Belmont Stakes, Mike Tyson, Miami Heat and Saturday's Sports News
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With a wild week of sports behind us and a wild weekend ahead of us, all we can do is sit back and enjoy as the sports world shows us some of its best.
The 143rd Belmont Stakes are taking place Saturday afternoon, and the horse racing world is abuzz.
Favorites like Kentucky Derby champion Animal Kingdom and Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford will be up against some of the stiffest competition in the world.
Even with the stellar favorites, watch out for the likes of Mucho Macho Man and Master of Hounds as possible horses that could upset the field.
In other sports news, Mike Tyson is being inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame, and as dysfunctional his life was out of the ring, he was still one of the best boxers of all time.
We also can’t forget the wild NBA Finals that could come to a close tonight if the Dallas Mavericks can beat the Heat in Miami.
Whatever your sport of choice, check back to this page for all of the latest news, updates and predictions for all of today’s fun.
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Shackleford Could Duplicate His Preakness Success at the 2011 Belmont Stakes
After a successful run at both the Kentucky Derby (4th) and the Preakness (1st), Shackleford will look to finish the Triple Crown races with a great win.
With the amount of racing that this horse has done in such a short period of time, there is a serious question mark about Shackleford’s stamina for a mile and a half race like the one today at the 2011 Belmont Stakes.
While there have no signs of breaking down, Shackleford will be racing in his fourth race in just over two months, and his endurance will be put to the test today.
Must Read: Belmont Stakes 2011: Ranking Each Horse's Chance to Win
In a wide open field that could see any number of different horse win, a horse like Shackleford winning would be exactly what the sport of horse racing needs.
Besides an Animal Kingdom victory, a Shackleford repeat victory would not only catapult his own status as a legitimate race horse, but make the sport even more exciting with another dominant horse in the mix.
Shackleford is one of the fastest pure runners in the field, and if he can maintain his energy throughout the race, I have him as my 2011 Belmont Stakes winner.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things related to the 2011 Belmont Stakes, including the latest Belmont Stakes news, odds, analysis and updated results.
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Nehro Could Shock the Field and Win the 2011 Belmont Stakes
The 143rd Belmont Stakes is just a few hours away, and it looks like Nehro will go into the race with 4-1 odds of winning.
Nehro has finished in first once and second three times in his last four races, and looks to build on his latest success at the Kentucky Derby.
At the 2011 Kentucky Derby, Nehro worked hard out of the gate and move to the front of the pack before eventually finishing second to Animal Kingdom.
Must Read: Belmont Stakes 2011: Ranking Each Horse's Chance to Win
With only 12 horses entered in the Belmont Stakes, there won’t be as much traffic to work through like in the two previous legs of the Triple Crown, and that’s good news for Nehro.
Nehro can hold a lead once he is in front of the pack, and his long distance experience will benefit him in this mile and a half race.
At 4-1 odds, Nehro is far from a long shot, but his name hasn’t been mentioned much this week, and he has a legitimate chance to steal the show at Belmont Park.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things related to the 2011 Belmont Stakes, including the latest Belmont Stakes news, odds, analysis and updated results.
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What Does Season-Ending Surgery Mean for Joba Chamberlain's Career with the New York Yankees?
When Joba Chamberlain was put on the disabled list for the New York Yankees, many people feared the worst.
On Saturday, their worst fears were realized.
After visiting the renowned Dr. James Andrews, he has concluded that Chamberlain will need Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, and that he will miss the remainder of this season and some of next season.
In his fifth season in the majors, Joba was just starting to fit into his role nicely of being a bullpen staple. Now he has to look to fellow Yankee pitcher A.J. Burnett for inspiration because Burnett had Tommy John surgery and has come back strong.
Must Read: MLB Power Rankings: The 15 Most Selfish Players in Baseball
Joba told the New York Post:
This is a surgery that a lot of people have. People understand that you can come back from this. Surgery is just one-third of it. The rehab is two-thirds of what's going on. That's an important part, and the most important part.
Chamberlain was one of the brightest young prospects to ever come along, but during his route to success, the road took some odd turns. From his limited pitch counts and his transfer to the bullpen, he has been a lightning rod of debate in New York.
This surgery might be the best thing for Joba in the long haul, but only if he uses this time to get in better condition.
If he can get himself right mentally during the long recovery process, Chamberlain has the stuff to make it back to the big leagues maybe better than he left it.
Check back for more on MLB as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Baseball Page to get your fill of the MLB.
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Which Horse Can Take the Final Leg of the Triple Crown, the 2011 Belmont Stakes?
With the 143rd Belmont Stakes just a few hours away, the excitement for the annual last leg of the Triple Crown is ready to explode.
As you start to place your bets for tonight’s race, the following horses will be the top contenders for the win.
These horses have all shown enough clout to make me think three of the horses will finish first, second and third.
Animal Kingdom: 2-1 odds
2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom finished in second behind Shackleford at the Preakness Stakes. While his conditioning shouldn’t be a problem on the bigger track, he and jockey John Velazquez will have to make their push for the front earlier than they did at the Preakness Stakes.
Nehro: 4-1 odds
Nehro finished in second place at the Kentucky Derby, and his trainers decided to not run the horse in the Preakness with the idea of having Nehro fresh for the final leg of the Triple Crown. With both top contenders racing three races in a short time, the rest might actually benefit Nehro in the long haul of the Belmont Stakes.
Must Read: Belmont Stakes 2011: Ranking Each Horse's Chance to Win
Shackleford: 9-2 odds
Even with the 2011 Preakness Stakes champion not performing up to his hype during the Kentucky Derby, but more than made up for it with his performance at Pimlico. While it doesn’t seem like fatigue is wearing on Shackleford either, it still has to be seen if he can get through traffic and stay at the front if Animal Kingdom can do the same.
Mucho Macho Man: 10-1 odds
After finishing in third place in the Kentucky Derby, Mucho Macho man and his inspirational Trainer Kathy Ritvo finished in a disappointing sixth place at the Preakness Stakes. With new jockey Ramon Dominguez on for the Belmont Stakes, it might be the change that puts MMM in the winner’s circle.
Master of Hounds: 10-1 odds
With a solid fifth place finish in the Kentucky Derby, Master of Hounds will look to build on that success in the Belmont Stakes. Master of Hounds has the experience to steal the show, but there have been questions about how much of a toll all of those races have put on the horse.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things related to the 2011 Belmont Stakes, including the latest Belmont Stakes news, odds, analysis and updated results.
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Tennessee Titans Set to Give Wide Receiver Kenny Britt Yet Another Chance to Behave
According to NFL.com, embattled Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt will continue to be a Titan even after his second arrest in two months.
Britt was arrested by narcotics officers when they saw what they believed was a marijuana cigar in his hand. According to police reports, Britt resisted arrest before the police were able to subdue him.
This comes on the heels of Britt being arrested after speeding in his hometown and being charged with evading arrest for running from the police in his Porsche.
Must read: Top 20 Biggest Feuds in NFL History
The problem the Tennessee Titans have is Kenny Britt is their best receiver, but he continues to ignore the rules and put himself in bad situations. At some point, Britt needs to grow up and realize how lucky he is.
After being benched in the first quarter of the game last season against the Philadelphia Eagles by former coach Jeff Fisher because of a bar fight, Britt played three quarters and amassed seven catches, 225 yards and three touchdowns.
With so much talent, if the management and coaching staff could find a way to keep Britt in line, they could have a top ten receiver on their hands for young quarterback Jake Locker.
Check back for more on the NFL as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Football Page to get your fill of the NFL.
Mike Tyson Truly Deserves His Hall of Fame Induction
When most people think of Mike Tyson, they either think of his out of the ring problems or his appearances in movies like Hangover.
It is odd to see a whole new generation of kids coming up who don’t remember Tyson and his unbelievable ability to knock almost anybody out.
Even if people do remember Tyson’s boxing, they think of the Holyfield ear biting incident and his epic loss to Buster Douglas in 1990, but Tyson was so much more than that.
Must Read: Mike Tyson Enters Hall of Fame: Time to Put His Legend in Perspective
Tyson started his career with 19 straight knockouts, and was one of the most dominant punchers that ever lived. Before the loss to Douglas, Tyson won his first 37 professional fights, with 33 coming by knockout.
The buster Douglas loss set Tyson back, but not as far back as his four year prison sentence set him back. Even after four years away from the sport of boxing, Tyson came back to win nine more fights before eventually calling it a career after a loss to Kevin McBride.
Between his 50-6-2 career record and his knockout power, Tyson will always be remembered as one of the best fighters the sport had ever seen, and for that period of time from his first fight until his jail time, there was no better fighter in the world.
Tyson deserves this honor of being inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, and his amazing highlight video will backup anything and everything I have said here.
Check back for more on boxing as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Boxing Page to get your fill of boxing.
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Arrogance Will Cost Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Miami Heat in NBA Finals
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are two of the greatest players of all time, and the Miami Heat have built a great team.
The one problem I think even the great Pat Riley may have overlooked was the ego factor between these stars.
Before the Game 5 loss that sent the Heat back to Miami down 3-2 in their series against the Dallas Mavericks, James and Wade were seen fake coughing and making fun of Dirk Nowitzki’s illness.
Must Read: 2011 NBA Mock Draft: Why Jimmer Fredette Will Not Be a Bust and All 60 Picks
When questioned on how he really felt on Nowitzki’s illness, Wade didn’t hold back.
Wade told ESPN Dallas:
I have respect for him as a great player. I'm not going to get into the injuries. Everyone is injured at this time. I'm not going to get into the fun-loving story of him being sick, either. Once you show up on the court, you show up on the court. Everyone is equal. He's a great player without all the dramatics of the stories that's been going on.
It seems that the only thing that the Miami Heat do better than playing basketball is complaining, and they have become great at it. The problem is, they are not in the position to be making fun of the player who has almost single handedly kept the Mavericks in this series.
Nowitzki has a lot to prove and at this stage of his life, he knows he can’t waste time. I still think LeBron is not taking this serious enough, and I think their arrogance will give Dallas enough fire to steal Game 6.
Check back for more on the NBA as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Basketball Page to get your fill of NBA.



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