Category: External Sports (Page 134 of 821)

      Phillies to activate Chase Utley on Monday

      May 22, 2011 /
      Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley walks across the field after taking batting practice before a spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Florida, March 8, 2011. REUTERS/Steve Nesius (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki tweets that the Phillies will activate second baseman Chase Utley (knee) from the disabled list before Monday’s game against the Reds.

      Here’s the tweet:

      Orr optioned. Utley activated tomorrow. Blanton on DL tomorrow. Worley will be activated.

      Utley batted .281 with one home run in 36 plate appearances for High-A Clearwater during his minor league rehab stint. More importantly than the numbers was the fact that his knee has felt good.

      It’s an understatement that the Phillies need this guy back in their lineup. They’re 23rd in runs scored, 22nd in on base percentage and 18th in batting average. In their last nine games, they’ve averaged less than two runs per outing (17 total). Over 107 at bats this season, Wilson Valdez is hitting just .231 with nine RBI and has an OBP of .259 filling in for Utley at second base. Simply put, that’s not going to get it done.

      Utley may not come off the disabled list scorching, but as long as he stays healthy he’ll get his swing back. He’s going to need 50-plus at bats against major league pitching to kind of figure things out, but he’s the consummate professional. This is the shot in the arm that the Phillies’ offense has needed.

      External Sports, MLB

      Russell Westbrook’s late-game woes continue

      May 21, 2011 /
      Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook pauses during Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Final basketball playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, May 21, 2011. REUTERS/Bill Waugh (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

      For the first half of the fourth quarter, Russell Wesbrook was playing well. He went 2-for-3 from the field, hit a pair of free throws, and had one assist. His play helped the Thunder cut the Mavs’ lead from 12 points to eight, giving OKC a shot to win the game going down the stretch.

      But starting at the six-minute mark, Westbrook was pretty dreadful. He went 1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-2 from the free throw line and turned the ball over twice. That’s just four points on those eight possessions.

      Is it fair to focus solely on Westbrook? No, there’s enough blame to go around for the Thunder. OKC shot 36% from the field. Kevin Durant was 7-of-22 from the field and 0-for-8 from long range. In fact, if it wasn’t for Westbrook’s made three in the final moments, the Thunder would have set a record for most three pointers attempted without a make. (They finished 1-for-17 from long range.) Westbrook was the Thunder’s most effective player — he finished with 30 points and four assists, but he also had seven turnovers.

      Dirk Nowitzki struggled for most of the game, but came on down the stretch. He had 10 points in the final 7:22 and dealt with the physical play of Nick Collison pretty well. These Mavs continue to show great resiliency.

      External Sports, NBA

      2011 Preakness Stakes Predictions

      May 21, 2011 /
      Preakness hopeful Mucho Macho Man, with exercise rider Herberto Pulgar, works out at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland, May 19, 2011. The 136th running of the Preakness Stakes will take place on May 21. REUTERS/Molly Riley (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT HORSE RACING)

      All right, you got me: My Kentucky Derby predictions were bad. Atrocious actually. True story: One of the horses I picked (ArchArchArch) almost bucked his jockey right off out of the gates and had to retire following the race. The last time anyone saw him he was being loaded into something called a “horse ambulance.” Yikes.

      I’ll try to do better in the Preakness tonight, although fading me has never been a better idea.

      WIN: Animal Kingdom (2/1)
      Yeah, I like the winner – go to hell. Wait, I’m sorry. That wasn’t nice…Last week I wrote about Animal Kingdom’s odds to win the first Triple Crown since Affirmed accomplished the feat in 1978. I think if Animal Kingdom gets by a weak field today, he’ll cruise at the Belmont and accomplish a rare feat in the sports world by capturing horse racing’s Triple Crown. Even though he slipped in practice today, I like the 3-year-old colt to win back-to-back outings after winning the Kentucky Derby earlier this month. In five career races, he’s never finished worse than second. I think he’s that good (even though I clearly missed him while handicapping the Kentucky Derby…dumbass).

      PLACE: Mucho Macho Man (6/1)
      I was tempted to renew my faith in Dialed In but I just couldn’t pull the trigger after he finished 8th in the Kentucky Derby. Besides, Mucho Macho Man has a steady, impressive resume and has yet to finish lower than fourth in his nine career outings. He took third at the Kentucky Derby earlier this month and third at the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in March. This is an impressive-looking horse that always seems to be near the front. I don’t see him overtaking Animal Kingdom, but I do like him to finish somewhere in the money.

      SHOW: Astrology (15/1)
      Call this my First Dude of the 2011 Preakess. Last year I predicted First Dude (who was 20/1 coming into the race) to finish third and he actually came in second. This year I like another seemingly unknown in Astrology, who has never finished out of the money in seven career outings. He has three-straight second-place showings coming into the Preakness, which includes runner-up finishes at the Kentucky Jockey Club, the Sunland Derby and the Jerome Hcp. I don’t think he has the strength to go wire-to-wire or edge out the favorites down the stretch, but I really like this dark horse (ha! Get it? Yeah, you get it.) to finish in the top 3.

      External Sports, horse racing

      Animal Kingdom a 2/1 favorite to win 2011 Preakness

      May 21, 2011 /
      Animal Kingdom with jockey John Velazquez in the irons wins the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, May 7, 2011. REUTERS/John Gress (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT HORSE RACING)

      Animal Kingdom will attempt to win the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown this evening at Pimlico Race Course when he runs in the 2011 Preakness Stakes. The 3-year-old colt won the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs earlier this month.

      Oddsmakers currently list Animal Kingdom as a 2/1 favorite to win the Preakness. Dialed In, who was favored to win the Kentucky Derby, is 5/1 to win and Mucho Macho Man, who finished third at Churchill Downs, is currently 6/1 to win the Preakness.

      As I wrote last week, I believe there’s a good chance that we could witness horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed accomplished the feat in 1978. Every year it seems like we’re getting closer and closer to having another contender sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, and Animal Kingdom certainly has the talent.

      The concerns about Animal Kingdom coming into the Kentucky Derby were that a) he only had four races under his belt and b) that he could run on dirt. Well, he’s now raced five times in his career with three wins and two second-place finishes. And he apparently runs on dirt just fine, as his win at the Kentucky Derby proved.

      Dialed In, Mucho Macho Man and even a mid-range contender like Shackleford could upset Animal Kingdom tonight. The toughest part is out of the way for Animal Kingdom, as he’s already won the Kentucky Derby. But the Preakness can be a difficult task as well, but if he wins tonight then he may cruise at the Belmont next month.

      External Sports, horse racing

      Falcons to be the next team filmed for HBO’s Hard Knocks?

      May 20, 2011 /
      Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan directs his offense in the first half of their NFC divisional playoff against the Green Bay Packers at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia January 15, 2011. The Packers defeated the Falcons 48-21. UPI/Mark Wallheiser.

      While appearing on SiriusXMNFL radio on Friday morning, Atlanta GM Thomas Dimitroff indicated that the Falcons might be willing to be covered this year on HBO’s Hard Knocks.

      “Two years ago we were approached and decided that it wasn’t right for us at that point,” Dimitroff said. “That’s not to say we wouldn’t go down that road if it was presented to us at another time. We are much closer to being in that spot where it’s not going to be as much of a distraction as it would have been another time.

      “It’s such an individual thing. Hard Knocks could be right for some of the teams that are fairly entrenched. It could be right for some team that wants to kick off some more brand recognition.”

      “I truly believe that an organization has to be in the right spot to jump into something like Hard Knocks,” Dimitroff said. “I think it sheds a lot of light on our league. This is a league of entertainment. There are some traditionalists that struggle with it, but they have to work against the grain a little bit and see that this is about entertainment. Hard Knocks is a good show for the fan base.”

      Some Falcon fans might be worried that the show would become a distraction, but I would trust Dimitroff. He’s smart, calculated and he wouldn’t agree to anything that he believed would hurt his team. Outside of a few names that have come and gone, the Falcons have basically had the same coaching staff in place since 2008 and their core (Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Michael Turner, John Abraham and Tony Gonzalez) remains intact. This is a grounded organization that shouldn’t be rocked by a potential distraction such as Hard Knocks.

      Of course, the Falcons would be the polar opposite of Rex Ryan and the Jets. Mike Smith can get as fired up as any coach in the league, but he’s always even-keeled and calm with the media. And while Roddy White can be flamboyant from time to time, I’m not sure if Ryan, Turner and Gonzalez have dropped an F-bomb in their lives.

      In other words, if the Falcons are the next team filmed for Hard Knocks, don’t expect the same foul-mouthed program that the Jets produced last year. (Not that I’m complaining – Ryan and the Jets were highly entertaining.)

      External Sports, NFL

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