I'll Have Another Wins Another Triple Crown Race

Photo Credit: Matt Slocum/AP Photo

There's just something about horse racing that gets the heart pumping. You cheer on a horse and jockey you had likely never heard of before. I saw myself doing it as I watched the Preakness today. When I sat down to watch the Kentucky Derby less than two weeks ago, I had never heard of I'll Have Another. He was just another racehorse to me. The name Mario Gutierrez didn't ring a bell. He was just another short jockey to me. But then as I watched the Kentucky Derby, I saw Gutierrez masterfully guide his horse through the pack, eventually into the lead, and finally to victory. I gained the desire to know more about the horse, his jockey, and his trainer. I wanted to know their stories. That it what inspired my post-Kentucky Derby post about them. That is the reason I knew that no matter what, I would be cheering for I'll Have Another when it came time for the Preakness.

The day for the Preakness came today. I settled down in my recliner, hoping to see yet another beautifully executed run by Gutierrez and his horse. Today's race began much the same as the Derby with Bodemeister taking a substantial lead early. I'll Have Another stayed with the pack in fourth out of 11-horse field. Round the bend the came and into the straight away. Gutierrez began to make his move. Into second sprinted I'll Have Another, gaining on Bodemeister. Call me a doubter, but I didn't think there was enough time left for I'll Have Another to take the lead. On the edge of my seat, I watched intently as I'll Have Another did take the lead within a hair of the wire to win by a neck.

Now, we know what this means. Triple Crown watch: Kentucky Derby: 1st, Preakness: 1st, Belmont: still to come. I'll Have Another is the most recent to have a shot at the illusive Triple Crown. Of course, no horse has won the coveted honor since Affirmed in 1978. Since then, eleven horses have won the first two legs, but come up short in the Belmont Stakes. Belmont is the longest of the three races at 1 1/2 miles, which has earned it the name, "Test of the Champion." One thing to consider is that Bodemeister's trainer Bob Baffert has announced that his horse will not run at Belmont. With his obvious rival out of the way, buzz is quickly growing around I'll Have Another. People have been waiting decades for this. I know I will be cheering for him come June 9th. There's just something in you that wants to see history accomplished before your eyes. Now all that remains to be seen is if I'll Have Another has another dramatic win for us come June.

Here is a link to a video if you want to see the race yourself: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7950296

Lundqvist Shines as Rangers Shutout Devils

Henrik Lundqvist stood in front of the net during a brief intermission. The Swede shrugged his shoulders as he sighed, trying to calm his nerves. The Statue of Liberty painted on the side of his helmet bounced the light from the Prudential Center onto the ice. There were still two and a half minutes left, and Lundqvist knew the game of hockey too well to assume the victory already belonged to the Rangers.

And then his captain buried an empty-net goal to salt away the victory. 3-0 Rangers, with a 2-1 series lead.


http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20112012,3,313


It's hard to think of a playoff series that has had this combination of goaltending skill, defensive sacrifice, and offensive chances from both teams every single night. New York's Henrik Lundqvist has been incredible--two shutouts in three playoff games. After Game 3, he is averaging only 1 goal against per game (and all three of the Devil's goals came in Game 2). Martin Brodeur has been just as fun to watch; as the legendary Mike Emerick said, "We've seen two lobsters and a scorpion" in reference to Brodeur's sprawling saves throughout the series.

Unfortunately for Brodeur, all his saves mean nothing if New Jersey can't score.

His coach knows that. Coach Peter DeBoer answered a reporter's question shortly and succinctly in his post-game press conference, when asked what he'd like to see different from the past game.

"Score a goal," said DeBoer, without waiting for the reporter to finish the question.

As DeBoer went on to point out, the Devils have had plenty of opportunities to score. And just look at the names on this team: Parise, Zubrus, Kovalchuck...and the list could go on. But there is still one name that has made the difference in the scoring.

Unfortunately for the Devils, that name is "Henrik Lundqvist." And unless the Devils can find a way to solve the Swedish goaltender, New York will be heading back to Madison Square Garden with a 3-1 series lead.

Kerry Wood Retires After Throwing One Last K

Photo Credit: Fred Jewell/AP Photo

May 6, 1998. Despite being only 20 years old, Kerry Wood struck out 20 hitters in a complete game shutout win against the Houston Astros. Many baseball fans and experts believe it was the greatest game every pitched. In just his fifth major league start, Wood stuck out 20 of the 27 batters he faced. Furthermore, the Astros had a tough lineup to get through back then. The Astros did manage one infield single, and Wood hit a batter, so it wasn't a perfect game or no-hitter. But this was a different type of dominance. This wasn't luck or pure chance. No, this was a whole new level of dominance. The Astros hitters didn't stand a chance. The game earned Wood the nickname "Kid K."

The problem was that Wood's health couldn't sustain that effort. Wood through across his body when he pitched, and experts predicted an injury would come as a result. That rookie season he threw eight games of 120+ pitches. Sure enough, Wood's elbow required Tommy John surgery the next spring. Wood made a recovery, but his stuff was never as dominant ever again. In 2003, he made the All-Star team and led the National League in strikeouts. The Cubs won the division that season. Wood pitched a gem in Game 5 of the divisional series against the Atlanta Braves. Wood started Game 7 of the NLCS against the Florida Marlins, with the Cubs one win away from a shot at the illusive World Series. Unfortunately, Wood seemed to run out of steam, and the Cubs lost the game.

Wood declined further after that. He got injured again and was finally relegated to the bullpen. He eventually left the Cubs and took on bullpen stints with the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees, before returning to the Cubs. Sources revealed Friday that Wood would make one last appearance before retiring. Wood got the call in the eighth inning of this afternoon's matinee against the Chicago White Sox. Wood faced one batter, Dayan Viciedo, and lived up to his nickname. He struck him out swinging and knew that was the way he wanted to go out. The Wrigley faithful gave him a standing ovation. They had watched the Kid who dominated like no other. They knew he left everything he had on that pitching mound. Wood shook hands with his teammates, tipped his hat to the crowd, and embraced his son, who had run onto the field. Kid K went out just the way it seemed he ought to.

Larry Bird's Journey from Poverty to Basketball Legend

Photo Credit: Allison Joyce/Reuters

Larry Bird's beginning was humble. They called him the Hick from French Lick after all. He grew up in a poverty stricken family in one of the poorest areas of rural Indiana. His father was an alcoholic, who committed suicide while Larry was in high school. He was an awkward-looking white boy trying to play a sport that had quickly become dominated by more athletic African Americans.

His talent couldn't be denied though, so Bob Knight gave him a chance to come play at Indiana University. Bird quickly became overwhelmed and dropped out of school. He recalled the experience as, "It didn't take me long to realize that I was out of my cocoon." Bird ended up finding a more comfortable place to play, Indiana State. He somehow managed to turn the Sycamores into a national championship contender. This is also where his rivalry with another legend, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, began.

Both went to the NBA, where Bird joined the Boston Celtics and Magic became a Los Angeles Laker. The duo led their respective teams to countless showdowns in what is considered to be one of the greatest rivalries in the history of sports. These are just a few of Bird's accolades he achieved as a player: NBA Rookie of the Year (1980), nine-time All-NBA First Team (1980-88), three-time NBA MVP (1984-86), three-time NBA champion (1981, '84, '86), and elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1998).

In 1997, Bird agreed to return to his home state and coach the Indiana Pacers. He promised to be on the job no longer than three years, and that is exactly what he did. Despite having no prior coaching experience, Bird led the Pacers to a 58-24 record in his first season and was awarded NBA Coach of the Year honors. His team made it to the conference finals that year and the next. His team the third and final season made it to the NBA Finals, before losing to the Lakers.

In 2003, Bird returned to the Pacers, this time as as team president. The organization appeared to be headed in the right direction, until a franchise-changing brawl in 2004 rocked the franchise. Bird spent the next several seasons gutting his rosters and going through coaching change after coaching change. On the court, the Pacers sputtered along in mediocrity. Bird was forced to take middling (and often criticized) first-round picks like Danny Granger (17th overall), Roy Hibbert (17th), Tyler Hansbrough (13th), and Paul George (10th).

Last season, Bird decided to fire head coach Jim O'Brien midway through the season and put unproven assistant, Frank Vogel in charge. Vogel led the Pacers to the playoffs, and Bird rewarded him with the head coaching gig. While many executives whined and complained during a strike-lengthened offseason, Bird looked to complete his overhaul. Despite only having small-market resources, Bird looked to make moves that would help make his team a contender right away, but also build for the future. In the draft, he acquired George Hill from the San Antonio Spurs for three players. Hill, a local fan favorite, was just the type of point guard Vogel needed to run his offense.

Next, Bird signed the veteran leader he needed in big man David West. West, a former All-Star, was coming off knee surgery, which lowered the asking price. His quiet demeanor and consistent play was exactly what the Pacers needed. Then, he acquired center Louis Amundson from the Golden State Warriors for Brandon Rush. Bird realized the value of having front-court depth and that's exactly what Amundson provided.

Finally, Bird made his trade deadline move with the Toronto Raptors, getting the fiery Brazilian guard Leandro Barbosa for a future second-round pick and cash. Barbosa, a natural scorer, became the perfect compliment for fellow guard Darren Collison off the bench. Since April 1, the completed Pacers team has gone 18-5, including 6-2 in the playoffs.

Speaking of those playoffs, these Pacers just beat the "world-class" Miami Heat tonight for the second time in three days by the resounding mark of 94-75. Their defense has left LeBron James "tired" and Dwayne Wade looking flat out silly. They are two wins from pulling off the supposedly "impossible." Meanwhile, Bird was awarded NBA Executive of the Year.

Bird's response to the honor was, "This is an honor for the Indiana Pacers, not an award for Larry Bird. Everyone in this franchise put in a lot of work and showed a lot of patience as we have tried to get this team to a level on and off the court the fans of Indiana can be proud of. You always believe, and hope, the players you get will fit into a plan, and I'm very proud of what our guys and our coaches have accomplished so far this year."

Larry Bird remains as humble as ever. Despite how others want to lavish him with honors, he wants to thank those around him and please the fans. Bird happens to be the only man ever to be named the league's top coach, executive, and MVP. Not bad for a poor white boy from a little town in the cornfields of Indiana. Bird just keeps continuing his legacy of basketball legend for more and more to marvel at over the years.

Devils Beat Rangers 3-2, Tie Series

The penalty box door wasn't the only thing that frustrated the Rangers on Wednesday night.

Shots went off the goalpost. Shots went through the crease. And on a last, desperate attempt with no time left, shots were blocked from making it to the front of the net. Brodeur flipped the puck in the air, the buzzer sounded, and the New Jersey Devils tied the series.


It was a game that had much of the same feel as Game 1 in Madison Square Garden. Chances on both ends, displays of both offensive and defensive talent, and long shifts of non-stop action.

Ilya Kovalchuk opened the scoring in the first period for New Jersey, beating Henrik Lundqvist for the first time in the series. The Devils would get another chance late in the period, but it would be tipped just wide of the Swedish goaltender.

The Rangers broke through Martin Brodeur in the second period. Brodeur had robbed New York just moments before, until a shot from the point ricocheted off the boards and hit the goaltender in the back of the pad. The puck crossed the goal line, and the Rangers were on the board.

New York continued coming at New Jersey with chances. Chris Kreider, who had a goal in Game 1, fired a shot past Brodeur and off the goal post. But Kreider would get another moment of glory, as he tipped in a shot from the point, giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead. It was a welcome pay-off to the extended wait while the Devil's penalty door was stuck--Kredier made sure the wait was well worth it.

Insert a game-changer.

With only a couple minutes left in the third period, the Devils struck. A great play to keep the puck in the zone by Salvador was followed by Carter tipping a shot at the hashmarks to beat Lundqvist, propelling the Devils into the third period tied 2-2.

Riding high after this game-changer, the Devils scored again in the first three minutes of the final period. Clarkson, with nearly a high stick, tipped a shot into the back of the net on a New Jersey powerplay. The Devils led the game 3-2, and would hold that lead for the remainder of the game.

But the Devils were a bit lucky. Zach Parise rode into Lundqvist with no penalty call made. Less than two minutes later, New Jersey nearly scored again as one of the Devils' forwards interfered with the Ranger defenseman with no call made.

A solid game from both teams leads fans into Game 3 with great anticipation. It has seen great goaltending, great defensive plays, and great offensive action. It's going to be an incredible series.

All because "it's the Cup."

Lawrie's Suspension Justified, But What About the Umpire?

Photo Credit: Brad White/Getty Images

Unless you play fantasy baseball, you probably were unaware of who Brett Lawrie was until he lost his cool Tuesday night. In case you live in a cave or woke up in a roadside ditch, let me briefly recap what happened. Tuesday night's game was in the bottom of the ninth. The Toronto Blue Jays were up to bat trailing the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3. Lawrie was batting, and he took a 3-1 pitch that was outside. He began walking to first base, until home plate umpire Bill Miller gave a delayed strike call. A not too pleased Lawrie returned to the batter's box. The full-count pitch was taken by Lawrie because it appeared to be high. Miller called it strike three. An infuriated Lawrie lost his cool and slammed his helmet into the ground near Miller's feet. It bounced up and hit Miller in the leg. Lawrie was immediately ejected from the game. Today, Major League Baseball suspended Lawrie four games and fined him an undisclosed amount. Lawrie did appeal, but nothing is expected to change.

The four-game suspension is a must by MLB. Anytime a player makes contact with an umpire in any way, it must merit a suspension. The length seems appropriate in my opinion. Lawrie apologized after the game and told reporters the helmet took an "unlucky bounce." I believe him when he said he had no intent of injuring Miller. He is only 22 years old and simply reacted immaturely. He has all the talent to be one of the future stars of baseball. I put an emphasis on future. At this point in his career, Lawrie must do a lot of maturing before he can reach that level. Discipline is imperative to success as an athlete both on and off the field. That is something that the youngster must learn. MLB does not want to be represented in this way. It will do all it can to teach Brett Lawrie this lesson the first time.

Now here's the part you may not have considered. There are two guilty parties here. Lawrie is the obvious one, and he has been granted his suspension. The other one is Bill Miller, the home plate umpire, who blew the two calls that caused the whole incident. The 3-1 call was clearly outside, but it is close enough where I will give Miller a break. However, the 3-2 pitch was an egregious blown call that should not be tolerated. There is no possible way that any umpire under unbiased circumstances could call that pitch a ball. Miller was clearly unhappy that Lawrie started walking toward first base following the 3-1 pitch. He decided right there and then that any ball near the plate would be a called third strike. Miller made the ridiculous strike three call and invoked the reaction from Lawrie.

I can hear the objections now. Miller is teaching the young kid a lesson. Miller's human, he simply missed the call. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels purposely hit young phenom Bryce Harper with a pitch. MLB suspended him five games. Therefore, you can't allow umpires to "teach" players lessons, without suspending them as well. I know Miller is human, but so is Lawrie. Lawrie made a mistake and got the suspension he deserved. Miller makes an egregious error, but warrants no suspension. How can this be? Bill Miller allowed his judgment as an umpire to be impaired when making that strike three call. For that, he must be suspended in my opinion. His inability to control his feelings is what led to the entire incident. Bill Miller owes baseball an apology and deserves a suspension. That would be justice served completely.

While the Heat Look Vulnerable, The Spurs Look Dominate

The Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs (along with the Thunder) are considered to be the best teams in their respective conferences. Tonight, the Heat and the Spurs looked like completely different teams.

Photo Credit: Robert Duyos/Sun Sentinel

The Indiana Pacers are not supposed to compete with the Miami Heat, especially in South Beach. The Pacers certainly tried hard. They missed 24 out of 29 shots at one point in Game 2. They gave up an 11-point second half lead. The team's scoring in the fourth quarter was outscored by two Heat players. But somehow this Pacers team managed to beat the Heat and level the series at a game a piece. The Heat looked lost at times on offense, going 1-16 from three in the game. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade both played great, but neither could come up with a big play at the end of the game.

Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Clippers gave the San Antonio Spurs a fight in the first half, until they ran out of steam. Then, the Spurs shut the door and made sure it stayed shut. After surviving past the Grizzlies in Memphis, the ailing Clippers had to go straight to San Antonio for Game 1. The Spurs, meanwhile, looked sharp and rested. Tim Duncan scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds, and Manu Ginobili added 22 points, as the Spurs routed the Clippers 108-92. Tony Parker didn't play very well, but it didn't really matter for the Spurs. The Spurs have now won 15 games in a row, the longest playoff sustained winning streak since the 2004 Spurs won 17 in a row. NBA Coach of the Year, Gregg Popovich, has the Spurs running on all cylinders.

These two teams clearly look like polar opposites. The Heat look disorganized and disgruntled. Despite having the two best players on the court, they couldn't figure out a way to beat a lackluster effort from the Pacers. The Spurs meanwhile look like a machine. They have been called boring and old, but they don't care. They win a lot of basketball games and that's what it all comes down to. The Heat are going to have to play a lot better to compete for a championship. I am certain they will, but they looked a lot more vulnerable than most people thought they were. The Spurs, on the other hand, just keep rolling along. They haven't let their weaknesses stop them yet. Until some does make that happen, I am not going to waste my time trying to find them.

Wild Coyotes: Lack of Discipline Gives Kings Victory, 2-0 Lead

Two ejections later, Phoenix is down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings.

Photo credit: Harry How/Getty Images

The first was Shane Doan, nailing King's forward Trevor Lewis into the boards from behind. The Coyote captain was thrown out of the game, with LA already leading the game 2-0. 

The second was Martin Hanzal, with a very suspension-worthy hit  on King's captain Dustin Brown. Brown was just past the goal line when Hanzal hit him in the numbers, causing Brown to slam his face into the boards and surrounding glass. This would lead to yet another Los Angeles goal by Jeff Carter--his third of the night.

Phoenix played "like a defeated team" as NBCSports so bluntly put it. Two individual ejections, a third matching misconduct for the Coyotes and Kings, as well as goaltender Mike Smith's chop to the back of Dustin Brown's legs. They were having enough trouble trying to score; being shorthanded only made things worse. Phoenix had times where they would get a scramble in front of LA's Jonathan Quick, playing out at the top of his crease. But those times were few and fruitless.

Meanwhile, Jeff Carter was making the most of his night in Arizona.Two goals in the second period (though one maybe should be credited to Kopitar), and a goal late in the third gave Carter three of his four goals in the playoffs, and his first playoff hat trick. 

Contrary to the score, however, Mike Smith had a solid night for the Phoenix Coyotes. He handled 36 of the 40 shots that Los Angeles fired on him (at the other end, Quick had 24 saves for the Kings). But when your team is giving up 40 shots a game, managing only 24, and scoring zero...it's going to be impossible to win. 

The Kings have now won nine road games in a row. And they are nearly as deadly back home in the Staples Center. Phoenix will have to work some magic to make this a series again; as of now, they have been dominated by the Kings, and dug themselves into a deeper hole with the undisciplined play they have exhibited. They need smart play--and they need goals.

Game 3 will be in Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Who is Saying the Rangers Will Be Tired Now?

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

After playing 14 games, including four overtime ones, and having to win both series so far in must-win Game 7s, everyone thought the New York Rangers would come out tired. After all, no team who has played that many games has ever gone on to win the Stanley Cup. None of this matters to the Rangers. They knew they were ready for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils. The Devils came into the series well-rested, coming off five days off following their defeat of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The first two periods of Game 1 felt like a heavyweight bout. Both teams had their chances, but neither one conceded a goal. With two of the best netminders in the league in this series, it came as no surprise. Long-time Devils goaltender Marty Brodeur is one of the all-time greats, and the hometown crowd at Madison Square Garden let him have it, like they always do. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is a Vezina Trophy nominee once again. He is certainly one of the best in the game today. With play basically level through the first two periods, one of the teams needed to come out and make a statement in the third period.

That team turned out to be the Rangers right away. Less than a minute into the period, rookie Chris Kreider set up defenseman Dan Girardi for the nice goal. Girardi has struggled some defensively in the playoffs, so hopefully the goal will help boost his confidence. Midway through the period, Kreider found the net himself on a beautiful power-play goal. Less than a month ago, Kreider was a college student. In his thirteen games in the playoffs so far, he has clearly showcased his talent for all to see. The Devils tried to battle back, but Lundqvist would have none of that. Lundqvist finished with 21 saves and his fifth career playoff shutout. Center Artem Anisimov's goal late in the period sealed the win for the Rangers.

The Rangers confidence is booming following such a decisive Game 1 victory. They dominated the third period, so all momentum heading into Game 2 belongs to them. The Devils will look to find answers before the next game begins. In particular, they will need to figure out ways to try and beat Lundqvist, which is easier said than done. The Devils did show some rust in Game 1, so that should be gone the rest of the series. I expect them to play better in Game 2, and a win would be huge heading home. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday night at 8:00 PM EST on NBCSN.

Manchester City Wins First Premier Title Since 1968

Photo Credit: Dave Thompson/AP Photo

Manchester City has been considered to be the second-rate team of their city for decades. They have had to live in the shadow of their bitter rival, Manchester United. Today, Manchester City needed a win over Queens Park Rangers. If they won the match, it would mean that they would win their first Premier League Title since 1968. Not only would they win it, but they would keep their inner-city rival, Manchester United, from winning the title. With United's 1-0 defeat of Sunderland in the books, City knew they were playing a must-win game.

Neither Manchester City or Queens Park Rangers played particularly well in the first-half. In the 39th minute, City pieced together some nice passing to set up a short angle shot for Pablo Zabaleta. The Argentinian's shot found the net, thanks in part to some poor goalkeeping work by Patrick Kenny. The lackluster half came to a close, but at half-time, QPR received news that a loss could potentially mean relegation from the Premier League. Wanting desperately to avoid that fate, QPR came out with a renewed energy to begin the second half. It didn't take long before that energy forced a mistake by City's defender Joleon Lescott. Lescott attempted to head the ball clear, but his header ricocheted backwards to the feet of QPR's Djibril Cisse, who buried the equalizer.

With the match still level at 1-1, Man City caught a break when QPR's captain, Joey Barton, got issued a red card in the 55th minute for elbowing Carlos Tevez in the face. Despite being down to ten men, QPR's defense refused to give in. In the 66th minute, QPR was rewarded when an unmarked Jamie Mackie headed home a ball from Armand Traore. The panic began to set in for City and their fans as they felt the title slipping away. Into stoppage time, they went still down 2-1. About a minute into stoppage time, City earned a corner. David Silva's beautiful ball into the box found the head of Edin Dzeko, who finished in cleanly. City's late heroics weren't over yet. Forward Sergio Aguero's shot found the bottom right corner. City's improbable comeback was complete.

The two late goals secured Manchester City's first Premier League Title since 1968. Granted that some of this success is due to the money that was spent to bring in many of these players. Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour has made more than a $1 billion dollar investment since purchasing the club from former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2008. The real credit though has to go to the players. In what was a crazy and surprising Premier League season, Man City was the most consistent club by far. As a result, they are unquestionably the most deserving of the title. The atmosphere of Manchester, England has changed today. No longer does United remain forever supreme. Today belongs to City's players, coaches, fans, and everyone associated with the club.