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      Nadal to take on Verdasco in Monte Carlo final

      April 17, 2010 /

      Rafael Nadal is playing his typical best during the clay court portion of the ATP Tour. He embarrassed David Ferrer in straight sets today in Monaco and hasn’t been bothered by his knees. He will compete for a sixth straight Monte Carlo Masters title tomorrow against Fernando Verdasco.

      From ESPN.com:

      It will be the first all-Spanish final at Monte Carlo since Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Carlos Moya in 2002. Verdasco has lost all nine matches against Nadal, who will be aiming for his first title since beating Djokovic on clay last May at the Rome Masters.

      Nadal has won 31 successive matches in Monaco. Verdasco has won four titles in his career to 36 for Nadal.

      “This year I think I am playing much better because I am running a little bit better,” Nadal said. “I am playing more aggressive. That’s very important.”

      Nadal had lost his two previous semifinals, to Andy Roddick and Ivan Ljubicic on hard courts in Masters events at the Sony Ericsson Open and BNP Paribas Open.

      “It’s very important for me to be in this final,” Nadal said. “I played a very good match today. I was a little bit more nervous than usual because I lost two semifinals in a row.

      “Verdasco has always had amazing potential. If he is focused mentally, his shots are unbelievable.”

      I wish the Tour had better coverage so I could catch this match. The Tennis Channel is carrying it, and while I’d love to see how Rafa looks in the weeks leading up the French Open, I’ll save my money in this instance. Plus, it’s nearly a forgone conclusion that Nadal nabs the title as he holds a 9-0 record against Verdasco and is playing on his favorite surface.

      Tennis

      Morgan a lock at No. 12 to the Dolphins?

      April 17, 2010 /

      According to Dolphins beat writer Edgar Thompson of the Palm Beach Post, Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan will “100 percent” be Miami’s pick at No. 12 in next week’s draft if he’s available.

      Many draft pundits speculated that the Dolphins would select Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant at No. 12 before the team acquired Brandon Marshall from the Broncos earlier this week. But with their need at receiver filled, the Fins can now concentrate on adding a pure pass rusher.

      After racking up 19.5 sacks (including 12.5 last season) while playing at Georgia Tech the past three years, Morgan is highly regarded as the best pass rusher in this year’s draft. While he lacks pure athleticism, speed and overall quickness, he exhibits good instincts, awareness, and has a non-stop motor. He was highly productive in college and has an outstanding work ethic, which is probably why Bill Parcells and the Dolphins are drawn to him.

      Unless the Seahawks select him at No. 6 or the Jaguars target him at No. 10, Morgan should be on the board when the Dolphins pick at No. 12.

      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

      Rosenthal ponders McGwire’s quiet return

      April 17, 2010 /

      In a recent piece for FoxSports.com, Ken Rosenthal points out that the baseball world seems to have accepted Mark McGwire.

      McGwire did not move to change the conversation, yet the noise did subside. He was not a distraction to the team in spring training. He is not a distraction now.

      All this amounts to a positive step in the evolution of how fans, media and people within the game view players who used performance-enhancing drugs.

      Other past users should draw inspiration from Big Mac, recognizing that they can admit the truth, emerge with a clean conscience and move forward.

      No matter what you think of McGwire, he deserves the chance to be hitting coach of the Cardinals, who host the Mets this weekend on MLB on FOX (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET).

      It bothers me that he used PEDs. It bothers me that he refuses to admit they helped him as a hitter. It bothers me that he has failed to fulfill his pledge to become a national spokesman against steroids, a pledge that he made to Congress in 2005.

      But exactly how long should any of us harbor resentment toward McGwire and other past users?

      People change. Perceptions change, too. Forget the Hall for a moment. If McGwire can regain at least a measure of dignity, then why not Sammy Sosa? Why not Roger Clemens? Why not Barry Bonds?

      While I agree with Rosenthal, I think he should acknowledge that our interest in McGwire has also weakened because more important things are happening in the sport. I mean, what’s really left to say about Big Mac? I know there are many out there that loathe the idea of a baseball cheat being allowed back in the game, but they’ve even exhausted themselves talking about it. MLB follows 30 teams and hundreds of players over the course of seven months. Simply put, nobody wants to read about a hitting coach for too long. Rosenthal is correct in that our resentment for McGwire may be waning, but it’s not because of McGwire’s recent sound decisions. It’s because the story is boring. We all made up our minds a long time ago about how we viewed McGwire — his steroid admission just hardened those opinions.

      It’s also tough to despise a guy that didn’t directly harm anybody but himself. Sure, he sullied the game of baseball, but he had many accomplices. I tend to group all these steroid guys in a giant cluster of disappointment. I don’t have a unique hatred for each and every one of them anymore. McGwire, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens — they’ve all exiled themselves from the hearts of the baseball-adoring public. If one of them comes back, like McGwire has, the story will lose steam quickly.

      McGwire doesn’t have our forgiveness. We may empathize with him, but hitting statistics never go away. Instead, he’s become a sports figure we’ll simply deal with because we’re tired of mentioning him.

      MLB

      MJ advocating the ‘Hack-a-Dwight’?

      April 17, 2010 /

      It sure sounds like Bobcats owner Michael Jordan wants to limit the effectiveness of Dwight Howard by putting him on the foul line. In an excerpt from an interview to air on Sunday on NBA TV, MJ outlines what would be his strategy:

      “So if I’m looking at (Dwight) Howard, and I’m not Larry Brown, I haven’t talked to Larry Brown about the strategy, I would look at it in that scenario; we’ve got four seven footers, in essence we have 24 fouls. Somehow we are going to have to use that to neutralize (Dwight) Howard and not allow these other guys, their perimeter players, to hurt us in the double teams, kind of like Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott back in the day. That would be the strategy, and I feel like if we can execute that strategy we will give ourselves the best chance to win.”

      Anytime someone starts talking about how many fouls their big men have, it’s bound to get ugly. Given Howard’s propensity to miss free throws, this is certainly a viable strategy, but it’s not one I want to watch in action.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

      Strikeforce: Nashville Predictions

      April 17, 2010 /

      MMA Promotion Strikeforce hosts its second CBS televised event tonight with Strikeforce: Nashville. The main card has just three fights set, but all three are title fights. Here are my picks for tonight’s event.

      Middleweight Champion Jake Shields (24-4-1) vs. Dan Henderson (25-7)
      Dan Henderson is making his first appearance in Strikeforce after leaving the UFC in a contract dispute. He immediately steps in to fight Jake Shields, the middleweight champion who is a natural welterweight. Shields has had success at the bigger weight class, but in this fight, he will have trouble controlling Henderson on the ground like he has past opponents. Henderson is a very solid all around fighter and his bigger size should allow him to get the win by either knockout or decision.

      Light Heavyweight Champion Gegard Mousasi (28-2-1) vs. Muhammed Lawal (6-0)
      Two very different people meet in this fight as Mousasi is like a silent killer. He stays composed and just runs through opponents while Lawal is very loud and cocky despite having just six professional fights. Lawal is good on his feet with powerful strikes, but in this fight, he will need to fight off his back against Mousasi, who can take the fight anywhere. Lawal has a puncher’s chance, but Mousasi will be smart enough to get the fight to the ground, where he will win by submission.

      Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez (-160) vs. Shinya Aoki (+130)
      This fight should be very competitive. Melendez has won his last three, but all of his fights have been fast paced and close. His win over Josh Thompson won him the title, but now he faces Aoki who bounces around to different weight classes and finds success in each. Melendez will look to use boxing and wrestling to win while Aoki will try to use quickness and submissions. Look for Melendez to win a hard-fought five-round decision over Aoki, but each fighter will have their chances to finish the fight.

      Mixed Martial Arts, UFC

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