Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1249 of 1503)

      When horse trainers talk smack

      May 30, 2008 /

      Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. thinks it’s already a “foregone conclusion” that his horse, Big Brown, will win horse racing’s Triple Crown this year. Big Brown has to win at the Belmont Stakes on June 7 to capture horseracing’s most prestigious honor.

      “I feel that he will do it,” he said Thursday during the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s pre-Belmont conference call. “I feel like it’s actually a foregone conclusion. To me, I just see the horses he’s in with and I see our horse so I expect him to win this race.

      “I know that when that day actually does come, and if our horse is in good shape, it will be the most exciting, thrilling moment of my life. So I just … I know that that’s coming, but right now I’m just staying involved with our horse and what we think is best to get him there the right way and it keeps us plenty busy.”

      Couple things, Rick:

      1. Your horse has a freaking crack in one of his hooves.
      2. The last time a horse won the Triple Crown was 1978.
      3. Maybe you’ve heard of this horse from China named Casino Drive that’s getting a little attention. Some think he’s smelling upset.

      Finally and most importantly:
      4. There’s no trash talking in horse racing. It’s just ridiculous.

      So let’s just slow down on all the “foregone conclusion” talk shall we? Big Brown is a monster favorite and he should be with the way he absolutely dominated at the Preakness. But nothing is a guarantee.

      General Sports

      The Torii Hunter Workout

      May 30, 2008 /

      It’s always interesting to see how top athletes stay in shape – especially baseball players. What kinds of exercises get you through an entire 162-game season?

      Mens Fitness.com got a peek at Los Angeles Angels centerfielder Torii Hunter’s workout regime and it’s quite interesting.

      Hunter says there isn’t a set rotation of exercises on each day, so the players don’t know what Maresh will have them doing when they show up each morning. The only guarantee is that it will be an intense two to three hours, and that there won’t be much machine work; it’s all “Rocky Balboa stuff,” as Hunter says, with the players often using their own body weight as the tension force. “You might do box jumps, stepups, and pullups,” Hunter says. But the trickiest one has him in pushup position, feet on a physio ball, while using his hands to balance a board over asmall wheel. “At first, the goal is to just balance it,” he says. “I can do pushups now, but it’s real tough. It takes focus.

      “The physio ball is definitely my friend,” Hunter says. “It’s a big part in everything I do with my core. I get a 45-pound weight and lay back with my arms out in front of me and crunch it without moving the physio ball. Keep your hips up the whole time. Get stabilization. If you’re strong in the midsection, that means you’re stable; you’re stronger than a guy who just lifts weights.”

      As you can see from the photos, Hunter does a ton of core exercises, which is vital for baseball. There isn’t a lot of heavy lifting in his workout routine and almost everything is done on a physio ball (or Swiss ball as it’s sometimes called), which forces more muscle groups to work together at the same time. For more photos click here.

      General Sports, MLB

      Highlights from the Thursday that was

      May 30, 2008 /

      NBA Western Conference Finals Game 5: Lakers 100, Spurs 92

      The Lakers domination over the Spurs continues as L.A. downs San Antonio and clinches a spot in the NBA Finals. Here’s Kobe’s take:

      MLB Musings:

      – Cubs 8, Rockies 4. The Cubs are damn near unbeatable at home. They’ve now won 12 of their last 14 at Wrigley, but they still can’t create any space between them and the Cards in the NL Central.

      – Giants 4, Diamondbacks 3. The D-Backs are officially slumping after being swept by the Giants. They wasted a tremendous effort by Randy Johnson, who tied Roger Clemens for second place on the all-time strike out list.

      – Mets 8, Dodgers 4. The Mets ruined Joe Torre’s return to New York by absolutely pounding Brad Penny. He’s now lost four of his last five decisions, is 5-6 on the year and his ERA has risen to 5.66. Ouch.

      – White Sox 5, Rays 1. How about those White Sox? They’re now winners of seven of their last 10 and more importantly, they’re winning on the road. Having a healthy Joe Crede (ninth home run last night) in the lineup certainly makes a difference, doesn’t it?

      General Sports, MLB, NBA

      NFL’s best free agent signings

      May 29, 2008 /

      NFL.com ranked the best annual signings in the first 15 years of free agency.

      1993: Reggie White, Packers
      Former team: Eagles
      Position: Defensive end
      Reported terms: Four years, $17 million

      The first free agent period was ushered in with perhaps the biggest impact signing of all time. The Packers lavished the richest contract for a defensive lineman ever on Reggie White and he proved worth every penny. White amassed 68 ½ sacks in six seasons with Green Bay and led the Packers to their only Super Bowl championship since the Vince Lombardi era. White was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006. Honorable mention: RB Marcus Allen (Raiders to Chiefs)

      1995: Deion Sanders, Cowboys
      Former team: 49ers
      Position: Cornerback
      Reported terms: Seven years, $25 million

      Sanders makes the list twice in a row. After accepting less money and winning a Super Bowl with the 49ers, Sanders decided to end talk that he would retire from football and play baseball exclusively by signing a mega deal with the Cowboys. In his first year he helped lead Dallas to its third championship in four years and went on to have five standout seasons with the Cowboys despite playing part-time in 1995. Honorable mention: G Mark Schlereth (Redskins to Broncos)

      2001: Priest Holmes, Chiefs
      Former team: Ravens
      Position: Running back
      Reported terms: Five years, $8 million

      Holmes performed well as Jamal Lewis’ backup during the Ravens’ Super Bowl season in 2000, but despite his success, there were not a lot of suitors for Holmes in free agency. The Chiefs signed him for a bargain price and got perhaps the NFL’s best running back over a three-year period. From 2001-2003, Holmes averaged 1,530 rushing yards, 659 receiving yards and 20 total touchdowns per season. Honorable mention: LB Mike Vrabel (Steelers to Patriots)

      Great list. It’s hard to find a better free agent signing than Reggie White in 1993. More often than not these days, free agents aren’t worth half the contracts they signed. As the write up noted – White was worth every penny.

      NFL

      The Top 10 Announcers In Sports Movies

      May 29, 2008 /

      Rumors and Rants ranked the top 10 announcers in sports movies. No surprise which announcer took the top spot.

      1. Harry Doyle (Major League)
      What more can be said of Harry Doyle? He’s easily the greatest sports movie broadcaster of all-time. The gap between his performance and any other is so wide that it’s almost not fair to include him on this list. Bob Uecker’s performance as the ultimate homer-announcer is simply fantastic. He’s off the cuff calls and condescending attitude towards his own team are perfect. He even drags his dead weight color guy Monty through the movie, which is both hilarious and true to life. Then when you throw in the insults he hurls at his Indians and their opponents, it makes for one of the best performances in the history of sports movies.

      Memorable lines:
      “In case you haven’t noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven’t, the Indians have managed to win a few ball games, and are threatening to climb out of the cellar.”

      Harry Doyle: “That’s all we got, one goddamn hit?”
      Assistant: “You can’t say goddamn on the air.”
      Harry Doyle: “Don’t worry, nobody is listening.”

      “The post-game show is brought to you by … (searches through his papers) … Christ, I can’t find it. To hell with it.”

      “Remember fans, Tuesday night is Die Hard Night. Free admission for anyone who was actually alive the last time the Indians won the pennant.”

      (Vaughn throws a pitch to the backstop) “Juuust a bit outside, tried the corner and missed. (Vaughn throws another wild pitch) Ball four. (Vaughn throws another wild pitch) Ball eight. (Vaughn throws another wild pitch) Low and he walks the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches. How can these guys lay off pitches that close?”

      “Haywood swings and hits one towards South America. Hayes is gonna need a rocket up his ass to catch this one…”

      Harry Doyle is announcing, folks.

      General Sports, MLB

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