- DEADSPIN wants to know if you’ve seen Bartolo Colon, because the White Sox have no idea where he is.

- SPORTSbyBROOKS fills us in on what 1995 U.S. Figure Skating champion Nicole Bobek has been up to lately and it ain’t pretty. (Hint: It has to do with crystal meth.)

- YARDBARKER wants to know if you can name all 32 NFL teams in 60 seconds or less.

- TONY BLOGS.NET talks about the death of baseball. (Hint: It has something to do with steroids.)

- THE BIG LEAD asks what rappers match up with NBA players.

This weekend Mixed Martial Arts has two solid shows taking place outside of the UFC label. It begins Saturday on Showtime at 10 p.m. with Strikeforce presenting a strong card of recognizable fighters, a few of which are still considered among the best in the world. On Sunday, the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) takes center state with WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber 2, which is highlighted by the Featherweight championship (145 lbs) rematch of champion Mike Thomas Brown against former champion Urijah Faber. That show will air on Versus at 9 p.m.

Here is a quick breakdown of the feature fights and my predictions for both shows:

Strikeforce at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

- Kevin Randleman (17-12) vs. Mike Whitehead (23-6) Light-Heavyweight (205lbs): Kevin Randleman was a giant in the MMA world in the late 90’s and in the beginning of the 2000’s, but now Randleman is finding himself in the same position as many of the giants in those days like Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, where the sport has passed him bye. Loser of five of his last seven fights, Randleman needs a win over UFC veteran Mike Whitehead, who has won 13 of his last 14 and has looked good since his move down to light-heavyweight (205 lbs). I like Whitehead by decision or TKO from ground-and-pound on a tired Randleman.

- Joe Riggs (29-10) vs. Phil Baroni (13-10) Middleweight (185lbs): Phil Baroni and Joe Riggs are classic examples of two fighters that had worlds of potential and never tapped into it. Both men have tremendous power, but both are notorious for their lack of endurance as fights move on. Baroni tries to throw all his power in each punch which limits him later on and Riggs has a suspect chin that has caused quick knockout losses. If Baroni has truly improved his training, I see him winning this one as Riggs is the mentally weaker fighter. I take Baroni by TKO late in round one.

- Andrei Arlovski (15-6) vs. Brett Rogers (9-0) Heavyweight (265lbs): Arlovski in my opinion is the second best heavyweight in the world who took a tough loss to unbeaten Fedor in the last Affliction PPV. Prior to the knockout, Arlovski was winning the fight with the pound-for-pound king, but a poor choice to go for a flying knee setup the loss. Now, Arlovski looks to rebound against Brett Rogers, who has won all nine of his pro fights in dominant fashion, but has never faced a test like this. I see Arlovski winning by TKO in round two.

- Nick Diaz (19-7) vs. Scott Smith (15-5) Middleweight (185lbs): Nick Diaz has been one of the most confusing fighters in MMA. Diaz holds wins over some of the world’s best like Robbie Lawler and Takanori Gomi, but has also lost to sub-par competition like Joe Riggs and Jeremy Jackson. Recently, Diaz had an emphatic win over Frank Shamrock and a win over Smith would put him in the sights of a rematch with Lawler, who he knocked out at UFC 47 in one of the biggest upsets in the sports history at the time. Smith is certainly a game fighter that can KO anyone with one shot, but Diaz should outclass him and dominate the fight. I see Diaz by submission in round three.

- Robbie Lawler (16-4) vs. Jake Shields (22-4-1) Catch-weight (182lbs): The fight will take place at a catch-weight of 182 lbs with Shields making the move up from welterweight (170 lbs). Lawler is considered by some as the No. 2 middleweight in the world and has not lost in his last six fights. His most recent win is over Scott Smith in Elite XC before the company went belly up. Shields, who was the Elite XC welterweight champion has won his last 11 fights but is making his first climb into a bigger weight. I feel Shields is the better all-around fighter, but in the end, the weight change will play into Lawler’s favor. I see Lawler by TKO early in round three.

WEC 41: Brown vs. Faber 2 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, Calif.

- Josh Grispi (12-1) vs. Jens Pulver (22-11-1) Featherweight (145lbs): Jens Pulver was the first ever UFC lightweight champion at 155 lbs, but now Pulver finds himself at a crossroads. Pulver has lost five of his last six fights, including two to Faber in the WEC. Another loss may force one of the faces of MMA into retirement. Grispi has won his eight fights, seven by stoppage, including his last two which were in the WEC. A win for Grispi puts him in title consideration at 145 lbs. I like Grispi to take an older, slower Pulver by TKO in round one.

- James Krause (10-0) vs. Donald Cerrone (9-1) Lightweight (155lbs): Cerrone is coming off a razor-thin split decision loss to WEC champion Jamie Varner and many still consider him the best 155-pounder in the WEC. A win for Cerrone would certainly set-up a rematch with Varner for the title. Krause is making his WEC debut with a perfect record, but this will be his toughest opponent to date. I like Cerrone with his big-fight experience by submission in round one.

- Jose Aldo (14-1) vs. Cub Swanson (13-2) Featherweight (145lbs): Aldo is the hot name in the WEC right now as he has won all four televised bouts by KO or TKO. Aldo is in line to face the Brown-Faber winner with a win over Cub Swanson, who has rebounded with back-to-back wins after losing to Pulver in 35 seconds in December of 2007. Swanson is a good fighter, but I think Aldo has the momentum right now and the better stand-up, which will be the deciding factor. Give me Aldo by TKO from strikes in round two.

- WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown (22-2) vs. Urijah Faber (22-2): Rarely do you get to see a fight where there is a fairly unanimous feel that the two fighting are respectively ranked as the No. 1 and No. 2 fighter in the world in their weight class. Brown may have shocked the world in the first fight, winning by TKO in the first round over Faber, who was thought to be unbeatable, but Brown has since solidified his spot with his dominant win over Leonard Garcia in Garcia’s backyard of Texas. Faber bounced back from his loss to Brown with a quick submission of Pulver back in January and is hungry for payback. This fight should be as good as advertised with Faber’s full attention on Brown, and Brown eager to cement his legacy in the sport. Brown is a tremendous all-around fighter that is technically sound, while Faber relies on his athleticism, speed, and flexibility to utilize unorthodox strikes. Brown capitalized on a Faber mistake in the first fight and I see Faber fighting a smarter fight this time around, but if Brown can control the pace and win the opening rounds, Faber will get desperate and make a drastic move that will either win him his title back, or cost him another loss. I like Brown making the most of the mistake again and winning by TKO in round three. I can also see this being a 5-round war, but I will stick with my first choice.

Hope everyone gets a chance to sit down this weekend and enjoy some great MMA action.

Also, be sure to check out our interview with Mike Thomas Brown as he prepares to take on Urijah Faber.

-Written by TSR MMA contributor Drew Ellis

The 141st running of the Belmont Stakes takes place this Saturday and odds makers have made contender Mine That Bird a 5/6 favorite to win the third leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

Mine That Bird was a 50/1 long shot to win the 2009 Kentucky Derby, but thanks in part to sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs, he shocked the horse racing world by placing first. He also finished second behind favorite Rachel Alexandra at the Preakness, proving that his victory in the Kentucky Derby was no fluke.

According to theSpread.com, Dunkirk has the next best odds to win at Belmont Park this weekend, at 9/2. Following Mine That Bird and Dunkirk, Charitable Man (7/2), Chocolate Candy (13/1) and Flying Private (16/1) round out the rest of the odds for the Belmont.

One of the more intriguing storylines heading into the Belmont is jockey Calvin Borel’s quest to win his own version of the Triple Crown. Borel rode Mine That Bird to victory at the Kentucky Derby and then hopped horses to Rachel Alexandra for the Preakness, and won that race, too.

But with Rachel Alexandra’s owners holding the 3-year old filly out of the Belmont, Borel will once again hitch a ride with Mine That Bird in hopes to claim victory at each of three Triple Crown races of 2009.

Mine That Bird will run out of the seventh post position on Saturday.

The NHL imposed a one-game suspension on the Rangers head coach for his tantrum during a confrontation with a fan behind the team’s bench. His actions included Tortorella firing a water bottle into the stands that hit an innocent bystander and grabbing the hockey stick of Rangers forward Aaron Voros to use as a sword.

In the league’s statement about the suspension:

“We do not take this action lightly,” said league disciplinarian Colin Campbell. “It is the result of an entire day of investigation and evaluation that included the retrieval and review of videotape of the incident and discussions with Mr. Tortorella, other Rangers’ bench personnel and a number of other people, including the security personnel at the Verizon Center. That investigation revealed that Mr. Tortorella squirted a fan with water before Mr. Tortorella was doused with a beverage. While it is a difficult decision to suspend a coach at this point in a playoff series, it has been made clear to all of our players, coaches and other bench personnel that the National Hockey League cannot — and will not — tolerate any physical contact with fans,” added Campbell.

Assistant coach Jim Schoenfeld will direct the team in Tortorella’s absence. He is the only other head coach in league history to have been suspended in the playoffs. As the coach of the New Jersey Devils, Schoenfeld sat out Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals as a result of his famous “Have another doughnut” comment to referee Don Koharski following a Game 3 loss to the Boston Bruins.

It’s official. I don’t have to write an article about Tiger Woods. Oh wait, what have I done? My apologies Mr. Cabrera, now that Tiger’s back, it’s impossible to keep him out of a golf conversation.

But let’s not take away from Cabrera’s accomplishment, after all, he played better than Tiger and of course better than everyone else on the course. His green jacket is also an important first as posted on Golf.com:

Cabrera, who won the U.S. Open at Oakmont two years ago, finally earned a green jacket for Argentina.
…
“This is a great moment, the dream of any golfer to win the Masters,” Cabrera said through an interpreter during the green jacket ceremony. “I’m so emotional I can barely talk.”

Sweet. Awesome. I can really get behind a player like that, bringing home a major award, and being the first from his country to do so. But, I’m still reading all about how Tiger also played, and how Tiger also might have won.

Is it wrong that I’m so happy that Tiger didn’t win? When I was living in South Korea I heard that certain pop stars there had something called, “anti-fans.” These were people who were obsessed with certain celebrities just because they didn’t like them. I wonder if I’ve become something of an anti-fan for anybody at the top for too long. I admit to getting much more interested in tennis after Sampras started losing, and again after Federer lost the number one spot.

I suppose it’s only natural that we have a certain amount of enmity towards people dominating their respective fields. I think my particular problem though, is when a sport becomes more-or-less a one man show. It’s hard to care when there’s no competition in the competitions I’m watching. Growing up a Bulls fan was great until their final season with Jordan. It seemed they couldn’t lose, and they hardly ever did. I barely paid any attention at all.

But it’s not any athlete’s fault if they’re too good, if anything it should motivate others to work harder to improve themselves. Should we make Michael Phelps swim an extra lap just to make it more interesting? We can’t handi-cap people for being too good, but I wonder if we can’t focus on them slightly less than we do. Maybe the reason I’m tired of Tiger Woods is because I’m constantly hearing about him. How often was Michael Phelps shoved in front of me last summer?

There’s only so much anyone can take of the same thing. Perhaps we should focus more on what happened and what’s important, and less on the A-list also-rans. I can understand that it’s necessary to grab people’s attention, and using a big name to get that attention is an easy way to chalk up hits on a web page. But there’s got to be a better way. Of course, this article was supposed to be about Angel Cabrera wasn’t it? Not Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods. I’ll try harder (Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan) next time.

I remember back in high school when I discovered Final Fantasy 7 and my life changed forever. 10 years later I’m better than all my friends at riding chocobos and using potions. Hooray. I suppose we could compare my gargantuan accomplishment with Brian Orakpo’s if I try really hard. Seems Orakpo started as a mere basketball star, and by the time he matriculated, had discovered he was in fact one of the best defensive football players in the country. Big whoop.

Facetiousness aside, it takes a hell of a lot of work to reach the level that Orakpo has, especially in so short a time. According to Orakpo’s high school teammate Drew Kelson in an article on Inside Texas.com:

“Freshman football was merely about playing in front of all your classmates right on the campus football field. Simply having a uniform and getting a chance to play was cool.”

That is not the kind of atmosphere I have been led to expect from Texas high school football. Shame on you Friday Night Lights. No, I take it back; I can’t stay mad at you.

So Orakpo spent his first couple of seasons at Lamar High School in Houston impressing the ladies and looking good. Not too shabby. But there came a time for the young Orakpo when he realized that he could actually make something out of this football thing, perhaps a big something. By the time high school was over, Orakpo had been recognized throughout the country as a defensive prospect and had been recruited to play for the University of Texas.

Now Orakpo really gets serious. Red-shirting his freshman year, Orakpo hit the weight room with a vengeance, adding muscles onto his muscles and generally becoming enormous. By the time his time for active duty rolled around, he was ready.

In his first collegiate appearance, Orakpo had a pressure, two tackles, and forced a fumble. He would go on to play in every game that season, starting once. He earned a spot on The Sporting News Freshman All-American 1st team and was voted defensive freshman of the year by the same outlet.

As a sophomore his numbers continued to go up. He was awarded the Lowe’s Most Improved Defensive Player of the Year and helped the University of Texas to a 3rd place rank for least rushing yards allowed per game.

2007 was going to be the year Orakpo arrived as a true defensive phenom. He was in the starting lineup and was ready to tear up the field, that is until injuring his right knee during UT’s first regular season game. Orakpo was sidelined for the next four games, returning against Oklahoma, but appearing on the field for only 17 plays (though he did record a sack). Despite his shortened playtime, Orakpo worked himself back to his previous form. In fact, when Texas played Arizona State in that year’s Alamo Bowl, Orakpo had a sack, a pressure on the quarterback, and even posted career highs in tackles and tackles for losses (six and three, respectively).

OK, now it’s Orakpo’s time. He’s healthy, experienced, and can bench more than 500 pounds. Orakpo was a force to reckoned with last year, let’s go through the numbers a bit: 42 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 30 pressures, and 11.5 sacks (a number that led his team and was sixth in the nation). Orakpo also helped his team to a 12-1 record, and thrust Texas into the top spot in the Big 12 in scoring and rushing defense, total defense, and a second place spot in pass efficiency defense.
Orakpo won just about every trophy available: The Lombardi for the country’s best lineman, the Hendricks Award for best defensive end, and The Nagurski Trophy for the nation’s top defensive player. He was 1st team All-American on pretty much everyone’s list and was the Big 12 Player of the Year. Also, let’s keep in mind that he earned all this acclaim even with limited playing time for one game against Kansas due to injury.

So we begin the speculation, is Orakpo a first round pick? Definitely. Almost certainly in the top ten. But, despite all his accomplishments, teams may be wary of him for a couple of reasons. He’s got nearly everything a coach or scout would want to see in a defender: speed off the snap, great jumping ability for blocking passes, and of course enough strength to tear a quarterback in half, but let’s remember those injuries he’s had over his career. During the NFL Combine he even tweaked a hamstring and couldn’t complete all the drills. While he still dominated the Combine in the events he participated in, and the injury wasn’t serious, it may hint at a larger problem down the road. Only time will tell if Orakpo can endure longer seasons in the NFL while staying injury-free. All the weight-training in the world won’t be enough to reverse time.

Overall, Orakpo is still a hot prospect and promises to make an impact on whatever team may choose him. Currently, it seems the Cleveland Browns are the most interested, and with the 5th pick in the draft the most likely to get him. He’s been working out and running drills for them on numerous occasions and they have all but given him a key to the locker room. Ah, but then, there’s a lot of teams below the Browns that would love to wheel and deal Orakpo, or at least the 5th pick, over to them, notably the Packers at the 10 spot.

All in all, Orakpo is an explosive player with a work-ethic that’ll aid him a lot in the years to come, adding 50 pounds of muscle over his college career attests to that. Injuries notwithstanding, Orakpo is an awesome natural athlete. Let’s try not to worry overly much about his durability either, when Brian Orakpo sets his mind to something, he’ll be sure to impress.

Latest on Orakpo
Peforming in linebacker drills during the Texas Pro Day, Orakpo blew away the onlookers with a dominating performance. One of the most interested of the NFL reps was Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson…

Career
Brian Orakpo Profile CBSSports.com
A listing of awards and accomplishments from high school onward.

News and Commentary
NFLDraftScout Brian Orakpo Player Profile
Combine and Pro Day statistics.

Brian Orakpo DraftCountDown Scouting Report
No-nonsense report on Orakpo’s strengths and weaknesses.

Kelson’s Breakdown: Brian Orakpo at InsideTexas.com:
Interesting insider-perspective from teammate Drew Kelson.

Orakpo says
On possibly moving to outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

“I’m not the guy that can potentially play the position, I’m the guy that can play the position — and I have the film to prove it.”

Posted on: CBSSports.com

Sources and Links

CBSSports.com
InsideTexas.com
NFLDraftScout.com
DraftCountDown.com

All times ET…

NBA
Saturday, 8 PM: Slam Dunk Competition, Three-Point Shootout, Skills Challenge (TNT)
Sunday, 9 PM: The NBA All-Star Game from Phoenix, AZ. (TNT)

NHL
Friday, 7 PM: Boston Bruins @ New Jersey Devils
Saturday, 8:30 PM: Dallas Stars @ Chicago Blackhawks
Sunday, 12:30 PM: Philadelphia Flyers @ New York Rangers (NBC)

College Basketball
Friday, 9 PM: #13 Villanova @ West Virginia (ESPN)
Saturday, 12 PM: Georgetown @ #22 Syracuse (ESPN)
Saturday, 1 PM: #6 UCLA @ Arizona (CBS)
Saturday, 4 PM: #25 Florida State @ #8 Wake Forest (ESPN Full Court)
Sunday, 1 PM: #20 Illinois @ Indiana (CBS)
Sunday, 5:30 PM: #5 Duke @ Boston College (Fox Sports)

PGA
Friday-Sunday, see local listings for broadcast times: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Tournament (CBS/TGC)

NASCAR
Sunday, 2 PM: The Daytona 500 (Fox)