year.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The 2008 Stanley Cup was presented to Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman following the Red Wings 3–2 win over the Penguins in game six.


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The following Red Wings players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup


2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving, Stanley Cup engraving
Included on team picture, but left off the Stanley Cup


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 9, 2008, after the 2007–08 regular season. The 16 teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-seven series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, then the conference champions played a best-of-seven series for the Stanley Cup.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs
The Buffalo Sabres became the second team to miss the playoffs after winning the Presidents' Trophy in the prior season. This would not happen again until 2015.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs
The Finals ended on June 4, 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins four games to two to win their eleventh championship and their fourth in eleven seasons. It was the first championship in the 16-year career of Red Wings winger Dallas Drake, who retired following the season. Red Wings winger Henrik Zetterberg was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' Most Valuable Player. Sidney Crosby and Zetterberg led the tournament with 27 points.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Highlights
The San Jose Sharks were the media's favorite to win the Cup going into the playoffs, having gone the entire month of March without a regulation loss and nearly finishing first overall during the regular season.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Highlights, Milestones
In game one of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Minnesota Wild, captain Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche extended his record for playoff overtime goals to eight, with a goal 11:11 into overtime. Chris Chelios appeared in his 248th career playoff game surpassing Patrick Roy for most career playoff games of all time.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Highlights, Milestones
In game one of the Western Conference Semifinals in San Jose, Dallas Stars center Brad Richards tied an NHL record for most points in one period of a playoff game, when he recorded one goal and three assists in the third period.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Highlights, Milestones
In the Western Conference Semifinals against the Avalanche, Johan Franzen became the first player to score multiple hat tricks in a series since Jari Kurri tallied three in 1985. In the process, he set an NHL record for most goals in a four-game sweep and the Red Wings' record for most goals in a playoff series with nine, beating the previous record of eight set by Gordie Howe in 1949. Franzen achieved this feat in only four games, moreover, while Howe achieved it in seven.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Highlights, Milestones
Game six of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Sharks and Stars was the eighth-longest game in the history of the NHL, lasting 129:03. Stars captain Brenden Morrow ended the game at 9:03 of the fourth overtime, tapping in a power-play goal. Goaltenders Marty Turco and Evgeni Nabokov set team records for saves in a game with 61 and 53, respectively. The final score was 2–1.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Highlights, Milestones
Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom became the first European (and Swedish) born and trained player to lead an NHL team to the Stanley Cup. Charlie Gardiner (born in the United Kingdom) and Johnny Gottselig (born in Russia) both won the Stanley Cup as captains of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1934 and 1938 respectively, but they were both raised in Canada.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Highlights, New interpretation of NHL rule
In game three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series, while on a five-on-three power play, the New York Rangers' Sean Avery tried to screen the New Jersey Devils' goaltender Martin Brodeur by waving his hands and stick while facing Brodeur. This prompted the NHL to issue an interpretation of the league's rules, stating that an unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty will be called on actions such as the one used by Avery.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Playoff bracket
In each round, the highest remaining seed in each conference is matched against the lowest remaining seed. The higher-seeded team is awarded home ice advantage, which gives them a possible maximum of four games on their home ice, with the lower-seeded team getting a possible maximum of three. In the Stanley Cup Finals, home ice is determined based on regular season points; thus, the Detroit Red Wings had home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, including in the Finals. Each best-of-seven series follows a 2–2–1–1–1 format. This means that the higher-seeded team has home ice for games one and two, and if necessary, five and seven, while the lower-seeded team has home ice for games three, four and, if necessary, six.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Boston Bruins
The Montreal Canadiens entered the playoffs as the Eastern Conference regular season and Northeast Division champions with 104 points. Boston qualified as the eighth seed earning 94 points (losing the tie-breaker in total wins with Ottawa) during the regular season. This was the 31st playoff meeting between these two Original Six rivals, with Montreal winning twenty-three of the thirty previous series. They last met in the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals where Montreal won in seven games. Montreal won all eight games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Boston Bruins
The Canadiens held off Boston winning the series in seven games. Montreal took the lead early in game one and never looked back in a 4–1 victory. The Bruins forced overtime in game two by scoring two third period goals before coming up short in the first overtime as Alexei Kovalev ended the game with a power-play goal at 2:30 for Montreal. Boston forward Marc Savard scored the overtime winner in a 2–1 game three victory; the win ended a 13-game losing streak against Montreal by the Bruins.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Boston Bruins
Patrice Brisebois scored the only goal of game four for the Canadiens and Carey Price made 27 saves for his first career playoff shutout in a 1–0 win. Boston scored five unanswered goals in game five, including four goals in the third period as they extended the series with a 5–1 win. For the second game in a row the Bruins scored four times in the third period as they tied the series with a 5–4 victory. In game seven Montreal rebounded from the lackluster performances of their previous two games and eliminated Boston with a 5–0 win.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Ottawa Senators
The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the playoffs as the Atlantic Division champions, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference with 102 points. Ottawa qualified as the seventh seed earning 94 points (winning the tie-breaker in total wins with Boston) during the regular season. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with Ottawa winning the only previous series. They last met in the previous year's Eastern Conference Quarterfinals where Ottawa won in five games. Ottawa won three of the four games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (7) Ottawa Senators
The Penguins swept the Senators in four games. Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves and Gary Roberts scored twice as the Penguins won game one by a score of 4–0. Penguins forward Ryan Malone put Pittsburgh ahead again in game two after they blew a three-goal lead earlier in the game with a power-play goal at 18:58 of the third period; the Penguins held on for a 5–3 victory. Sidney Crosby's goal in the opening seconds of the third period of game three broke a 1–1 tie as Pittsburgh eventually won 4–1. Pittsburgh completed the series sweep in game four with a 3–1 win.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
The Washington Capitals entered the playoffs as the Southeast Division champions, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference with 94 points. Philadelphia qualified as the sixth seed earning 95 points during the regular season. This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Washington winning the two of the three previous series. They last met in the 1989 Patrick Division Semifinals where Philadelphia won in six games. Philadelphia won this year's four-game regular season series earning five of eight points.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers held off the Capitals in a seven-game series. Washington scored three times in the third period of game one as they overcame a two-goal deficit before Alexander Ovechkin scored the game-winner for the Capitals with just over four and a half minutes remaining in regulation time. Martin Biron made 24 saves as the Flyers won game two 2–0. The Flyers broke game three open with two goals just 17 seconds apart in the first period as they went on to win by a final score of 6–3.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia forward Mike Knuble ended game four at 6:40 of the second overtime period as the Flyers took a 3–1 series lead. Sergei Fedorov and Mike Green each recorded two points for Washington as they extended the series with a 3–2 victory. The Flyers took a two-goal lead early in the second period of game six before the Capitals responded with four unanswered goals to force a seventh and deciding game. Flyers goaltender Martin Biron made 39 saves in game seven and Joffrey Lupul scored a power-play goal in the first overtime as the Flyers advanced to the Conference Semifinals.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (4) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) New York Rangers
The New Jersey Devils entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with 99 points. New York qualified as the fifth seed earning 97 points during the regular season. This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rangers winning three of the four previous series. They last met in the 2006 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals where New Jersey won in four games. New York won seven of the eight games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (4) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) New York Rangers
The Rangers defeated the Devils in five games. Scott Gomez had three assists in game one as the Rangers won 4–1. New York scored twice in 23 seconds to break a scoreless tie in the third period of game two and Henrik Lundqvist allowed one goal against for the second consecutive game as the Rangers took a 2–0 series lead. During the second period of game three while on a two-man advantage, the Rangers' Sean Avery tried to screen New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur by waving his hands and stick while facing Brodeur.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, (4) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) New York Rangers
Devils forward John Madden ended the game at 6:01 of the first overtime in a 4–3 New Jersey victory. After the game the NHL issued an interpretation of the League's rules, stating that an unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty would be called on actions such as the one used by Avery. Marc Staal broke a 3–3 tie for the Rangers late in third period of game four as New York took a 3–1 series lead. Rangers forward Jaromir Jagr had a goal and two assists as New York finished off the Devils in game five with a 5–3 win.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators
The Detroit Red Wings entered the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winners, the Western Conference regular season and Central Division champions with 115 points. Nashville qualified as the eighth seed earning 91 points during the regular season. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with Detroit winning the only previous series. They last met in the 2004 Western Conference Quarterfinals where Detroit won in six games. Detroit won five of the eight games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators
The Red Wings defeated Nashville in six games. Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis made 37 saves in a losing effort and Henrik Zetterberg scored twice in the third period for the Red Wings as Detroit took game one by a final score of 3–1. Detroit forward Kris Draper broke the tie early in the second period of game two as the Red Wings won 4–2. Nashville scored two goals just nine seconds apart late in game three as Jason Arnott scored the game-winning goal in a 5–3 Predators victory.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Nashville Predators
Red Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek was pulled in the second period of game four after allowing three goals; he was replaced by Chris Osgood for the remainder of the series, the Predators evened the series with a 3–2 win. Johan Franzen ended game five 1:48 into the first overtime as the Red Wings took a 2–1 victory. Detroit eliminated the Predators with a 20 save shutout from Chris Osgood in a 3–0 win in game six.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Calgary Flames
The San Jose Sharks entered the playoffs as the Pacific Division champions, earning the second seed in the Western Conference with 108 points. Calgary qualified as the seventh seed earning 94 points during the regular season. This was the third and most recent playoff meeting between these two teams, with the teams splitting the two previous series. They last met in the 2004 Western Conference Final where Calgary won in six games. Calgary won three of the four games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Calgary Flames
San Jose eliminated the Flames in seven games. Stephane Yelle's second goal of the game was the game-winner as Calgary took the opening game of the series 3–2. San Jose goaltender Evgeni Nabokov recorded a shutout making 21 saves in game two to help the Sharks tie the series. The Flames rallied from a three-goal deficit to win game three 4–3 as backup goaltender Curtis Joseph relieved Miikka Kiprusoff after he was pulled just three and a half minutes into the game. San Jose scored two goals late in the third period of game four to win the game 3–2.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (2) San Jose Sharks vs. (7) Calgary Flames
San Jose had a three-goal lead in game five and held off a Calgary comeback in a 4–3 victory. Miikka Kiprusoff recorded a shutout in game six to force a deciding game seven as the Flames won 2–0. After being held pointless in the first six games of the series San Jose forward Jeremy Roenick scored two goals and two assists in game seven as the Sharks won 5–3.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (3) Minnesota Wild vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche
The Minnesota Wild entered the playoffs as the Northwest Division champions, earning the third seed in the Western Conference with 98 points. Colorado qualified as the sixth seed earning 95 points during the regular season. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with Minnesota winning the only previous series. They last met in the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals where Minnesota won in seven games. Minnesota won five of the eight games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (3) Minnesota Wild vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche eliminated the Wild in six games. Colorado captain Joe Sakic added to his own league record in game one as he scored his eighth and final career playoff overtime goal in a 3–2 victory. The teams traded goals in the final two minutes of regulation in game two before Keith Carney ended the game 1:14 into the first overtime period, as the Wild evened the series with a 3–2 win. Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored the overtime winner in game three for Minnesota at 11:58 in the third consecutive overtime game of this series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (3) Minnesota Wild vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche
Five different Colorado players scored in game four as the Avalanche forced Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom from the game, winning 5–1. Colorado goaltender Jose Theodore made 38 saves in a 3–2 game five win. Theodore continued his strong play in game six as he made 34 saves from 35 shots against as Colorado closed out the series with a 2–1 victory.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Dallas Stars
The Anaheim Ducks entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Western Conference with 102 points. Dallas qualified as the fifth seed earning 97 points during the regular season. This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with Anaheim winning the only previous series. They last met in the 2003 Western Conference Semifinals where Anaheim won in six games. Dallas won five of the eight games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Dallas Stars
The Stars defeated the Ducks in six games. Dallas took advantage of the undisciplined play of the Ducks in game one as they scored four goals on the power-play and Marty Turco made 23 saves in a 4–0 victory. The Stars broke open game two by scoring three times in the third period as they won 5–2. In game three the Ducks jumped out to an early 4–0 lead, Anaheim held on to win the game 4–2.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Quarterfinals, Western Conference Quarterfinals, (4) Anaheim Ducks vs. (5) Dallas Stars
Stars goaltender Marty Turco came eight seconds short of posting a shutout in game four as he made 28 saves in a 3–1 Dallas victory. The Ducks avoided elimination in game five as their special teams contributed two power-play goals in a 5–2 win. Corey Perry gave Anaheim a one-goal lead after two periods of play in game six before the Stars scored four unanswered goals in the third period and ended the series with a 4–1 victory.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Montreal winning three of the four previous series. They last met in the 1989 Prince of Wales Conference Final where Montreal won in six games. Montreal swept this year's four game regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers eliminated the Canadiens in five games. Montreal fought back from a two-goal deficit early in game one as Alexei Kovalev forced overtime with his second goal of the game in the final minute of regulation time. In the first overtime period Canadiens forward Tom Kostopoulos scored the game-winner 48 seconds into the period, in a 4–3 Montreal victory. R. J. Umberger scored twice for the Flyers in game two as Philadelphia evened the series with a 4–2 win.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia scored three times in the second period of game three and hung on to win 3–2 despite allowing two power-play goals in the third period after Derian Hatcher was ejected from the game for boarding Francis Bouillon. Flyers goaltender Martin Biron made 36 saves as the Flyers won game four 4–2. Flyers forward Scottie Upshall broke the tie in game five as he scored the series-clinching goal with just over three minutes remaining in regulation time as Philadelphia earned a 6–4 victory.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) New York Rangers
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Pittsburgh winning all three of the previous series. They last met in the 1996 Eastern Conference Semifinals where Pittsburgh won in five games. New York won five of the eight games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) New York Rangers
The Penguins defeated the Rangers in five games. The Penguins scored two goals 14 and 20 seconds apart in both the second and third periods of game one as they overcame a 3–0 deficit early in the second period. Evgeni Malkin scored a late power-play goal for the Penguins as they held on to win the game 5–4. Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves to earn his second shutout of the playoffs in game two as the Penguins won 2–0.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Eastern Conference Semifinals, (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) New York Rangers
Evgeni Malkin's second power-play goal of the game scored late in the second period of game three held up as the game-winning goal as the Penguins won 5–3. Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves in a shutout performance as the Rangers avoided elimination with a 3–0 victory in game four. The Rangers battled back to tie the game early in the third period of game five, however they came up short in overtime as Pittsburgh's Marian Hossa scored the series-winner at 7:10 of the first overtime period to win the series for the Penguins.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Colorado winning three of the five previous series. They last met in the 2002 Western Conference Final where Detroit won in seven games. Detroit swept this year's four game regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (6) Colorado Avalanche
The Red Wings swept the Avalanche in four games. Avalanche goaltender Jose Theodore was pulled early in the second period of game one after allowing four goals on 16 shots; the Red Wings held on to win 4–3. Detroit forward Johan Franzen's hat trick in game two helped the Red Wings to a 5–1 victory. Henrik Zetterberg's power-play goal just past the midway mark of the second period held up as the game-winner for Detroit in game three. After allowing the tying goal early in the first period of game four, the Red Wings scored the next seven goals and easily eliminated the Avalanche with an 8–2 win.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (2) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Dallas Stars
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Dallas winning both of the previous series. They last met in the 2000 Western Conference Semifinals where Dallas won in five games. Dallas won this year's eight-game regular season series earning ten of sixteen points.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (2) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Dallas Stars
The Stars held on to defeat the Sharks in six games. Jonathan Cheechoo tied game one late in the third period for San Jose, but Dallas captain Brenden Morrow scored 4:39 into the first overtime to give Dallas a 3–2 victory. Dallas forward Brad Richards keyed a four-goal outburst in the third period of game two by scoring a goal and three assists to lead the Stars to a 5–2 win. In game three the Stars overcame a one-goal deficit in the third period as they won in the first overtime on a goal from defenceman Mattias Norstrom at 4:37.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Semifinals, Western Conference Semifinals, (2) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Dallas Stars
Milan Michalek broke the tie for San Jose in game four with his power-play goal at 3:26 of the third period as the Sharks avoided elimination with a 2–1 victory. Dallas took a two-goal lead into the third period of game five, however the Sharks tied the game with goals by Milan Michalek and Brian Campbell. Overtime was needed for the third time in five games and just 1:05 into the first overtime San Jose forward Joe Pavelski converted on a turnover to keep the Sharks alive with a 3–2 win. After trading goals in regulation time, game six became the eighth-longest game in NHL history as Brenden Morrow tipped home a pass on the power-play from defenceman Stephane Robidas to end the game 9:03 into the fourth overtime period and win the series for the Stars 4–2.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Final, (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Philadelphia winning all three of the previous series. They last met in the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals where Philadelphia won in six games. Pittsburgh most recently made it to the Conference Finals in 2001, when they lost to the New Jersey Devils in five games. Philadelphia last made the Conference Finals in 2004, where they lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Philadelphia won five of the eight games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Final, (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
The Penguins eliminated their cross-state rivals the Flyers in five games. Evgeni Malkin's seventh goal of the playoffs held up as the game-winner for Pittsburgh in game one as the Penguins earned a 4–2 win. Pittsburgh forward Maxime Talbot broke the tie in game two just before the midway mark of the third period and Jordan Staal added an empty-net goal for the Penguins to give them their second consecutive 4–2 victory. Marian Hossa scored twice in game three for the Penguins as they won the game 4–1 to take a commanding 3–0 series lead.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Eastern Conference Final, (2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers jumped out to a 3–0 lead in the first period of game four and held on to win the game 4–2. Marian Hossa recorded four points for Pittsburgh in game five as the Penguins won their eighth consecutive home game to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals by a decisive final score of 6–0.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Final, (1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (5) Dallas Stars
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Detroit winning all three of the previous series. They last met in the 1998 Western Conference Final where Detroit won in six games. This was Detroit's second consecutive Conference Finals appearance; they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in six games in the previous year. Dallas last made the Conference Finals in 2000, where they defeated the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. Detroit won three of the four games during this year's regular season series.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Final, (1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (5) Dallas Stars
The Red Wings defeated the Stars in six games. Detroit scored three power-play goals as they took game one 4–1. Red Wings' goaltender Chris Osgood made 17 saves in game two to give Detroit a 2–1 win. Stars' forward Mike Ribeiro was assessed a match penalty at the end of game two for retaliating to an earlier stick infraction with a two-handed slash to Chris Osgood's chest; neither players were suspended. Detroit forward Pavel Datsyuk scored a hat-trick in game three for the Red Wings; while Osgood stopped 16 shots for the 5–2 win.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Conference Finals, Western Conference Final, (1) Detroit Red Wings vs. (5) Dallas Stars
Marty Turco made 33 saves as the Stars avoided elimination in game four winning 3–1. Turco continued his strong play for Dallas in game five as he stopped 38 shots in a 2–1 victory. The Red Wings used the strength of a three-goal first period in game six to eliminate the Stars and return to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2002.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals
This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Both teams won their last appearance in the Finals; Detroit defeated Carolina in five games in 2002, while Pittsburgh swept Chicago in four games in 1992. The teams did not play each other during this year's regular season.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Player statistics, Skaters
These are the top ten skaters based on points. If the list exceeds ten skaters because of a tie in points, all of the tied skaters are shown.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Player statistics, Skaters
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/– = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Player statistics, Goaltending
This is a combined table of the top five goaltenders based on goals against average and the top five goaltenders based on save percentage with at least 420 minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA, and the criteria for inclusion is bolded.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Player statistics, Goaltending
GP = Games Played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots Against; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; Sv% = Save Percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time On Ice (minutes:seconds)


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
National Canadian English-language coverage of the playoffs were split between the CBC and TSN, with the CBC holding exclusive rights to the Stanley Cup Finals. French-language telecasts were broadcast on RDS and RDS2. This marked the last season that all playoff games involving Canadian teams had to air on the CBC instead of TSN, even if it mean they had to be broadcast regionally. Under new contracts that would take effect in 2009, the CBC and TSN would began to select the rights to individual series using a draft-like setup, regardless if they involved Canadian teams.


2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, Television
In the United States, coverage was split between NBC and Versus. During the first three rounds, NBC primarily televised weekend afternoon games and Versus aired evening games. During the first and second round, excluding games exclusively broadcast on NBC, the regional rights holders of each participating U.S. team produced local telecasts of their respective games. Not all first and second round games were nationally televised, while the Conference Finals were exclusively broadcast on either NBC or Versus. Versus then aired games one and two of the Stanley Cup Finals while NBC televised the remainder of the series.


2008 Star Mazda Championship
The 2008 Star Mazda Championship was a season of the open wheel racing series the Star Mazda Championship. It consisted of a 12-race schedule beginning in March and ending in October, with only the best eleven race results counting towards the championship. As with 2007, the series featured races exclusively on road and street courses. In addition to the main championship that is typically tested by young, developing drivers, there were also additional class titles for older drivers.


2008 Star Mazda Championship
John Edwards won the championship ahead of Joel Miller and Peter Dempsey despite missing the first round of the championship. Edwards won four races, the same as Dempsey, but Dempsey had three finishes of 20th or worse, one of which counted in his points total, while Edwards worst points-scoring finish was 4th. Miller won only once, in the season opener. Noted British drivers Charles Hall and Tom Gladdis also participated in the series and finished fifth and sixth in points, respectively. Each won a single race. British driver Richard Kent won the final race of the season in his series debut, despite not being registered for the championship. Notable international female drivers Natalia Kowalska and Michele Bumgarner also competed in the series despite not being registered for the championship.


2008 Star Mazda Championship
Chris Cumming won the Expert class for drivers 30 and older and Chuck Hulse won the Masters class championship for drivers 40 and older.


2008 Star Mazda Championship, Championship standings, Driver's
Note: Expert and Masters classes have different point system than the overall championship.


2008 State of Origin series
The 2008 State of Origin series was the 27th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. At its commencement each side had won twelve Origin series with two series drawn.


2008 State of Origin series
Queensland's Mal Meninga was to coach against a former Canberra Raiders teammate in the Melbourne Storm's premiership-winning coach, Craig Bellamy who was to make his debut in charge of New South Wales against a number of his in-form Melbourne players. New South Wales took a 1-0 series lead with a convincing victory in Game I on 21 May 2008. After some key personnel changes, Queensland then achieved a record 30-point margin to win Game II on 11 June 2008 to level, and on 2 July won Game III 16 - 10 to take the series 2-1 and edge one ahead in the cumulative series tally.


2008 State of Origin series
The series marked Mal Meninga's third as Queensland coach and also his third consecutive series victory. Johnathan Thurston was judged the player of the series. The 2008 series also set new nationwide television audience records for State of Origin.


2008 State of Origin series, Game I
The New South Wales side came to Origin I well prepared by Craig Bellamy, brought in to coach against Meninga, who was captaining Canberra in the 1990 NSWRL season's Grand final victory when Bellamy played for them from the interchange bench. Six of Meninga's Maroons were members of Bellamy's club, the Melbourne Storm. Queensland were missing their injured captain and playmaker Darren Lockyer but were spoilt for choice for fullbacks with Melbourne's Billy Slater and the Broncos' Karmichael Hunt in tremendous season form. Maroons selectors opted to experiment with Hunt at five-eighth.


2008 State of Origin series, Game I
The Blues forwards ran at the Queensland playmakers and Cameron Smith and Hunt were forced to do a mountain of defence. Steady and deep kicks from Blues debutant Peter Wallace (a late call up to the side during the week following the withdrawal of Kurt Gidley) kept Slater returning from deep in his territory often without easy linkage to his wing supports.


2008 State of Origin series, Game I
Queensland took a long time to get out of first gear - Thurston's first kick of the night was low and travelled only 35 metres. The Blues however worked the ball through the hands with confidence and began to move it wide early. New South Wales played down their left hand side for the first two tries, both scored by debutante winger Anthony Quinn. One came through the hands with five-eighth Greg Bird, creating space via a cut out pass to Ryan Hoffman The other resulted from a well executed kick from Peter Wallace.


2008 State of Origin series, Game I
Queensland scored late in a first half almost devoid of penalties and errors and they made a better showing after half-time with a few breaks and by picking up on some New South Wales errors. However their efforts came to nothing in the face of an all round defensive effort from the Blues, including a number of try-saving and punishing tackles by try-scorer Quinn supported by his three-quarter teammate Matt Cooper.


2008 State of Origin series, Game I
Thurston lifted in the second-half and threatened with a number of well-paced grubber kicks in- behind but he was marked closely by the man-of-the-match Greg Bird and the vigilant defence of Ryan Hoffman who also kept Folau and Inglis well contained. Slater showed touches of brilliance but at times was outshone by Mark Gasnier who was dangerous all night and had a hand in two Blues tries. Hunt defended heroically throughout but every big tackle he made sapped something from his attacking spark. Eventually the Maroons ran out of steam and another Blues debutant in Anthony Laffranchi crossed in the 68th minute, taking the score to 18-4. Again at the death of the second half Queensland picked up another late try out wide through debutant Folau.


2008 State of Origin series, Game II
Queensland made ten positional-personnel changes for Origin II: Boyd debuted as Winger replacing Tate; Tate moved to Centre replacing Hodges (suspended on a tackling charge in the NRL round 11); Thurston moved to Five-eighth after Lockyer was again ruled out unfit after initially being named in the side; Prince was called into the side at Half-back, replacing Thurston; Thaiday moved to the interchange bench; Price back from injury as Prop replacing Webb (dropped); Hunt moved to fullback thus Slater replacing Marsh (dropped) on interchange; Myles swapped with Thaiday to second row; Harrison onto the interchange bench, replacing Lillyman (dropped).


2008 State of Origin series, Game II
New South Wales on the other hand made only four player changes: Turner debuted as winger replacing Hayne (suspended on a tackling charge in NRL round 11); Fitzgibbon moved to starting prop, replacing Cross (injured in game I); Simpson was moved onto the interchange bench for Fitzgibbon; Gidley (who had been named for game I, but suffered an eye injury in the club round prior) replacing Hornby who moved to 18th Man.


2008 State of Origin series, Game II
Darius Boyd on debut scored Queensland's first two tries, and with two penalty goals kicked by Thurston, Queensland held a 16–0 lead at half-time. Another penalty just after the break, then two further converted tries between the 65th and the 70th minute, made it 30–0 to Queensland.


2008 State of Origin series, Game II
Greg Inglis answered his critics from game I and spoke after the match of "getting one back on Gaz" (referring to having been outshone in game I by Mark Gasnier) with a blistering performance setting up both tries for Boyd from long range beating Gasnier and embarrassing the defence of Blues debutante Steve Turner in the process. The Queensland forwards were consistently up fast in defence and flustered New South Wales. Blues halves Greg Bird and Peter Wallace seemed at times bereft of attacking ideas and whilst Wallace had a reasonable kicking game, the control demonstrated by the pair in game I was not to be seen.


2008 State of Origin series, Game II
As predicted by the pre-match press, the Blues attack was aimed at Scott Prince wherever possible but he was ably assisted by Brent Tate, defending alongside him. Tate made thirty-three tackles in the game and regularly featured in attacking returns from loose play. Queensland were strong across the park with Johnathan Thurston shining, Israel Folau showing his class and veterans Steve Price and Petero Civoniceva giving tireless service.


2008 State of Origin series, Game II
For New South Wales, the only flawless performances were by captain Danny Buderus and fullback Brett Stewart, who pulled off a number of solo try-saving tackles. Otherwise the tables were completely turned from game I and Blues had no answers for a Maroons outfit this time perfectly prepared by coach Meninga. Queensland had levelled the series with a 30–0 win, only the second time in history that New South Wales were held scoreless.


2008 State of Origin series, Game II
The national TV audience peaked at 2.49 million viewers, which was a new record.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
Coming into the decider, Queensland's record at the venue (dating back to 1999) was 1 win, 11 losses and a draw.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
Queensland made no changes to their lineup for the decider while New South Wales made seven: Hayne returned from suspension and replaced Turner on the Wing; Cross, back from injury replaced Simpson; Anasta and Pearce formed a new halves pairing replacing the injured Bird and Wallace; Monaghan replaced Gasnier out with a back injury; Fitzgibbon moved to the Second-row and Mason to Prop.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
In starting, Danny Buderus beat two Blues standing records - Harragon's for consecutive matches and Fittler's for most games as captain. Much of the media build-up focused on the match being his state representative farewell, as well as Mitchell Pearce's debut and Braith Anasta's State of Origin comeback. Blues' utility Kurt Gidley had been shuffled at the last minute into the starting line-up over Brett Stewart, resulting in formal pre-match protest from Queensland. The decision to bench Stewart was perplexing, who was arguably the Blues' best in game 1 and 2.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
After one minute of Game III a tackle was made on New South Wales forward Ben Cross by the Queenslanders which sparked a brawl. A penalty was awarded to the Blues and Craig Fitzgibbon kicked it, putting NSW in front 2 - 0. In the fifth minute the Maroons were advancing on the Blues' line when Queensland halfback Scott Prince put a high kick up to the right corner which Bues winger Anthony Quinn failed to catch, allowing Israel Folau to grab the ball and simply fall over the try-line.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
Johnathan Thurston missed the conversion, leaving the score at 2 - 4 in favour of the Maroons. Ten minutes later Queensland were a man down after Prince's forearm was broken in a tackle and the New South Welshmen capitalised, working the ball up close to the Maroons' line and out to left centre Matt Cooper to stretch out through the defence and plant the ball. Fitzgibbon added the extras to give his team an 8 - 4 lead.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
In the twenty-second minute, the Queenslanders were again attacking close to the Blues' try-line when from in front of the posts Thurston put a kick up high and across to Folau's wing. Folau, coming through at speed, leapt above his opposite number to grab the ball and as he fell awkwardly back down, managed to ground it one-handed behind his head in what was a remarkable effort. The conversion was missed by Thurston so the scores were level at 8 - 8. A few minutes later, New South Wales hooker Danny Buderus ran from dummy half, catching the Maroons' defence off-side and gaining his team a penalty, which Fitzgibbon successfully kicked, giving the Blues a 10 - 8 lead. No more points were scored before half time.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
New South Wales started the second half with repeat sets of six in Queensland's half of the field. A loose ball in the Maroons' in-goal was dived on by Anasata, but the video referee found that it was a penalty to Queensland. The maroons' following set of six ended with another penalty to them in attacking position, with Thurston kicking the two points to level at 10 - 10.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
Queensland forward Nate Myles was lucky not to be sent off (but was later suspended for 6 weeks) for a tackle in the forty-eighth minute which upended Ben Cross and resulted in another minor scuffle and a penalty to the Blues, but the Maroons withstood NSW's attack. A few minutes later the game was halted when Queensland forward Michael Crocker was knocked out as Mitchell Pearce's attempted clearing kick sent the ball into the back of his head.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
Just at the sixty-seven minute mark Thurston, from within his own half, got the ball at first-receiver and threw a dummy, slicing through the defensive line before passing to Billy Slater running through in support to score the match-winning try under the posts. The conversion was simple and Queensland regained the lead at 10 - 16. In the final minutes the Blues attacked the Maroons' line repeatedly but could not break through and Queensland had won their third series in a row, replicating "three-peats" achieved in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1987, 1988, 1989.


2008 State of Origin series, Game III
The national TV audience peaked at more than 2.5 million, breaking the record set in the last game.


2008 State of the Union Address
The 2008 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, on Monday, January 28, 2008, at 9 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 110th United States Congress. It was Bush's seventh and final State of the Union Address and his eighth and final speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by Dick Cheney, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.


2008 State of the Union Address, Topics
The White House indicated beforehand that President Bush's speech would mention the following policies:


2008 State of the Union Address, Democratic response
In keeping with tradition of Democrats from red states giving the response, Governor of Kansas Kathleen Sebelius delivered the Democratic response from the Governor's Mansion in Topeka. It has been noted that she focused not on the usual Democratic rebuttal, but more so on the need to get past partisan politics to get the important legislation passed in a timely manner. She was picked by Democratic congressional leaders to make the response because of her ability to reach across partisan lines.


2008 State of the Union Address, Democratic response
Texas state Senator Leticia Van de Putte gave the Democratic response in Spanish.


2008 State of the Union Address, Libertarian response
Libertarian Party Chair William Redpath issued a written response to the State of the Union on behalf of the national Libertarian Party.


2008 State of the Union Address, Libertarian response
Steve Kubby, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential nomination, delivered his own "State of the Union address" via Internet video on January 25, 2008, three days before President Bush's speech. Framed as a preemption rather than merely a response, Kubby's speech attempted to predict the themes President Bush would strike and offered Kubby's own proposals in their stead.


2008 Stella Artois Championships – Doubles
Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor were the defending champions, but Knowles chose not to participate, and only Nestor competed that year. Nestor partnered with Nenad Zimonjić, and won in the final 6–4, 7–6(7–3), against Marcelo Melo and André Sá.


2008 Stella Artois Championships – Singles
Andy Roddick was the defending champion, but lost in the semifinals to Rafael Nadal.


2008 Stella Artois Championships – Singles
Rafael Nadal won in the final 7–6(8–6), 7–5, against Novak Djokovic. It was the first time since 1999 that neither Lleyton Hewitt nor Andy Roddick won the title.


2008 Stella Artois Championships – Singles, Seeds
The top eight seeds receive a bye into the second round.


2008 Ster Zeeuwsche Eilanden
The 2008 Rabo Ster Zeeuwsche Eilanden was the 11th edition of the Ster Zeeuwsche Eilanden, a women's cycling stage race in the Netherlands. It was rated by the UCI as a category 2.2 race and was held between 19 and 21 June 2008.


2008 Stevenage Borough Council election
Elections to Stevenage Council were held on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election; the seats which were last contested in 2004. The Labour Party stayed in overall control of the council.


2008 Stevenage Borough Council election
The election saw the Conservative party gain 3 seats but the Labour party remained firmly in control of the council.


2008 Stock Car Brasil season
The  2008 Copa Nextel Stock Car was the 30th Stock Car Brasil season. It began on April 13 at the Interlagos and ended on December 7 at the same circuit, after twelve rounds. This season Volkswagen announced the retired from the championship.


2008 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election
Elections to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council were held on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election. The Liberal Democrats held overall control of the council.


2008 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election, Summary
The following summary indicates the number of seats which are being defended by each party.


2008 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council election, Ward results, Brinnington and Central ward
A month after the election Councillor Chris Walker was charged with racist abuse of a police officer and suspended by the Liberal Democrats and served as an Independent councillor, he was found guilty in April 2010. Walker returned to the Lib Dems in November 2010. He declared himself Independent again in June 2011. He did not try to defend the seat at the May 2012 election.


2008 Stockton, California mayoral election
The 2008 Stockton, California mayoral election was held on June 3, 2008, and November 4, 2008, to elect the mayor of Stockton, California. It saw the election of Ann Johnston.


2008 Stoke-on-Trent City Council election
The 2008 Stoke-on-Trent City Council election for the Stoke-on-Trent City Council took place on 1 May 2008. One third of the council was up for election.


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour
The 2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour was a 75-date reunion tour for the  rock band Stone Temple Pilots, who originally disbanded in 2002. The tour, which kicked off on May 17, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio at the Rock on the Range festival, ran throughout the summer and ended on October 31 at the Verizon Wireless Center in Pelham, Alabama. The Stone Temple Pilots reunion tour was a success, receiving positive reviews from critics and fans alike as well as high ticket sales. At one point, the Stone Temple Pilots tour was ranked at #1 on Pollstar's "Top 50" list. According to Rolling Stone, the band sold an average of $230,000 of tickets a night.


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour, Tour history
After Stone Temple Pilots broke up in 2002, the members formed different side projects; lead singer Scott Weiland formed the supergroup Velvet Revolver with former members of Guns N' Roses, and brothers Robert (bass) and Dean DeLeo (guitar) were in the short-lived band Army of Anyone. Drummer Eric Kretz kept a low-profile, operating out of his own studio, Bombshelter Studios, in Los Angeles. Army of Anyone announced its breakup in 2007 and Weiland left Velvet Revolver on April 1, 2008.


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour, Tour history
According to Dean DeLeo, steps toward a reunion started with a simple phone call from Weiland's then-wife, Mary Forsberg. She would later invite the DeLeo brothers to play at a private beach party, which led to the reconciliation of Weiland and the DeLeo brothers. In 2007 Dean DeLeo discussed with Weiland an offer from a concert promoter to headline several summer festivals. Weiland accepted and said he had cleared the brief tour with his Velvet Revolver bandmates. Weiland said "everything was cool. Then it wasn't", and stated that the rest of the band stopped talking to him. As a result, Weiland announced in the middle of a Velvet Revolver show on March 21, 2008 in Glasgow that it would be his last performance with the group.


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour, Tour history
Stone Temple Pilots first show since 2002 was at a private show on April 7 at Harry Houdini's estate outside of Los Angeles. The band performed for a second time on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 1, and officially kicked off the tour on May 17 in Columbus.


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour, Tour history
Despite several positive reviews regarding the tour from fans and critics, there were some negative reviews regarding Scott Weiland's performance at the PNC Bank Arts Center on May 31 in New Jersey. The band was over an hour late onstage, and an intoxicated Weiland mumbled some lyrics and almost lost his balance. He even apologized to his band mates for "messing up".


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour, Tour history
Due to the death of his father, Eric Kretz did not play with the band for a few shows in October. Ray Luzier, current drummer for Korn and former drummer for Army of Anyone, filled in on drums. Kretz returned for the last few dates of the tour.


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour, Tour history, Tampa Show Incident
STP had to postpone their performance for the Ford Amphitheatre show (August 22, 2008). The second opening act, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, played an extended set to push time for STP, ending at 9:30 pm. It wasn't until 10:30 that it was announced the show had been canceled due to the band's inability to make it to the venue as a result of Tropical Storm Fay.


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour, Tour history, Tampa Show Incident
Some fans accused the band of canceling due to Weiland not showing up, claiming that they had seen the other members of the band at the venue before it was announced that they were unable to travel. Also, the storm cited as the reason for the cancellation was already well to the north of the route the band would have taken to make it to Tampa from the previous show in Ft. Lauderdale.


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour, Tour history, Setlist
Not every single show had the same setlist, but all of STP's "hits" were played nightly, with the song "Big Empty" opening every show, except during the Virgin Mobile Festival in Baltimore where the band opened with "Vasoline". The hits "Dead and Bloated" and "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" were traditionally the tour's two encore songs, with the band's other hits, deep cuts, and covers played throughout each night's setlist. STP also covered artists such as Queen, The Beatles and Bob Marley on the tour.


2008 Stone Temple Pilots Reunion Tour, Tour history, Setlist
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Pixies singer Black Francis, Meat Puppets, The Secret Machines, Tommy Joe Wilson, (artist signed to Weiland's label Softdrive Records) and 10 Years were the opening bands on the tour. The band came onstage to the song "Manhattan Rumble" by Electric Light Orchestra at the beginning of each performance on the tour.


2008 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election
The 2008 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Stratford-on-Avon District Council in Warwickshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.


2008 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election, Background
Before the election the Conservatives had a 21-seat majority with 37 councillors, as compared to 14 for the Liberal Democrats and 2 independents. 19 seats were being contested in the election, which was expected to be fought mainly between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.


2008 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election, Election result
The results saw the Liberal Democrats make 5 gains to reduce the Conservatives majority on the council. 3 of the gains for the Liberal Democrats came in the wards of Stratford-upon-Avon itself, along with 2 in Harbury and Shipston. Meanwhile, the one independent councillor who was up for election, Kim James, successfully held his seat in Bidford and Salford ward, defeating the Liberal Democrat candidate by 185 votes.


2008 Stratford-on-Avon District Council election, Election result
The losses for the Conservatives were one of the worst performances by the party in the 2008 local elections, in contrast to the national picture where they made strong gains. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg described the Stratford election as "an excellent result".


2008 Stroud District Council election
The 2008 Stroud Council election took place on 1 May 2008 to elect members of Stroud District Council in Gloucestershire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.


2008 Stroud District Council election, Background
Before the election the council had 31 Conservative, 9 Labour, 5 Green, 4 Liberal Democrat and 2 independents. 61 candidates stood for the 17 seats that were being contested, with the Green party contesting every seat for the first time. Councillors standing down at the election included Conservative Sue Fellows and the Labour party's Hilary Fowles and Mattie Ross.


2008 Stroud District Council election, Election result
The results saw the Conservatives stay in control with 31 seats, after both gaining and losing 2 seats, while increasing their vote share to 51%. The Conservatives gained the seats of Dursley and Stonehouse from Labour, after the sitting Labour councillors had stood down, reducing Labour to 7 seats. However the Conservatives also lost Nailsworth by 28 votes to the Greens and Wotton-under-Edge by 25 votes to the Liberal Democrats. This meant the Greens went up to 6 seats and the Liberal Democrats up to 5 seats, while there remained 2 independents who had not defended seats in the election. Turnout in the election varied from a high of 50.03% in Painswick to a low of 33% in Cainscross.


2008 Stroud District Council election, Election result
The local Labour Member of Parliament David Drew blamed the defeats for Labour on "general disillusionment with the Government" and the issues of government assistance after the 2007 floods and the abolition of the 10 pence income tax rate.


2008 Studénka train wreck
On 8 August 2008, at approximately 10:30 local time (8:30 UTC), EuroCity train EC 108 Comenius, en route from Kraków, Poland, to Prague, Czech Republic, struck a part of a motorway bridge that had fallen onto the railroad track near the Studénka railway station in the Czech Republic. The train derailed, killing eight people and injuring 64.


2008 Studénka train wreck, Crash
The motorway bridge near Studénka railroad station was undergoing repairs that were to last until September 2008. On 8 August the workers were putting a beam to span between the two supports on the sides of the railroad track. Parts of the beam fell onto the track when the train was 452 metres (1,483 ft) away, approaching the bridge at around 135 km/h (84 mph). The driver noticed the iron bridge structure swaying and immediately engaged the emergency brake and escaped from the control cab to the engine room, which is much better protected against impact. This behaviour was later recognized by the Czech Railways inspectors as exactly what drivers should do in this kind of situation. It was said that there is a very high probability that this conduct saved his life.


2008 Studénka train wreck, Crash
The train struck the obstacle within just a few seconds, by which time the train had slowed to 90 km/h (56 mph). The locomotive and four carriages derailed after the impact; the carriage coupled directly behind the locomotive sustained the most damage. Six other carriages, among them the restaurant carriage, remained on the track. Three freight vans on another track were also derailed. At the time of the accident, there were approximately 400 people on board the train, 105 of them of Polish nationality. There was also a group of people travelling to an Iron Maiden concert in Prague.


2008 Studénka train wreck, Rescue operation
Since the accident happened during the day and there were people present in the proximity of the track, the rescue units were notified about the situation almost instantly. The first rescue unit, which consisted of firefighters stationed in Studénka, arrived at the accident site only seven minutes after the alarm was issued. There were a total of 20 firefighter rescue units (altogether 100 firefighters and 40 firefighter engines) rescuing the passengers. Twenty ambulances together with helicopters transported the injured into all the nearest hospitals in Ostrava, Nový Jičín, Frýdek-Místek, Opava, Bílovec, Olomouc and Valašské Meziříčí.


2008 Studénka train wreck, Rescue operation
Thanks to cooperation within the Integrated rescue system (Integrovaný záchranný systém), all the injured were in the hospitals within two hours of the accident. Polish authorities offered help with the rescue operation immediately when notified about the disaster, but the offer was not accepted as Czech rescue services did not consider it necessary.


2008 Studénka train wreck, Criticism
Immediately after the accident there was a great public uproar about finding the culprits. First accused was the Czech Railways company for letting trains travel at relatively high speeds in the construction area. However, the Czech Railways spokesman stated that the building company had not notified the Czech Railways about the ongoing reconstruction of the bridge. The building company Dopravní stavby Ostrava was also accused of being responsible for the accident. The spokesman for the company stated that the causes of the falling bridge parts onto the track were being investigated and that all the compulsory notifications to the Czech Railways about the reconstruction of the bridge had definitely been issued.


2008 Studénka train wreck, Aftermath
Two Czech men, three Czech women and a Polish woman were killed in the crash, while the seventh victim, a young Ukrainian man, died later in hospital. The eighth fatality, a 21-year-old Polish woman, died two months after the disaster on 26 September.


2008 Studénka train wreck, Aftermath
The cost of the damage was estimated at 136 million CZK (5.6 million Euros, 8.4 million US dollars), according to a Czech Rail Safety Inspection Office announcement. The Czech Railways company promised to pay compensation to everyone injured as well as to families of the dead. The amount of money paid would then vary depending on individual circumstances of every case.


2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500
The 2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500 was the eighth race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup season and ran on Saturday, April 12 at Phoenix International Raceway for 312 laps in Avondale, Arizona. The race was broadcast on television by Fox starting at 8:53 PM US EDT, and broadcast via radio and Sirius Satellite Radio on the Motor Racing Network beginning at 7:45 PM US EDT.


2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500, Qualifying
Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman won the pole position, the 34th of his career. Elliott Sadler started on the outside. Kyle Petty and John Andretti failed to qualify.


2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500, The race
The outcome of this race was determined largely on fuel mileage strategy. Based on crew chief Chad Knaus' calculations, Jimmie Johnson stayed out late in the race while leaders Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Mark Martin entered their pits. Johnson held on for the win while Clint Bowyer finished second.


2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500, The race
Jeff Burton climbed from 39th starting position to a sixth-place finish and retained his lead in points.


2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500, Yankees / Red Sox coverage
Coverage of the pre-race was interrupted when Fox switched over to cover the remaining New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox baseball game which had been delayed due to rain. Fox then switched back to the race as the cars were on the dogleg just after the start. The final two pitches of the game were shown on the cable / satellite channel FX leaving some baseball fans confused. Fox was contractually required to show the entire race on its broadcast network.


2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500, Yankees / Red Sox coverage
NASCAR fans were upset that the network did not show the invocation and national anthem, especially as it was realized that the game was shown on both Fox and FX, in a simulcast, for about 10 minutes. Theoretically, the baseball game could have continued on Fox and the pre-race ceremonies would have been seen on FX, but parent company News Corporation chose not to use that option.


2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500, Yankees / Red Sox coverage
This is the first known occurrence in the history in American sports television that a network missed both the ending of one event (similar to the Heidi Game, except that there was an option to see the remainder of it) and the beginning of another.


2008 Subway Fresh Fit 500, Yankees / Red Sox coverage
On the Speed Channel rebroadcast later that week, the start of the race was shown, in real time, from Brett Bodine pulling the pace car to pit road, and Fox analyst Larry McReynolds waving the green flag, all the way through the entire first lap. It is evident in that replay that the broadcast started on the backstretch as the graphics package did not appear until the cars were on the dogleg.


2008 Sudan Premier League
The 2008 Sudan Premier League was the 37th edition of the highest club level football competition in Sudan. The competition started on February 21 with Al-Ittihad (Wad Medani) 1-0 win over Amal Atbara, and concluded on November 17 with 1-1 draw between Al-Hilal Omdurman and Al-Merreikh. Al-Merreikh were crowned champions.


2008 Sugar Bowl
The 2008 Allstate Sugar Bowl was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) for the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was the 74th Sugar Bowl. It was played on January 1, 2008, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.


2008 Sugar Bowl
Because the SEC champion (LSU) was slated to participate in the BCS National Championship Game, the number-five Georgia Bulldogs were selected to host the number-ten, WAC champion Hawaii Warriors, the last undefeated major college football team going into the bowl season.


2008 Sugar Bowl
The Warriors were only the third team not in any of the six BCS conferences (not counting major independent Notre Dame) to play in a BCS game. Boise State qualified for the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, and Utah made the same game two years earlier. Both teams won their respective games.


2008 Sugar Bowl
The final result was less exciting than the build-up, as Georgia earned an easy 41-10 win. It was already a one-sided affair at halftime with a 24-3 score and it was 41-3 at one point early in the 4th. The closest Hawaii got was 7-3 after a Dan Kelly field goal.


2008 Sugar Bowl, Aftermath
With Hawaii's defeat, the 2007-08 college football season ended with no undefeated teams, something that had not happened since the 2003-04 season. This is also the second time in the BCS era that this has occurred.


2008 Sugar Bowl, Aftermath
Georgia DE Marcus Howard was named the MVP of the Sugar Bowl Game, the first time in its history that a purely defensive player has received the honor.


2008 Sugar Bowl, Aftermath
With the win, Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt became the first head coach in Georgia history to win more than one Sugar Bowl (his previous victory was over Florida State University following the 2002 season). Vince Dooley and Wally Butts won one Sugar Bowl each, with Dooley's only win securing the 1980 National Championship. Dooley lost four other Sugar Bowl games.


2008 Sugar Bowl, Aftermath
On January 8, Hawaii Head Coach June Jones left Hawaii to become the head coach at Southern Methodist University. He signed a five-year contract.


2008 Sukma Games
The 2008 Sukma Games, officially known as the 12th Sukma Games was a Malaysian multi-sport event held in Terengganu from 31 May to 9 June 2008. Selangorian swimmer Foo Jian Beng and Sarawakian swimmer Marellyn Liew were announced as Best Sportsman and Best Sportswoman of the event respectively.


2008 Sukma Games, Development and preparation
The 12th Sukma Games Organising Committee was formed to oversee the staging of the event.


2008 Sukma Games, Development and preparation, Venues
The 2008 Sukma Games used a mix of new and existing venues. Some venues were existing public-sporting facilities, while others were newly constructed venues. Some retrofitting work were done in venues which are more than a decade old. They were revert to public use after the games.


2008 Sukma Games, Development and preparation, Venues
At the centrepiece of the activities was the newly built Gong Badak Sports Complex. Incorporating the 50,000-seat Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, it hosts most of the events. A games village was not built, instead athletes and officials were housed in universities across Terengganu. Besides being physically near to the competition venues, it was hoped that it will add vibe to the host cities and reduce post-games costs in converting a dedicated games village to other uses.


2008 Sukma Games, Development and preparation, Venues
The 12th Sukma Games had 32 venues for the games, 18 in Kuala Terengganu, 3 each in Hulu Terengganu and Kemaman respectively and 2 each in Besut, Dungun, Marang and Setiu respectively.


2008 Sukma Games, Marketing, Logo
The logo of the 2008 Sukma Games is an image of a 'T' letter, which is the initial of the host state of the Sukma Games, Terengganu. The logo consists of four colors which are black, red, blue and yellow. Black represents Terengganu, the host state of the 2008 Sukma Games, Red represents the fighting spirit of the athletes in achieving victory, Blue represents unity and Terengganu as a coastal state and yellow represents the people involved in the 2008 Sukma Games and Terengganu as a constitutional monarchy state.


2008 Sukma Games, Marketing, Mascot
The official mascot of the 2008 Sukma Games is an Ocellaris Clownfish named Si Diman. It is said that the clownfish is a bisexual fish found in the waters of the islands off the coast of Terengganu. The adoption of the clownfish as the games' mascot is to relate its active and aggressive characters to that of the athletes participated at the games. The smile on the mascot's face represents the joy the games bring to the people. The mascot's name Diman is an abbreviation of the honorific host state of the games, Terengganu, Darul Iman which means Abode of Faith.


2008 Sukma Games, Marketing, Songs
The theme song of the games is "Sukma Dua Belas Terengganu 2008" (The 12th Sukma Games Terengganu 2008).


2008 Sukma Games, Broadcasting
Radio Televisyen Malaysia was responsible for live streaming of several events, opening and closing ceremony of the games.


2008 Sulawesi earthquake
The 2008 Sulawesi earthquake struck Sulawesi, Indonesia, on 16 November at 17:02:31 UTC. A 7.4 Mw earthquake, it was followed by seven aftershocks higher than 5.0 Mw . Tsunami warnings were issued for the region, but later cancelled. Four people were killed in the quake and 59 injured.


2008 Sulawesi earthquake, Effects
The earthquake caused four fatalities and nearly 60 injuries. Over 700 houses were destroyed, and several buildings collapsed, one of which killed a man in the city of Gorontalo. The assessment of damage in rural areas with unreliable communication led officials to believe that the extent of the damage was greater than their initial evaluations.


2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
The 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was the 17th edition of field hockey tournament the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.


2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Statistics, Goalscorers
There were 112 goals scored in 24 matches, for an average of 4.67 goals per match.


2008 Sultan Qaboos Cup
The 2008 Sultan Qaboos Cup was the 36th edition of the Sultan Qaboos Cup (Arabic: كأس السلطان قابوس), the premier knockout tournament for football teams in Oman.


2008 Sultan Qaboos Cup
The competition began on 26 August 2008 with the Group Stage and concluded on 15 December 2008. Sur SC were the defending champions, having won their third title in 2007. On Monday 15 December 2008, Al-Suwaiq Club were crowned the champions of the 2008 Sultan Qaboos Cup when they defeated Al-Nahda Club 1–0, hence winning the title for the first time.


2008 Sultan Qaboos Cup, Teams
This year the tournament had 27 teams. The winners qualified for the 2009 AFC Cup.


2008 Sultan Qaboos Cup, Group stage, Group Stage Results
The first match played was between Al-Tali'aa SC and Nizwa Club on 26 August 2008. 8 teams advanced to the Round of 16 and joined the other 8 teams who were pre-qualified.


2008 Sultan Qaboos Cup, Round of 16
16 teams played a knockout tie. 8 ties were played over two legs. The first match was played between Ja'lan SC and Muscat Club on 5 October 2008. 8 teams advanced to the Quarterfinals.


2008 Sultan Qaboos Cup, Quarterfinals
8 teams played a knockout tie. 4 ties were played over two legs. The first match was played between Al-Nasr S.C.S.C. and Al-Tali'aa SC on 30 October 2008. Al-Tali'aa SC, Al-Oruba SC, Al-Nahda Club and Al-Suwaiq Club qualified for the Semifinals.


2008 Sultan Qaboos Cup, Semifinals
4 teams played a knockout tie. 2 ties were played over two legs. The first match was played between Al-Nahda Club and Al-Oruba SC on 24 November 2008. Al-Nahda Club and Al-Suwaiq Club qualified for the finals.


2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (Chinese: 2008年夏季奥运会; pinyin: Liǎng qiān bā Nián Xiàjì Àoyùnhuì), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (Chinese: 第二十九届夏季奥林匹克运动会; pinyin: Dì Èrshíjiǔ Jiè Xiàjì Àolínpǐkè Yùndònghuì) and also known as Beijing 2008 (Chinese: 北京2008; pinyin: Běijīng èr líng líng bā), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008 in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 28 sports and 302 events, one event more than those scheduled for the 2004 Summer Olympics.


2008 Summer Olympics
It marked the first time China had hosted the Olympic Games, and the third time the Summer Olympic Games had been held in East Asia, following the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. These were also the second Summer Olympic Games to be held in a communist state, the first being 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union (present day Russia).


2008 Summer Olympics
Beijing was awarded the 2008 Games over four competitors on 13 July 2001, having won a majority of votes from members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after two rounds of voting. The Government of the People's Republic of China promoted the 2008 Games and invested heavily in new facilities and transport systems. 37 venues were used to host the events, including twelve constructed specifically for the 2008 Games. The equestrian events were held in Hong Kong, making these the third Olympics for which the events were held under the jurisdiction of two different NOCs. The sailing events were contested in Qingdao, while the football events took place across several different cities.


2008 Summer Olympics
The official logo for the 2008 Games, titled "Dancing Beijing "(舞动北京), created by Guo Chunning (郭春宁), featured the Chinese character for capital (京, stylized into the shape of a human being) in reference to the host city. The 2008 Olympics were watched by 3.5 billion people worldwide, and featured the longest distance for an Olympic Torch relay. The 2008 Games also set numerous world and Olympic records, and were the most expensive Summer Olympics of all time, and the second most expensive overall, after the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi. The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and numerous international presses as spectacular, spellbinding, and by many accounts, "the greatest ever in the history of Olympics". Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, making it the first city ever to host both the Summer and Winter Games.


2008 Summer Olympics
An unprecedented 87 countries won at least one medal during the 2008 Games. Host nation China won the most gold medals (48), and became the seventh different team to top an overall Summer Olympics medal tally, winning a total of 100 medals overall. The United States placed second in the gold medal tally but won the highest number of medals overall (112). The third place in the gold medal tally was achieved by Russia.


2008 Summer Olympics
These also became the first Olympic Games involving Montenegro and Serbia (as a separated states in 2006) and Nepal (as a republic, also in 2006), as well as the last Olympic Games involving Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (dissolved in 2011) and Netherlands Antilles (dissolved in 2010). These games saw the return of the Summer Olympics to Asia after 22 years, the last being 1988 in Seoul.


2008 Summer Olympics, Organization, Bid
Beijing was elected as the host city for the 2008 Summer Olympics on 13 July 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, defeating bids from Toronto, Paris, Istanbul, and Osaka. Prior to the session, five other cities (Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville) had submitted bids to the IOC, but failed to make the short list chosen by the IOC Executive Committee in 2000. After the first round of voting, Beijing held a significant lead over the other four candidates. Osaka received only six votes and was eliminated. In the second round, Beijing was supported by a majority of voters, eliminating the need for subsequent rounds. Toronto's bid was its fifth failure since 1960 (failed bids for 1960, 1964, 1976 and 1996 Games, losing to Rome, Tokyo, Montreal and Atlanta).


2008 Summer Olympics, Organization, Bid
Members of the IOC did not disclose their votes, but news reports speculated that broad international support led to China's selection, especially from developing nations that had received assistance from China to construct stadiums. The size of China, its increased enforcement of doping controls, and sympathy concerning its loss of the 2000 Summer Olympics to Sydney were all factors in the decision. Eight years earlier, Beijing had led every round of voting for the 2000 Summer Olympics before losing to Sydney by two votes in the final round.


2008 Summer Olympics, Organization, Bid
Human rights concerns expressed by Amnesty International and politicians in both Europe and the United States were considered by the delegates, according to IOC Executive Director François Carrard. Carrard and others suggested that the selection might lead to improvements in human rights in China. In addition, many IOC delegates who had formerly been athletes expressed concern about heat and air quality during the Games, considering the high levels of air pollution in Beijing. China outlined plans to address these environmental concerns in its bid application.


2008 Summer Olympics, Organization, Costs
The Oxford Olympics Study 2016 estimates the outturn cost of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics at US$6.8 billion in 2015-dollars and cost overrun at 2% in real terms. This includes sports-related costs only, that is, (i) operational costs incurred by the organizing committee to stage the Games, e.g., expenditures for technology, transportation, workforce, administration, security, catering, ceremonies, and medical services, and (ii) direct capital costs incurred by the host city and country or private investors to build the competition venues, the Olympic village, international broadcast center, and media and press center, which are required to host the Games.


2008 Summer Olympics, Organization, Costs
Indirect capital costs are not included, such as for road, rail, or airport infrastructure, or for hotel upgrades or other business investment incurred in preparation for the Games but not directly related to staging the Games. The Beijing Olympics' cost of US$6.8 billion compares with costs of US$4.6 billion for Rio 2016 and US$15 billion for London 2012. The average cost for the Summer Games since 1960 is US$5.2 billion.


2008 Summer Olympics, Organization, Costs
On 6 March 2009, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games reported that total spending on the Games was "generally as much as that of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games", which was equivalent to about US$15 billion. They went on to claim that surplus revenues from the Games would exceed the original target of $16 million. Other reports, however, estimated the total costs from $40 to $44 billion, which would make the Games "far and away the most expensive ever".