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Preakness Stakes 2013: Post Time, TV Schedule and More

Patrick Clarke — Sat, 18 May 2013 08:10:24 -0400

Following a dominant performance down the stretch at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, Kentucky Derby winner Orb will look to move within one win of becoming the first Triple Crown winner in 35 years by conquering the 2013 Preakness Stakes.

The annual thoroughbred racing event is held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and is run on a 1 3/16-mile dirt track, the shortest of the three Triple Crown races.

In 2012, it was I'll Have Another stealing the show, winning the Stakes to become the fifth horse since 2002 to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown. If Orb is going to become the first horse since 1978's Affirmed to win all three legs, he'll have to follow in I'll Have Another's footsteps on Saturday.

Below we'll get you up to speed with everything you need to know for the 138th Preakness Stakes.

Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore

When: Saturday, May 18, 2013

Post Time: 6:05 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC

2013 Preakness Stakes TV Schedule

Date	Event	Coverage (ET)	Channel
Saturday, May 18	Preakness Stakes Prep	2:30 - 4:30 p.m.	NBC Sports Network
Saturday, May 18	138th Preakness Stakes	4:30 - 6:30 p.m.	NBC

*Information via NBCSports.com.

Here's a breakdown of Saturday's nine-horse field:

2013 Preakness Stakes Post Positions

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	1/1
2	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O’Neill	8/1
3	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	30/1
4	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr	Albert M. Stall, Jr	6/1
5	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	5/1
6	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	15/1
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	12/1
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	12/1
9	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	10/1

*Odds via Preakness.com.

Contenders to Watch For

Orb, Even

Orb will be the overwhelming favorite to win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, and for good reason.

Shug McGaughey's talented colt has won five straight races dating back to last November, including the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes and the Grade I Florida Derby prior to May 4's Run for the Roses.

Despite his dominance, Orb, who drew the rail on Wednesday, will have to overcome a poor post draw on Saturday if he's going to keep the Triple Crown bid alive. It's been 19 years since a horse won the Preakness from the rail.

Tabasco Cat was the last to accomplish the feat back in 1994.

The good news for jockey Joel Rosario, though, is that there are only nine horses in this year's field, which means Orb will have a better chance of getting out cleanly.

Mylute, 5-1

Following a fifth-place finish at the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, Mylute will look to spoil Orb's Triple Crown bid in Baltimore this weekend.

Ridden by Rosie Napravnik, the Grade II Louisiana Derby runner-up will start smack dab in the middle of the nine-horse field, from post No. 5.

There's certainly no reason for Napravnik or trainer Tom Amoss to fret over Mylute's starting post on Saturday. After all, it's been only two years since a horse won the Preakness from post No. 5. Shackleford won from that slot in 2011.

Plus, Mylute demonstrated excellent closing speed at Churchill Downs two weeks ago, fighting off a sluggish start out of the gate to finish strong. With fewer horses to contend with on Saturday, Mylute is certain to be in the mix down the stretch.

Departing, 6-1

Albert Stall's emerging colt Departing did not run in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, but he did win the Grade III Illinois Derby in his most recent outing last month.

Running from post No. 4, Departing will look to make up for his third-place finish in the Grade II Louisiana Derby last March by winning the Preakness Stakes. He currently has the third-best odds to win behind Orb and Mylute.

While there is some doubt about the level of competition Departing has faced in his previous races, the results speak for themselves. In five career races, the impressive colt has produced four wins, finishing in the money in all five events.

With only nine horses set to run this weekend, perhaps the stage is set for Departing to deliver an upset from post No. 4 at Pimlico.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.

Power Ranking MLB's 6 Divisions by Difficulty

Chris Stephens — Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:01 -0400

Coming into the 2013 Major League Baseball season, it was obvious which divisions would be the best.

The NL East had the Braves and the Nationals, while the AL West had the Angels, Rangers and Athletics.

However, through the first quarter of the season, those thoughts can be thrown out the window, as only one of those five teams has met expectations.

But what about the divisions? Has each division met or exceeded its expectations for the season?

Are there any surprises?

Here's a ranking of each division in baseball.

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Houston Texans: Who Is to Blame for Not Uncovering Ed Reed's Injury?

Jeffery Roy — Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:01 -0400

The top story for the Houston Texans over the last 48 hours has been the history of Ed Reed’s hip injury. John McClain, Texans beat writer for the Houston Chronicle, first made it known to the world:

Last week, FS Ed Reed underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a small labral tear in his hip. He's expected to be ready for training camp.

— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) May 3, 2013

The story took a different turn when Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk tried to connect the dots using an interview given by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kenneth R. First on Sports Radio 610 in Houston. During the interview Dr. First said:

“I wouldn’t be shocked if the (Baltimore) Ravens knew he had a hip problem as he went through the season last year. . . . You don’t tear your labrum just walking around. You know there’s something wrong.” (CBS Houston)

Florio titled his article “Ravens suspected Reed had hip problem, Texans apparently didn’t.” This is a prodigious leap in judgment. It presumes the Ravens had prior knowledge of the injury, and the Texans were unaware of it when they signed Reed to a three-year, $15 million contract. And all of that is based on what a doctor speculated using his medical experience.

It is entirely possible Ozzie Newsome, the GM of the Ravens, did not want to re-sign Reed knowing that he had a problem with his hip. The free safety missed the first seven games of 2010 with a similar problem that required extensive surgery.

But according to Dr. First this previous surgery was “on his other hip,” not the one that required the more recent arthroscopic procedure. This rather significant detail went unreported by Mr. Florio, and has been incorrectly identified as the same hip elsewhere.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, who has a history of withholding injury information, has said, "There's no credence on the injury report now." The only body part that reportedly gave Reed any problems in 2012 was his shoulder. Given the habitual lack of full disclosure by the free agent’s former employer, should the Texans have been more wary?

You would think a player who will be 35 once the season starts would receive a thorough examination before being offered a contract. For the sake of argument, let us assume he was completely checked out in every reasonable way. The labral tear must have gone unnoticed.

This is fully consistent with the comments Dr. First made in his interview:

“You cannot see the labrum on a regular x-ray. The bottom line is, unless a player alerts you to ‘I have a hip problem,’ you’re probably not going to get this unless you do a very sophisticated MRI of every part of the body and really look for this.”

Does this make it the player’s responsibility to notify the team he might have such a problem? Or is it a case of caveat emptor: “Let the buyer beware?”

The Collective Bargaining Agreement ratified by the NFLPA in 2011 has several sections that place the burden on the player. The most applicable is under Article 44, Injury Grievance. In Section 3 (a) (2), one of the grounds for denial of a grievance is “That the player failed to make full and complete disclosure of his known physical or mental condition when questioned during a physical examination by the Club.”

Under this protection, the Texans could conceivably release Reed from his contract due to the injury. The club might even recoup the deferred portion of his signing bonus. This is unlikely to happen, and any recent cases where this has occurred have been difficult to identify.

In all probability, the former Raven will be on the roster of the 2013 Houston Texans—although it may take four to six months, according to Dr. First, to recover from the surgery.

If Reed is not on the field when the regular season begins, it will take somewhat longer for the fans and management of the team to forget the embarrassment surrounding his acquisition. Even if the circumstances were unavoidable.

Preakness 2013 Live Stream: Online Viewing Info and More

Tim Daniels — Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:01 -0400

Two weeks ago, Orb was a fading Kentucky Derby favorite generating little hype, at least in terms of the oddsmakers' choice to win the biggest horse race of the year. Now, he's the prohibitive Preakness Stakes favorite and is being viewed as a serious Triple Crown threat.

After the post position draw, Orb was installed as the 1-1 morning-line favorite for the second leg of the Triple Crown. He will break from the extreme inside of a nine-horse field, which features three horses that didn't run in the Kentucky Derby.

Should Orb pull off another victory, only the Belmont Stakes would stand between him and the first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. Here's a look at the viewing information to watch his run toward history followed by a race preview and prediction.

Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

When: Saturday, May 18 at 6 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Race Preview

Last year, I'll Have Another backed up his Kentucky Derby win with an equally impressive showing in the Preakness Stakes. Orb hopes to replicate that accomplishment before heading home to Belmont Park in search of the Triple Crown.

The most amazing aspect of Orb's rise was how quickly he transformed from an also-ran into a dominant force. He didn't break his maiden until the fourth race of his career, but he is now on a five-start winning streak, including two straight Grade 1 victories.

At Churchill Downs two weeks ago, the race fell perfectly for Orb. The unsustainable early pace eliminated multiple top horses from contention and allowed him to run past nearly the entire field with a perfectly timed late charge.

The early pace will once again be a critical factor. Two horses in the race, Goldencents and Itsmyluckyday, showed off good speed in the derby. But they went too hard, too soon and weren't able to sustain it for their entire trip.

Those horses will be much bigger threats to Orb if things get off to a more reasonable start in the second leg. It's up to jockeys Kevin Krigger (Goldencents) and John Velazquez (Itsmyluckyday) to make sure their horses have something left for the stretch.

The most intriguing entry that didn't run in the derby is Departing. He's won four of five career starts. His latest victory came in the Illinois Derby last month, which was a strong bounce-back performance after a third-place showing in the Louisiana Derby.

Departing's winning time in his last start was a shade under 1:51 and a fraction better than Orb's winning time in the Florida Derby, the last time he raced at the distance. So he's featured the potential necessary to pull off the upset and is working with a couple extra weeks of rest.

Ultimately, however, Orb is the rightful heavy favorite. His run in the Kentucky Derby showed he's peaking at the right time and should have plenty of energy left. He actually won his first race on two weeks of rest, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Orb should find the winner's circle once again, causing interest in the Belmont Stakes to skyrocket.

Prediction: Orb

Preakness 2013 Weather: Latest Reports and Conditions from Pimlico

Donald Wood — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:45:32 -0400

The excitement over the 138th edition of the Preakness Stakes is through the roof, but the focus for many of the jockeys and their respective teams has turned to Mother Nature and what role she will play in Saturday’s marquee race.

Pimlico Race Course is one of the most beautiful venues in the world, and with rain possible for the event dampening the spirits of those attending and those watching at home, the hope is that the weather will hold off long enough to get the track as dry as possible in order to have a fun race that is safe for all the participants.

Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

When: Saturday, May 18

Post Time: 6:20 p.m. ET

Purse: $1 million

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports

Kentucky Derby winner Orb won his biggest race on the wet surface of Churchill Downs, so if the horse wants to win the second leg of the Triple Crown, he’ll have to overcome both the track conditions and a stellar field.

Horses like Departing, Goldencents and Mylute are all serious contenders coming into Saturday, and Orb’s run to a victory will not be as easy as many thought.

With rain expected throughout the day, the hope is that the post time of 6:20 p.m. ET is not delayed or even postponed.

If you will be attending the festivities at Pimlico Race Course or watching on television, be conscious of the weather and the havoc it could wreak on race day at the Preakness Stakes.

Follow @Donald_Wood

Italian Open Tennis 2013: Biggest Storylines to Watch for in Men's Semifinals

Dan Talintyre — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:30:00 -0400

Just in case there hadn't already been enough drama this year, the men's tournament at the Italian Open is serving up plenty more intriguing storylines to watch for.

With the 2013 French Open just a week and a bit away from getting underway, all the big-name players made their way to Rome this week for the warm-up event.

And then came the drama, with Andy Murray's injury withdrawal and Novak Djokovic losing to Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals, despite serving for the match two of the biggest talking points to emerge from this week.

However, those aren't the only storylines going on at the Italian Open at the moment, with several huge stories still prevalent heading into the men's semifinals.

Read on to see the biggest storylines to watch for in Rome this weekend.

Can Tomas Berdych Knock Out Another Tennis Giant?

Big-serving Tomas Berdych might not seem best suited to the clay-court surface, but with a big win over Djokovic in the quarterfinals, he finds himself just one win away from the final of the Italian Open.

Only problem is that win will have to come against Rafael Nadal.

Berdych hasn't been incredibly dominant on clay this season, but has always hung in there. That was shown most clearly against Djokovic, who served for the match at one point, and yet came undone thanks to the strong returning game of the Czech Republic international.

He does have somewhat of an advantage against Nadal's top spin given his height (6'5"), but it's certainly no easy task to defeat the Spaniard on clay.

Especially not when he's in the form that he's in.

Berdych's big serve should hold him in good stead against Nadal, and providing he holds himself well in the first set, could well make a strong challenge here.

He has a great ground game that forces his opponents to make big shots, and whilst Nadal is still more than capable of doing that, he's also capable of missing some big shots, like we saw in his clay-court loss to Djokovic—ironically enough—earlier in the season.

It would be arguably the biggest win of his career, but Berdych could actually come close to knocking off the clay-court maestro on his favorite surface in this one.

That's not to say that he will, per se, but he'll definitely come close.

How Important Is This Match for Roger Federer?

On paper, Roger Federer taking on Benoit Paire might not seem like a big match, but really couldn't be further from the truth for the Swiss international.

As much as he won't admit it, Federer is under a lot of pressure at the moment, and has struggled to adjust to the clay-court surface in 2013. He's made just two semifinals all year and hasn't won either of them, and his one game on clay saw him trounced by Japanese international Kei Nishikori.

Federer's had a relatively easy run to the semifinals thus far, but given the pressure he's under, Paire will be a tough matchup—especially given he can actually play.

Ranked No. 36 in the world, Paire has had a strong Italian Open so far—beating some very good clay-court players in Juan Monaco, Julien Benneteau, Juan Martin Del Potro and Marcel Granollers, with the latter being demolished 6-1, 6-0 by the 24-year-old.

He'll no doubt be full of confidence here against Federer and will be looking to go for big shots—turning this into a a make-it-or-break-it type of match.

That isn't ideal for Federer, but he needs to win these type of games if he's to be a legitimate contender at the French Open later this month. He hasn't shown any real clay-court prowess this year, and making his first final of the year would be a good way to show his Grand Slam intent in 2013.

Will Rafael Nadal Be Beat on Clay?

It's the same old question that seems to arise whenever Nadal plays on red clay, but the fact is that since his return, the Spaniard has again looked unbeatable.

His loss to Djokovic in the final at Monaco shows he is, technically, beatable, but few would claim his form is struggling. After all, he has won all but two games he's played on clay this year in his return from injury and has knocked out several of the surface's best players in the process.

He's beaten David Ferrer three times. He's also knocked off an in-form Stanislas Wawrinka and talented Nicolas Almagro as well as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

There is little disputing Nadal's clay-court dominance, and anyone who isn't yet convinced needs only to take a look at his glittering career to be shown otherwise.

So, is there any chance for Berdych in this one?

Well, perhaps. In Nadal's first tournament back from injury, he lost on red clay to World No. 73 Horacio Zeballos. That loss was obviously ruled out as an anomaly and not an issue since he was coming back for the first time in seven months, but it's worth noting in that game the success that Zeballos had on his forehand against the Nadal forehand.

Zeballos is a left-hander, and he was able to attack on Nadal's attacking shots across court as a result of that—something that the right-handed Federer, Djokovic and Ferrer simply can't do on their backhands, as good as they might be.

Berdych, as we all know, is left-handed, and whilst that might simply seem like coincidence, their match at this tournament last year proves the exact opposite.

Nadal did win in straight sets, but at 6-4, 7-5, it was a very close fixture indeed. And most importantly, it was Berdych's forehand that kept him in the match. Thus, while it'll no doubt be tough for the Czech Republic international to beat Nadal here, Berdych will know exactly what he's up against.

Yet even still, it's very hard to see Nadal losing on red clay—both here at the Italian Open and in two weeks time in the 2013 French Open at Roland Garros.

Hit me up on Twitter for more sports goodness: Follow @dantalintyre

Making the Case for WAR as Baseball's Most Perfect Statistic

Jason Catania — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:30:00 -0400

Who needs peace when we've got WAR?

Wins Above Replacement, that is.

With sites like Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus making all sorts of statistics easily accessible and readily available, there's no shortage of interesting, intriguing, intelligent—even fun—metrics to consider.

But in the battle to be baseball's best stat, WAR wins.

While the advanced metric may be a bit perplexing to some and certainly isn't as popular or widespread as ol' reliables like batting average, or runs batted in or even more new-age numbers like on-base percentage, WAR has it over all of them.

Here's why...

One Stat Fits All

The biggest notch in WAR's belt is that it's one of the few stats that actually encompasses all aspects of any and all player performance.

By comparison, on-base percentage (OBP) is an offense-only number.

Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), for instance, expresses solely how good a player is on defense.

Ultimate Baserunning Runs (UBR) meanwhile, measures a player's proficiency on the basepaths alone.

And Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) puts a pitcher's performance into context.

WAR, on the other hand, is one-stop shopping for rating baseball players in all of the above: offense, defense, baserunning and pitching.

The fine folks at FanGraphs explain it as well as anyone:

Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is an attempt by the sabermetric baseball community to summarize a player’s total contributions to their team in one statistic. You should always use more than one metric at a time when evaluating players, but WAR is pretty darn all-inclusive and provides a handy reference point. WAR basically looks at a player and asks the question, “If this player got injured and their team had to replace them with a minor leaguer or someone from their bench, how much value would the team be losing?” This value is expressed in a wins format, so we could say that Player X is worth +6.3 wins to their team while Player Y is only worth +3.5 wins.

A Unified WAR

While the two sources for WAR, FanGraphs (a.k.a. fWAR) and Baseball Reference (a.k.a., rWAR), previously had slightly different methods of calculation that caused frustration and confusion, there's now a unified replacement level, as Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wrote back in March.

In other words, it's another win for WAR, as HardballTalk's Craig Calcaterra wrote:

[The separate methods] led to at least some confusion among more casual observers and led to a lot of potshots from the fans and the press looking to take issue with any stat more complicated than batting average. “Hey, why should we care about WAR if you guys can’t even agree what it is,” they would say...

Basically, baseball's best stat just got even better.

Don't Get Caught Up

The blank looks one gets while trying to explain Wins Above Replacement are understandable, because the metric inherently raises the question: "What the heck is replacement level?"

Here's a quick-and-dirty answer from Baseball Prospectus' Sam Miller, who wrote a piece on WAR for ESPN The Magazine's March issue:

A measure of the average production of a bench or minor league player who can be acquired freely at minimum cost. Used as the baseline for calculating WAR.

If that still leaves you scratching your head, the important thing is not to get caught up in the concept and construct of the statistic—if you want more on those aspects, though, feel free to click any of the links we've included to this point and read through. Instead, focus on how to use it.

What WAR Is Good For

This is where WAR really shines.

You see, WAR puts a number to the amount of wins a player adds to his team's win total, and well, what's a more basic stat than a "W?"

Let's put it in simple terms with a player everyone can agree is great: Ryan Braun.

In 2011, Braun posted a 7.3 WAR (per FanGraphs)—meaning he was worth seven wins more than a run-of-the-mill waiver-wire player or minor leaguer. That year, Braun ranked fifth-best in FanGraphs' WAR and second-best in the NL to Matt Kemp's 8.4.

You'll remember that the 2011 NL MVP race was a heated battle between—no real surprise here—Braun and Kemp, which Braun ultimately won in an extremely close vote.

Point being, regardless of which of the two you think the winner should have been, WAR pretty much told us who the top two players were.

Putting WAR in Context

So Kemp's 8.4 WAR and Braun's 7.3 WAR in 2011 were great, but let's put those numbers in context.

For this, once again, we'll turn to FanGraphs, which breaks down the general guidelines for what each range of WAR translates to in terms of performance in a single season:

That shows just how great Braun and Kemp were in 2011.

Comparisons Made Easy

Another reason WAR is fun—if you'll pardon the pun...and the rhyme?

"WAR is context, league, and park neutral. This means you can use WAR to compare players between years, leagues, and teams," as the FanGraphs glossary page points out.

Wanna know how great Mike Trout's rookie season was? Try all-time great: It was the 31st-best year ever at 10.0 WAR.

How about comparing two of the best center fielders in MLB history? In their careers, the Say Hey Kid was worth almost twice as many wins as The Kid.

Curious about where Justin Verlander—who's widely considered the best pitcher in the game—actually ranks among all active pitchers for his career? Try 12th-best and rising quickly.

We should point out here that WAR is a cumulative metric, both over the course of a single season and over a career, and Verlander has dozens or even hundreds of fewer career starts than the 11 hurlers ahead of him.

Not Perfect, But Pretty Close

So is WAR the perfect baseball statistic? Of course not.

There are so many aspects, layers and underlying statistics that get rolled into one single, solitary number—and depending on whether you use FanGraphs' WAR or Baseball Reference's WAR, even that one number is different for any given player in any given season or career.

Put another way: WAR is neat, but it isn't always tidy.

Still, the concept of Wins Above Replacement and all that goes into it—especially the metric itself—makes for a pretty remarkable stat.

If you were already familiar with WAR before reading this, then hopefully you learned something or at least appreciated the journey.

If you hadn't really paid attention to or even heard of WAR prior to this, well, here's hoping you'll at least do one thing going forward:

Give WAR a chance.

Ranking Kevin Garnett's Career Among NBA's Great Power Forwards

Sloan Piva — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:19:08 -0400

As Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett's career nears its end, the comparisons to top power forwards of the history of the game become more prevalent.

Garnett has moved his way up the all-time marks with points and rebounds, and proved himself as one of the best defenders to ever step foot on the hardwood.

But is Garnett the best power forward of all time?

The following eight slides reveal the best power forwards ever, detailing why Garnett ranked either above or below each one.

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Where Would the New England Patriots' Offensive Stars Play on Defense?

James DiMaio — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

What if the stars of the New England Patriots’ prolific offense were playing...on defense?

What position would Rob Gronkowski play? Tom Brady?

Strange thought, I know.

The Patriots' OTAs are still a week away, so while we’ve survived the bulk of the slowest part of the NFL offseason (if there is such a thing), we still need to think of creative ways to satisfy our football-hungry minds.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at this fantasy scenario.

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Ranking the Biggest Surprise Stars of the 2013 NBA Playoffs

Michael Pina — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

The NBA playoffs are a perfect setting for the unexpected.

Players who aren't household names and spent the entire regular season shaded behind their teams' superstar(s) are able to make a big enough impact on a big enough stage to really get noticed. Here are five such players.

Each one has elevated his game to another level through the opening two rounds, either helping his team advance past the first, thriving in the second or all of the above.

The players are ranked by the degree in which they've so far surprised us.

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NBA Playoffs 2013: Complete Preview and Prediction for Pacers vs. Knicks Game 6

Tyler Conway — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

With 75 percent of the NBA's Final Four being set, it only feels right that this knockout, drag-out series between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers is our only straggler.

Serving as almost a reluctant throwback to the teams’ 1990s battles, the two sides head into Game 6 on Saturday worn down—or at least looking worn down. Thursday night’s Game 5 affair, in which the Knicks extended the series to six with a 85-75 win, was arguably the ugliest-played game of the entire postseason.

Both sides came out so sloppy that it took the Pacers almost literally giving the Knicks the game for them to take it. And while New York will take any victory over an Indiana squad that has owned this series, it goes without saying that the Knicks will have to step up to send the teams back to Madison Square Garden for Game 7.

That will be easier said than done. The Pacers are yet to lose in five games Bankers Life Fieldhouse this postseason, and they are sure to give fans plenty of motivational ploys to get up for this game. Decibels might never reach Oracle Arena levels, but the Knicks are going to have to earn this one.

With that in mind, here is a quick breakdown of a couple things to watch and our prediction for Saturday night’s outcome.

Game Information

When: Saturday, May 18 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis

Watch: ESPN

Stream: WatchESPN

What to Watch For

Can the Pacers Adjust to Life Without George Hill?

When the Pacers announced that Hill would miss Thursday's Game 5 with a concussion, many saw it as a possible turning point in the series. Even though Indiana walked into Madison Square Garden with a 3-1 lead, the team's rotational ecosystem was so fragile that any major change could do irreparable harm—especially considering Hill's role as a primary ball-handler.

If the first game of the post-Hill experiment is any indication, those fears might have been understated. The Pacers offense cratered without their point guard on the floor, becoming an amalgam of bad shots and turnovers that would make even the worst version of Indiana's inconsistent offense blush.

They shot just 36.2 percent from the field and had exactly one player make half or more of his shots—Ian Mahinmi, who was a robust 2-of-2 from the field. One quick look at the Pacers' NBA.com shot locations chart from Thursday night and you want to charge through your computer screen like a raging bull.

That's even before we get to Indiana's dreadful 19-of-33 performance at the free-throw line.

However, bad shooting nights can happen with or without Hill. More disconcerting was the seemingly never-ending stream of turnovers giving New York extra possessions. Six different players had multiple turnovers on Thursday night, as the Pacers finished with 18 giveaways.

On the surface, this looks like just another bad game from a wildly inconsistent offense. Remember, these are the same Pacers who looked like one of the five worst offensive clubs in basketball history in their 105-79 loss in Game 2. They have a turnover rate of 19.8 percent for this series—which is dreadful—but it is also greater than their 19.2 percent rate in Game 5, per NBA.com.

So no need for panic, right? Well, not so much. Saying the Pacers offensive attack is fine because they kept a similar turnover rate would ignore how those costly cough-ups happened.

Without a go-to primary ball-handler in Indiana's lineup, the Knicks all but abandoned their risky trap-heavy schemes. The aggressiveness throughout the series has helped create turnovers but has also left New York susceptible to giving up wide-open jumpers—ones with which the Pacers offense thrived.

Indiana's turnovers on Thursday were just plain sloppy indicators of a struggling team trying to find its way without an integral cog in the scheme. D.J. Augustin, Hill's replacement in the starting lineup, knocked down a few threes but looked lost at times when serving as the team's primary caretaker.

There was also a semi-amusing stretch where Gerald Green—suddenly in the rotation after being absent for nearly the whole series—turned the ball over three times in about four minutes of game time in the third and fourth quarters.

With Hill being listed as doubtful for Game 6, Indiana is going to have to adjust and to simply be smarter. A repeat of Game 5's debacle would be a one-way ticket back to Madison Square Garden for Game 7.

Will Mike Woodson Trust Chris Copeland and Pablo Prigioni?

When a team is struggling as mightily as the Knicks have been in this series, a coach tends to get a bit tinker-happy with his rotations. For a coach who has been around his team long enough and seen it do marvelous things, one can imagine how frustrating it's been to see shots that went in all season suddenly clanking off the side of the backboard.

So Mike Woodson has adjusted. And then he's adjusted again. And again. And so on and so forth, most of the time to little avail.

Kenyon Martin started alongside Tyson Chandler in Game 4 to counter Indiana's size before Woodson realized how terrible that lineup was offensively. Amar'e Stoudemire arrived as the potential savior only to be vanquished almost instantly. And they keep bringing out poor Jason Kidd to shovel some more dirt on his NBA grave.

All of these small rotational flaws have come at least at the partial expense of two players whose presences have set flame to the Knicks' stagnating offense all postseason—Chris Copeland and Pablo Prigioni.

Judging from the ovations Prigioni got almost every time he touched the ball in Game 5, it's safe to say the Knicks fans have caught on to the Argentine guard's effect. The Knicks offense has been oft-prone to collapsing in on itself when Prigioni hasn't been on the floor, thanks to an emphasis on isolation plays.

Though New York has done a fantastic job of late creating ball movement, the numbers bear out the Prigioni Effect. The Knicks have scored 16 points more per 100 possessions when Prigioni is on the floor compared to when he's on the bench, per NBA.com. The 35-year-old guard acts as a catalyst to the offense, always looking to get the ball in a better position to score.

And while the Prigioni isn't known for his defense, New York has been better with him on the floor in that area as well. Any minutes currently being given to Kidd should be siphoned off to Prigioni immediately—even if it involves playing the aging guard a few more minutes than he's used to.

The same very well could be said for Copeland, the 29-year-old rookie who has been yo-yoed in and out of Woodson’s rotation more than any other player this season. Though he’s only played in eight games and in limited minutes this postseason, the Knicks’ offense has thrived with Copeland on the floor. Small sample-size alert applies here, but the Knicks are plus-17.6 per 100 possessions with Copeland on the floor, per NBA.com.

Copeland's use going forward will be particularly interesting because of the array of options he gives the Knicks. He can play either forward position and shoot the rock from beyond the arc, giving Woodson the opportunity to have a size-shooting combination not found elsewhere on the roster.

Copeland and Prigioni haven’t shared the floor much in this series, but here’s a snapshot of what it could look like for those into Knicks lineup ‘shipping.

If Woodson is able to trust his two older-than-usual rookies, the Knicks offense might finally get into a rhythm.

Prediction

We've gone through this whole mini-preview without mentioning the names Carmelo Anthony purposefully. Over the course of five games, we've seen how the Pacers are going to defend the Knicks star—almost no matter how New York plans on getting him the ball.

Vogel is going to throw Paul George on Anthony in one-on-one situations and have his All-Star forward stick to his opponent hard even after screens. The only times Anthony sees anyone other than George is in transition, where David West often has to take over, because ‘Melo guards him on the opposite end and when George is on the bench.

Through the sheer force of George’s defensive excellence and the Pacers’ helping schemes, they have been able to force Anthony into impossible shots—even for the league’s best maker of impossible shots. Even in his "return to form" in Game 5, ‘Melo shot just 12-of-28 from the field.

And with J.R. Smith's struggles have been more pronounced than Anthony's, the answer of where the Knicks get offense remains in flux. If more minutes for Prigioni and Copeland is your team’s best option to save its season (and it is), there might be some deeper problems in need of addressing.

Those problems, of course, are that the Pacers’ defense is the best in the league. It’s been that way the entire season, and Indiana’s offense has only needed to be good enough throughout this series.

It wasn’t in Game 5, and it’s questionable to whether it will be without Hill on Saturday. But this club has had wild variance with its offensive productivity all season, and we’ve learned to never bet against the Pacers at this point.

This will be close, as Indiana will struggle with turnovers, but look for the Pacers to advance to face Miami in a rematch of last year’s tantalizing showdown.

Score Prediction: Pacers 88, Knicks 86

Follow @tylerconway22

NBA Playoffs 2013: Predicting Winner for Saturday's Round 2 Game

Maxwell Ogden — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

The 2013 NBA playoffs will continue on Saturday, May 18, as the Eastern Conference Semifinals take center stage. With the action limited to one monumental game, however, all eyes will be on the Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The question is, how will the action transpire as the Indiana Pacers host the New York Knicks?

The Pacers enter Game 6 with a 3-2 series lead, but are coming off of an 85-75 loss at Madison Square Garden. With a potential Game 7 scheduled to be played in New York, the stage is set for Indiana to enter "must-win" territory.

As for the Knicks, they're one loss away from elimination—they've been in that scenario since Game 5.

Carmelo Anthony stepped up with 28 points in Game 6, while Chris Copeland supplied 13 huge points in 19 minutes. With Indiana going cold from the field and shooting just 36.2 percent, this enabled New York to grind out a close, but controlled, victory.

Don't expect Game 6 to be so one-sided offensively.

New York Knicks at Indiana Pacers, Game 6

Time: Saturday, May 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Stream: WatchESPN.com

Series Record: Indiana Pacers 3, New York Knicks 2

Indiana's X-Factor: George Hill's Health

The Indiana Pacers enter this game with both home-court advantage and a positional void that has led to a reasonable cause for concern. With all due respect to D.J. Augustin and his efforts during Game 5, that debilitating weakness can be found at the point guard position.

It's all about George Hill.

Hill is battling a concussion and was forced to miss Game 5—he could miss Game 6, as well.

Hill may not have the reputation of a top-tier point guard, but his impact on the Pacers has been undeniable. Not only has he helped lead their offense, but his defensive presence has been key for Indiana during the playoffs.

Just check the numbers.

Need we say more?

With Hill on the floor, the Pacers are the favorites to close out this series at home and move on to face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Without Hill, however, the Pacers proved how directionless their offense can be in Game 5.

Hill's health is the key here, and he'll need to pass the NBA's strict concussion tests to be available. Even if he is active, we can't help but wonder.

How effective can Hill be if he does play?

New York's X-Factor: J.R. Smith

The New York Knicks were playing like a title contender early in the postseason, winning three consecutive games over the Boston Celtics. Their defense was clicking on all cylinders, their offense was flowing when it needed to and they were just one win away from sweeping their rivals.

And then J.R. Smith was suspended for throwing an elbow at Celtics shooting guard Jason Terry.

Since Smith was suspended, he's averaging 13.3 points on a slash line of .294/.268/.733. Prior to the suspension, Smith had won the Sixth Man of the Year award and posted a regular-season average of 18.1 points per game.

Smith's disappearing act is a major reason for the Knicks going 3-5 during their past eight games and falling into a 3-2 hole against Indiana.

The fact that Smith has owned up to his mistakes is a step in the right direction.

During Game 5, Smith managed to go for 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block. Shooting 4-of-11 from the field is far from ideal, but Smith put together his most well-rounded game of the series.

The next step for the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is to find his jumper.

Prediction

The 2013 NBA playoffs have had their fair share of thrills, but we've seen just one Game 7. As one of the 1990s greatest rivalries rages on, the competitive nature and tension is growing, thus leaving us with one belief.

This series is destined to go to Game 7.

The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks met in six playoff series from 1993 to 2000. As fate would have it, they split those series at an even 3-3, going to seven games twice.

How did those two series go? You guessed it—both Indiana and New York won a seven-game series, earning yet another even split of 1-1.

In 2013, the rubber match will transpire, as both teams look to win the latest leg and earn bragging rights for their storied franchises.

The Pacers have a major question mark, as they enter this game with George Hill battling a concussion. As the previously alluded to statistics displayed, the Pacers are significantly worse when Hill is off of the floor.

Expect the Knicks to take advantage.

J.R. Smith may be struggling, but he's long overdue for a bounce-back performance—keep in mind, he won the Sixth Man of the Year award for a reason.

By rediscovering his shooting touch, Smith would thus provide Carmelo Anthony with the supporting fire he's so desperately needed. More importantly, he'd command the attention necessary for the Knicks' record-setting crop of three-point shooters to thrive.

Indiana is an elite defensive unit, but New York set the all-time record for three-point field goals made in one season—a strength we've yet to see in this series.

Indiana is far from helpless in this battle, as David West and Paul George will pace the offense and Roy Hibbert will man the interior. With that being said, we've yet to see New York play anything close to its regular-season standards.

Indiana deserves to be favored, but we cannot stress enough how important Hill's injury will be—this is New York's game to lose.

New York Knicks 92, Indiana Pacers 88

Devon Alexander vs. Lee Purdy: Odds and Prediction for Welterweight Clash

Alex Ballentine — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

IBF welterweight titleholder Devon Alexander (24-1) will enter his first fight as the IBF welterweight champion against Lee Purdy (16-3-1) as an overwhelming favorite.

After all, Purdy wasn't even expected to be challenging Alexander. He was a late replacement for mandatory challenger Kell Brook who was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a stress fracture in his right foot.

After Purdy missed weight for the second time in as many fights, the title will remain with Alexander regardless of who wins.

Despite the disappointing build to this fight, Alexander must now focus on living up to his favored status. An impressive win would show that he's prepared to step up to more well-known opponents in the future. Purdy, on the other hand, has the best opportunity in his career to make a statement by upsetting the champion.

Read on for a closer look at this welterweight clash.

When: Saturday, May 18 at 9 p.m. CT

Where: Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

TV: Showtime

Odds (according to Bovada): Alexander -2500, Purdy +1000

Keys for Alexander

There's a reason Alexander is the prohibitive favorite here. He's the much more gifted fighter athletically and is much more technical.

He has the hand speed and quickness to move in and score with clean combos, and move out without getting in danger. That being said, he needs to avoid getting into a brawl.

Alexander doesn't have incredible power, so forcing the knockout because he's facing an inferior opponent would not be wise. If he's patient and the knockout presents itself late in the fight, that's one thing, but his best path to victory is to utilize his quickness to frustrate Purdy.

Keys for Purdy

Purdy wasn't even supposed to be here and isn't expected to win so he has nothing to lose. He'll need to take advantage of that and swing for the fences.

The Englishman doesn't have the impressive athleticism or quickness of his foe, so the uglier the fight the better. He'll need to clinch, push and get on the inside if he wants to score and that will mean cutting off the ring and forcing Alexander to trade with him.

Purdy must get this fight to the ropes where he can force Alexander to brawl a bit. If he can get to the body early and slow Alexander down, he may have a shot to make this interesting.

Prediction: Alexander via TKO in Round 11

Alexander isn't the most exciting fighter in the world. He's not going to engage in a slugfest and he'll utilize his footwork to outpoint Purdy in the early rounds.

That's bad news for the underdog. If Purdy doesn't dish out some punishment to the body in the early going, Alexander will have plenty of energy to pour it on in the later rounds.

The champion doesn't have great power, but 11 rounds of getting beat is a lot for any fighter to take. Alexander should put Purdy away just before this one goes to the cards.

Rome Masters 2013: Predictions for Saturday's Men's Semifinal Action

Patrick Clarke — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

Three of the planet's top-six men's tennis players will be in action on Saturday in Rome, site of the 2013 Italian Open, the last stop before the French Open.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych will be joined by unseeded underdog Benoit Paire in the Italian capital, each aiming to inch one step closer to a Masters win.

So, will this weekend mark the first Federer-Nadal final since the 2011 French Open?

Here we'll take a closer look at Saturday's semifinal matchups, predicting a winner for each.

Tomas Berdych (6) vs. Rafael Nadal (5)

Six-time Italian Open champion Rafael Nadal enters Saturday's first semifinal matchup with Tomas Berdych riding an impressive 13-match winning streak against the Czech star.

That's right, Nadal hasn't lost to the 27-year-old Berdych since 2006 and is 14-3 against him all time.

On top of that, Nadal is 4-0 all-time against Berdych on clay, most recently defeating him in straight sets in the quarterfinals of this tournament a year ago.

Still, don't expect Nadal to roll over Berdych on Saturday. The 2010 Wimbledon finalist is coming off an upset win over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Friday in which he won nearly 80 percent of his first-serve points. If Berdych can recreate that performance on Saturday, Rafa could be in trouble.

Nadal was every bit as solid as Berdych in the quarterfinals, though, winning 40 percent of his first-serve return points and 52 percent of his second-serve return points against compatriot David Ferrer.

Assuming Rafa plays his usual, dominant clay-court game on Saturday, Berdych will have to be nearly superhuman in order to upend him. With the French Open looming, expect Nadal to get it done.

Prediction: Rafael Nadal

Benoit Paire vs. Roger Federer (2)

Frenchman Benoit Paire is clearly a player on the rise. The 24-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance this season in wins over Marin Cilic, Gilles Simon and most recently Juan Martin del Potro. Paire knocked off Delpo in straight sets in the third round on Thursday, acing the Argentine six times and winning 54 percent of his second-serve return points.

Unfortunately, the unseeded Paire has ways to go before he can be favored in a matchup against 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer.

The two last met in the first round at the 2013 Australian Open last January, with Fed winning easily in straight sets. Although these two have never met on clay, you have to love the Swiss legend's chances of claiming two sets.

After all, Fed has yet to drop a single set in Rome this week, cruising past Potito Starace, Gilles Simon and Jerzy Janowicz to reach the semifinals.

In Friday's straight-sets win over Janowicz, Federer looked like the Roger of old, recording 11 aces, zero double faults and winning over 70 percent of his service points.

Look for Fed to keep that momentum going on Saturday, beating Paire for the third-straight time to set up a thrilling Sunday final with his greatest rival.

Prediction: Roger Federer

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter.

Preakness 2013 Horses: Thoroughbreds Most Likely to End Orb'S Triple Crown Bid

Tyler Conway — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

There might be eight other horses in Saturday's 138th running of the Preakness Stakes, but there's no denying the thoroughbred at the center of the show.

Orb, having won this year's Kentucky Derby, heads into Saturday's race at Pimlico Race Course fighting against history. Affirmed in 1978 is the last horse to win all three of the United States' most storied three-year-old races, and the desperation for Orb to give it a good run is palpable.

Horse racing, once a bastion of American culture, has slowly devolved into a niche sport. It's only in these Triple Crown races where the pageantry and beauty of horse racing in high-definition creates a reverberating shock through the culture.

And to see Orb lose on Saturday at Pimlico would rob those grasping to those Triple Crown straws. Triple Crown season would peter out at the Belmont, yet another season having passed without a transcendent colt.

The last two horses to win at Churchill Downs and Pimlico, I'll Have Another last year and Big Brown in 2008, failed in the most heartbreaking of fashions. I'll Have Another didn't even start the 2012 Belmont Stakes while Big Brown stopped in his tracks down the stretch and failed to finish the race.

Having already become the first favorite since Big Brown to win a Kentucky Derby, Orb is an overwhelming favorite for the Preakness. At 10-11 morning line odds, Orb is viewed as being so superior to his competition that it almost seems skewed too far in his direction. And with the Shug McGaughey-trained horse drawing the inside post on Wednesday—a historic death knell for Preakness contenders—it might behoove folks to start taking a deeper look at the other horses in the race.

With that in mind, here is a quick look at a few horses most likely to take down Orb on Saturday.

Race Information

Where: Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Md.

When: Saturday, May 18

Post Time: 6:20 p.m. ET

Purse: $1 million

Television: NBC

Post Positions and Odds for 2013 Preakness Stakes

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	10-11
2	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O’Neill	8-1
3	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	28-1
4	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr	Albert M. Stall, Jr	13-2
5	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	13-2
6	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	16-1
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	12-1
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	10-1
9	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	10-1

Odds via Bovada

No. 2 Goldencents

Buoyed by a high-profile and scintillating pedigree, Goldencents came into the Kentucky Derby as one of the horses to watch. Trained by I'll Have Another's Doug O'Neill and partially owned by Louisville Cardinals basketball coach Rick Pitino, the horse seemed to have everything going for it prior to Churchill Downs.

And then the gun sounded. With Kevin Krigger atop the three-year-old colt, things quickly fell apart. Goldencents was obviously not in his finest form whatsoever, and the horse languished toward the back of the pack.

In a field of 19 horses, Goldencents finished 17th. The thoroughbred could not handle the untenable conditions at Churchill Downs, as a cascading rain turned the entire infield into a mud pit. With so many formerly respected contenders pulling out at Pimlico, many wondered whether it was even worth it for O'Neill to bring his horse to the second Triple Crown race.

In typical O'Neill fashion, he and Goldencents arrived first. With a promising forecast (per Weather.com) and Krigger, one of the world's best jockeys, atop Goldencents, O'Neill is feeling quite confident again heading into the Preakness.

"I think we're going to see a much better result Saturday," O'Neill said (per the Associated Press).

Derby disappointment aside, O'Neill has plenty of reasons for confidence. Lining up at the No. 2 post, Goldencents and Krigger have the best opportunity to block off Orb's journey to the front. As pointed out by Rick Snider of the Washington Examiner, grabbing early position will be critical to the effort:

That makes the beginning of this race absolutely critical for Goldencents' chances. If you see Krigger successfully get to the inside without creating havoc, his colt might finally live up to its prestigious hype.

No. 5 Mylute

Any conversation about Mylute's chances begin with jockey Rosie Napravnik. The ascendant young jockey has become the toast of the town during this Triple Crown period, as her journey to semi-national stardom has been one of this week's biggest storylines.

If Mylute wins, Napravnik would bring forth a cavalcade of firsts. Trainer Tom Amoss would win his first Preakness after having so long been among the most respected names in the business. The Fair Grounds Hall of Fame member has never captured a Triple Crown race

And Napravnik, who rode Mylute to a respectable fifth-place finish at Churchill Downs, will be looking to become the first female jockey in history to win the Preakness. She is the only female jockey in the field, so that cross is hers alone to bear.

While the odds might seem stacked against her on the surface—I mean it is the138th race—that's not completely the case. The New Jersey native spent her youth riding at Pimlico, winning her first race at the legendary track and eventually capturing all the riding titles.

She spoke to the Associated Press' David Ginsburg (h/t The Boston Globe) about the kinship she feels at the Baltimore track earlier this week.

‘‘It’s always an advantage if you know a track well,’’ Napravnik said. ‘‘I won a lot of races at Pimlico and I like the track. I know the track like the back of my hand, and I appreciate that fact.’’

That's one of just many things pointing toward a strong run from Mylute Saturday. The three-year-old colt is the highest finisher other than Orb to enter the Preakness Stakes this year, and is looking to make some strategical changes to improve that standing.

According to TVG's Twitter feed, Amoss is considering pushing for a more aggressive pace throughout the run on Saturday:

It's an interesting strategy, one that could only work on the Preakness' semi-short track. But there's a decent enough shot that the risk pays a massive reward—especially with a veteran like Napravnik leading the way.

No. 8 Govenor Charlie

Legendary trainer Bob Baffert's decision to not enter any of his horses into the 2013 Kentucky Derby came as a major shock. Baffert has become a yearly fixture at the track, with three wins at the sport's most prestigious race on his resume. And with a well-respected horse like Govenor Charlie in his stable, the decision was shocking to almost everyone.

Though he waited until the very last minute, Baffert wouldn't give the remaining trainers that same pleasure at the Preakness. He entered Govenor Charlie in this week's race, and though there are three "new shooters" in this field, it's hard to argue against the Baffert-led colt being the best contender among them.

Baffert, though, has spent his entire week effusively praising Orb. As pointed out by the Lexington Herald-Leader's horse racing feed, Baffert has a healthy adoration of the Preakness favorite:

That being said, Govenor Charlie won't be entering this race merely hoping to finish second. Speaking with the Baltimore Sun's Chris Korman, Baffert noted he thinks he's bringing a real contender to Pimlico.

"Can we beat Orb?" he said. "We don't know, but I think he could be 1-2-3."

Contending at Pimlico is something Baffert knows quite a bit about. He's won five Preakness Stakes championships in 13 races entered prior to Saturday's race, and the legendary trainer is already off to a strong start.

Fiftyshadesofhay, a Baffert-trained three-year-old filly, won this year's Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday. The victory was yet another indication of Baffert's expert navigator skills on this course, and jockey Martin Garcia is no slouch, either.

Govenor Charlie might not join Fiftyshadesofhay in the winner's circle, but anything less than a top-three finish would be a shocker.

Preakness 2013 Favorites: Analyzing Chances of Orb and Top Contenders

Tim Daniels — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

Affirmed was the last horse to win the Triple Crown. His trifecta of victories came in 1978 and marked the second straight year a horse accomplished the feat. Heading into the Preakness Stakes, Orb has a legitimate chance to end the drought.

Ultimately, the Preakness should be the easiest of the three races for Orb. The Kentucky Derby had a field of 19 horses and the Belmont Stakes features more distance. If the derby winner is as dominant as he looked two weeks ago, he should cruise at Pimlico.

Races aren't run on paper, though. Orb will have to go out there and outperform eight other talented three-year-old horses to move within one victory of the Triple Crown. Let's analyze his chances of coming out on top as well as those of the other top contenders.

All odds are courtesy of the race's official site.

1. Orb (1-1)

One of the most astonishing things about Orb's Kentucky Derby triumph was how easy he made it look. Near the back of the field for most of the race, he made his move during the final turn and was in firm control before the finish line.

It was an effortless move. Orb overcame more than a dozen horses without being pushed to the limit. That bodes well for his chances against a much smaller field. It also gives him some margin for error in case he gets off to a poor start.

Breaking from the inside gate won't be an issue since there aren't as many horses charging toward the rail. As long as jockey Joel Rosario is able to control his pace in the early going, there's no reason to believe Orb won't end up in the winner's circle.

2. Mylute (5-1)

Mylute serving as the second oddsmakers' choice for the morning line highlights the shaky field. His best overall performance was a second-place finish in the Louisiana Derby. He's won just two of his 10 career starts, neither one being a Graded Stakes race.

Furthermore, Mylute finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby. So while he's shown some flashes of promise, starts like a seventh-place showing in the Risen Star Stakes makes it tough to believe he'll be able to keep pace with Orb.

That's not to say Mylute wouldn't be a good option for some exotic wagers. It wouldn't be a surprise if he slips into third place or potentially even second. Outlasting Orb without having defeated an elite field would be a shock, though.

3. Departing (6-1)

Departing, who didn't race against Orb and Mylute in the first leg, is an intriguing horse. He won the Illinois Derby with a time fractions quicker than Orb's win in the Florida Derby, which was his last start before the Kentucky Derby and at the same distance.

It doesn't prove that he's a better horse than Orb, but it does illustrate that he's capable of going stride for stride with him on his best day. And all it takes is one good trip in the Preakness to derail dreams on Orb winning the Triple Crown.

Unlike Mylute, Departing has proven he can win big races. Along with the Illinois Derby, he also won the Texas Heritage Stakes. Although it would take a perfect ride from Brian Hernandez Jr., it's impossible to count him out. Orb is the rightful top choice, however.

Preakness 2013 Entries: Horses That Will Benefit Most from Post Positions

Mike Chiari — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

The Kentucky Derby post-position draw was a major event that generated a ton of buzz. The same can't be said for the Preakness Stakes draw, but it could ultimately be just as important in determining the winner.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness is the number of horses involved. There were 19 horses in the Derby, but only nine will start in The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans. That means there will be much more space for the horses to operate at Pimlico Race Course, but it doesn't render the starting positions irrelevant.

Here are three horses that drew solid post positions and will use them to their advantage during Saturday's second leg of the Triple Crown.

Starting Order

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	10-11
2	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	8-1
3	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	28-1
4	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr.	Albert M. Stall Jr.	13-2
5	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	13-2
6	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	16-1
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	12-1
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	10-1
9	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	10-1

*Betting odds courtesy of Bovada

Orb

The No. 1 starting position is generally considered to be a terrible spot to be in. That isn't necessarily always the case, however. The quality of the horse is the most important thing, and if a horse is good enough, then the No. 1 slot can become favorable. That figures to be the case on Saturday as Kentucky Derby winner Orb will start near the rail.

If there were more horses in the Preakness it might be a troubling spot, but Orb should be perfectly fine. In fact, starting near the rail could be a great thing as it will almost force him to hang back. Orb won the Kentucky Derby thanks to a late kick, so it is clear that he is at his best when coming from behind. His trainer, Shug McGaughey, isn't concerned in the least, according to Claire Novak of Blood-Horse.

It doesn't seem like the oddsmakers or the bettors were scared off by Orb starting first, and there is really no reason to be scared off anyway. Orb is such a strong horse that he has the ability to win from anywhere on the track. As long as jockey Joel Rosario handles him the same way he did in the Kentucky Derby, Orb will be fine. When push comes to shove, the No. 1 position will prove to be a great one for Orb.

Will Take Charge

I have made my affinity known for Will Take Charge as a long-shot in the Preakness Stakes, and his starting position only furthers that feeling. Will Take Charge will start seventh in the nine-horse field, so he should be able to do whatever jockey Mike Smith deems fit. Will Take Charge looked very strong late in the Kentucky Derby and he might have been a contender had he not run into traffic. He ultimately finished eighth and enters the Preakness as a threat.

Much like Orb, Will Take Charge appeared to get better as the Kentucky Derby wore on. That doesn't mean the same thing is guaranteed to happen in the Preakness, but Will Take Charge appears to be more similar to Orb than any other horse. Also, Will Take Charge has history on his side. According to Tim Wilkin of the Albany Times Union, the No. 7 position has been the most successful starting spot in the Preakness since 1990.

A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that great horses have drawn No. 7, but it shouldn't be discounted. No. 7 is ideal as it is outside, but it is still close to the middle and isn't extreme in either direction. It is much easier to react and adjust from the seventh spot than it is from the very outside or the very inside. Regardless of what happens in this race, Will Take Charge should be able to avoid another bad trip.

Mylute

While Orb is the odds-on favorite to win the Preakness, Departing and Mylute are next in line at 13-2. Mylute is an especially interesting horse as he performed very well in the Kentucky Derby with a fifth-place finish. He is also quite experienced with 10 races to his credit. All of those things make Mylute a contender to win the Preakness, but the fact that he is starting No. 5 may be the biggest thing working in his favor.

Mylute will essentially start right in the middle and should have plenty of avenues, just like Will Take Charge at No. 7. Mylute hung off the pace for much of the Kentucky Derby before making a late push and coming up just short of the ultimate goal. He should be able to do the same thing in the Preakness. One person who is especially happy about Mylute's post position is jockey Rosie Napravnik, who is looking to become the first woman to win the Preakness Stakes.

Napravnik probably couldn't have asked for a better starting position than No. 5. She doesn't have to worry about getting forced into anything and can ensure that Mylute runs at her desired pace. Whether or not Mylute has enough to overtake Orb is anyone's guess, but at least he won't be hindered by a poor starting gate. If Napravnik navigates a perfect race, Mylute definitely has a shot.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

What Should and Will Happen at WWE Extreme Rules 2013

Anthony Rizzuti — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:32:41 -0400

What can we expect to go down at WWE's Extreme Rules come Sunday?

Will the WWE Champion John Cena put an end to Ryback and his rule? Can Triple H tame the beast in Brock Lesnar? And will The Shield be able to walk out of St. Louis, Mo., with some gold?

Well, here are my thoughts on what should and what will happen at the company's most extreme event of the year.

Begin Slideshow

What Kobe Bryant Wishes He Could Have Tweeted During LA Lakers' 1st-Round Exit

Ehran Khan — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:21:36 -0400

Sidelined with a torn Achilles and unable to travel with the team, Kobe Bryant took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Game 1 of the first-round matchup between his Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs.

Bryant's insights delighted the Twitterverse, and ABC's broadcast often displayed and discussed his tweets at length.

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni was even asked about Bryant's online commentary after the game. That's when Bryant decided to hold his tongue (and his thumbs) until the series came to its final, grisly conclusion.

To tweet or not to tweet.. I CHOOSE not 2. Focus should be on the team not my insight. @georgelopez voice "Can't DO nothin!"#vinospeare

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 22, 2013

What if he never muzzled himself though, and kept delivering candid nuggets throughout the series?

Here are five tweets Bryant wished he could have sent out.

Begin Slideshow

The Doctor's WWE Main Event/SmackDown Recap: Final Shows Before Extreme Rules

The Doctor Chris Mueller — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:35:06 -0400

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to my weekly Main Event and SmackDown recap list. I always appreciate my loyal readers, but for those of you who are new, each week I recap Main Event and SmackDown with a long list.

The entries are made up of equal parts observations, humor, recap, play-by-play, revelations, speculations, questions, answers and anything else I notice during the show. I sometimes comment on commercials, too, just because I get bored during them.

I try to interject some fun into these lists, so I hope you have fun reading this week's list of the things we learned, loved and hated from the show.

Main Event

1. After the usual opening recap video, we see Kane make his way to the ring.
2. I am a little surprised Daniel Bryan isn't with him.
3. Seth Rollins makes his way out through the crowd with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose by his side.
4. I am so happy they are wrestling more singles matches lately.
5. Rollins and Reigns appear to have used axle grease in their hair judging from the sheen.
6. Rollins uses his quickness to get an early advantage, but Kane eventually hits a big boot to take control in one shot.
7. Miz brings up John Morrison on commentary. It always surprises me when they mention a former WWE Superstar. It used to be a crime in WWE to do that.
8. Kane comes really close to hitting the Tombstone at one point, but Rollins squirmed out of it and went to the outside.
9. All three members of the group surround the ring to throw Kane off, but when Rollins comes in, he gets back dropped right out of the ring onto Reigns.
10. Am I the only one who looks at Seth Rollins' hair and wonders why he only dyed one part of his head and not an entire half?
11. We return right as Kane hits a suplex for a near fall.
12. Rollins avoids a Chokeslam and hits a kick to the back of Kane's head to get some breathing room.
13. Ambrose punches Kane in the face when the ref has his back turned.
14. JBL has been on commentary so much lately that not having him there is noticeable.
15. Things aren't as exciting without his energy.
16. Rollins gets turned inside out by a clothesline.
17. Rollins takes Kane from the top rope to the floor with a jumping kick as we head to another break.
18. We return to see Rollins in control with a headlock.
19. Rollins grabs Kane and pulls his head into the middle turnbuckle in a brutal-looking way for a near fall.
20. Rollins comes off the middle rope right into an uppercut from Kane.
21. Kane gets a head of steam and starts hitting all his signature offense.
22. Rollins comes off the top rope and almost gets caught in a Chokeslam, but he counters into a roll up, which Kane counters back into a Chokeslam.
23. He uses Rollins to knock Reigns off the apron and then hits the Chokeslam, but Ambrose comes in and causes a DQ before Kane can pin Rollins.
24. Kane gets speared by Reigns when he grabs Ambrose by the throat and all three men start laying into Kane.
25. The Usos come running down the ramp to even the odds and the babyfaces send The Shield running.
26. Reigns took a nasty kick from one of the Usos. I wonder if they grew up beating each other up at family reunions?

27. I imagine their dads, Rikishi and Sika, coming over to break it up and then getting into their own fight about whose kids are tougher.
28. Meanwhile Rosey, Samu and Manu are being yelled at by Afa about not being as cool as Dwayne.
29. Imagine the pressure to become a wrestler if you are born into that family. It must be nuts.

30. Last week I compared Antonio Cesaro to a Die Hard villain, but I think the comparison actually fits The Shield better.
31. Ambrose is obviously the Alan Rickman of the group. Rollins is the guy Bruce Willis kills while falling down a flight of stairs, and Reigns is the guy who gets shot by Carl Winslow.
32. Would that make John Cena the Bruce Willis in this situation?
33. Oh, God! I apologize to Bruce Willis and his family for that comparison. It was uncalled for.
34. Seriously though, Die Hard is awesome.
35. Wow! Akira Shinmei is back! (If anyone gets that reference without looking it up, I will be shocked.)

36. I sort of feel like I was lied to learning that all Power Rangers shows just film US storylines and dub over Japanese Super Sentai action sequences.
37. If WWE had any faith in the Sin Cara character anymore, then his return would have been a bigger deal. He has probably been injured almost as much as he has been healthy in WWE.
38. He is nowhere near Evan Bourne's amount of time injured, but he is getting there.
39. I almost forgot Wade Barrett was IC champion. It feels like we have barely seen him lately.
40. The bell rings and those stupid yellow lights come on over the ring. I hate that part of his gimmick so much.
41. It didn't work with Glacier in WCW and it won't work with Sin Cara. Give it up, WWE, and let me watch a match where everyone doesn't look orange.
42. Nice. Wade Barrett actually makes a little gesture at his own unhappiness with the lighting as the match starts.
43. Barrett takes control right off the bat.
44. The look on his face after he knocked Sin Cara out of the ring with a boot to the face was hilarious.
45. He just looked so happy.
46. I like that Miz talks about how he wants to be back where he used to be in the main event and not on the pre-show of the pay-per-views.
47. Sin Cara comes back and starts building some momentum with a nice springboard cross body followed by a springboard dropkick to the back of Barrett.
48. Sin Cara leaps off the top rope, but he jumps over Barrett and lands on his feet. Barrett runs at him and hits The Winds of Change for a two-count.
49. Barrett tries for a powerbomb, a move he never uses, and Sin Cara turns it into a huracanrana like he always does.
50. Cara gets the pin and the upset over Barrett.
51. WWE is throwing him right into a title feud, it would appear. Maybe they have bigger plans for him that I thought.

52. Cody Rhodes is in the ring when we return to face Justin Gabriel.
53. I like that Gabriel is getting more TV time lately, even if he isn't winning every match.
54. Gabriel gets the advantage after a suplex to Rhodes from the apron into the ring.
55. Rhodes comes back with a neckbreaker for a two-count.
56. Gabriel uses his quickness to regain control, but after some counters back and forth he gets planted by the Alabama Slam by Rhodes for a two-count.
57. Cody hits Cross Rhodes to get the pin and the win in a quick, but entertaining match.
58. Rhodes and Miz have a little staredown after the match.
59. That was a pretty good show. We had three matches, and the return of a Superstar from the injured list.
60. The second and third matches being short did not really take away from the show at all. I will take a one-hour show with three matches if it means guys like Rhodes, The Usos and Gabriel are being featured more.
61. Main Event has been hitting all the right notes lately. I feel like I am waiting for something to screw it up. Does that make me jaded or just an average wrestling fan?

SmackDown

62. I have come to accept the opening recap videos as part of the show. I was hard on them at first, but now I actually pay attention to them in case I forgot something from the previous week.
63. MizTV is back and his guests this week are Big Show and Randy Orton.
64. The set for Miz's show has been reduced to the sign above the ring and a black carpet. no furniture for anyone to break.
65. Where's the fun in that? The best part is when someone has a couch thrown at them.
66. Lately I find myself missing MVP's V.I.P. Lounge, and MVP in general.
67. I feel like if he returned right now, he would be welcomed back with such open arms by fans that WWE would have no choice but to push him.
68. I am willing to bet he has improved in the ring significantly after spending some time in Japan, and WWE could use someone like MVP to stir things up a bit.
69. Big Show and Orton yammer back and forth about who is going to win on Sunday.

70. Did Orton just Britta pronouncing "inaccurate?"
71. Orton reminds us that Extreme Rules is in his hometown and that is why he is going to win.
72. Interesting. Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter come out for some reason.
73. Colter says Sunday will belong to Swagger because he will make Alberto Del Rio quit.
74. Alberto Del Rio comes out, too.
75. Teddy Long cannot be far behind to make this into a tag match.
76. I just had a brilliant idea. What if Ricardo Rodriguez had his own personal announcer to bring him out before he brings out Alberto Del Rio.
77. The gimmick couldn't last more than a few weeks, but it would be hilarious because it would acknowledge that Ricky is just as popular as Del Rio, if not moreso.
78. Mark Henry comes out and talks about he is going to beat Sheamus.
79. None of these people really had a great reason to come out during Orton and Show's segment.
80. Sheamus is quick to follow. Teddy has to be lurking somewhere waiting to turn this into a six-man match now.
81. Somehow the segment ends without anyone coming out and making a match out of it.
82. Hahahaha! Teddy comes out after the break and makes the match after everyone has already left. Ridiculous.
83. You're getting a little slow, Teddy.
84. The Shield make their way out next so Rollins and Reigns can take on The Usos after what happened on Main Event.
85. Rollins must feel like the friend someone brought to a family party right now.
86. The Usos start off strong by controlling Rollins, but eventually Reigns gets the tag and puts a stop to all their momentum.
87. Reigns ends up taking out one of the Usos with a spear to get a quick win.
88. Kofi Kingston comes out and helps the Usos even the odds with a steel chair after The Shield attack The Usos after the match.

89. I have to admit, the theme song for Extreme Rules makes the promo for the Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H match seem exciting.
90. Miz is talking to Teddy backstage about returning to SmackDown and Damien Sandow walks in.
91. He says Miz never should have returned, and he should have his own show called The Damien Sandow Show.
92. I love the idea, but Teddy is hesitant and puts him in a match against Miz for later.
93. Did Josh Mathews just call Damien Sandow, General Zod?
94. It's an apt comparison. they share some similarities in both appearance and character.
95. The new Superman movie better be awesome. The last one was not up to snuff.
96. Tons of Funk take on The Prime Time Players after the break.
97. Clay and Tensai control Darren Young until Titus takes out Sweet T while he is outside the ring.
98. Titus tags in and keeps up the offense to Tensai.
99. Tensai avoids Titus in the corner, who hits the turnbuckle with more force than you would think possible.
100. Clay and Young both get tagged in and Clay comes in hot with plenty of power moves.
101. Titus saves the match after a slam and JBL talks about how the ref might have screwed up the call.
102. Titus was a little late breaking up the pin, and the ref clearly stopped his hand a split second before Titus hit Clay.
103. Young gets sandwiched between Clay and Tensai in the middle of the ring.
104. They hit the double splash to give Tons of Funk the pin and the win.

105. Cole plugs what will probably be the match of the night before we head to a break: Chris Jericho vs. Antonio Cesaro.
106. I know the commercials are not the same everywhere, but did anyone else see a commercial for UFC 160 that showed Brock Lesnar being owned by Cain Velasquez during this break? It was kind of funny.
107. I have also seen a ridiculous amount of advertising for Merlin recently. Is that show popular?

108. I grew up with a Merlin who had a long beard, an owl named Archimedes and a somewhat senile personality, so I might not accept some 20-something as Merlin, even if it is an origin story.
109. The Merlin I speak of is from The Sword in the Stone film from 1963, which is the best Disney cartoon next to the Robin Hood where all the parts were played by animals.
110. Jericho and Cesaro lock up after the bell.
111. Jericho runs right into a shoulder block from Cesaro that sends him down to the mat.
112. Cesaro takes a break outside the ring after Jericho hits a dropkick.
113. Showing what is happening on the WWE app in the corner of the screen is distracting.
114. Cesaro tries to suplex Jericho to the outside of the ring, but Jericho blocks it and hits a triangle dropkick to send Cesaro off the apron as we head to a break.
115. Antonio Cesaro seems like he would have been a perfect fit for WWE in the '80s.
116. He looks like he would have been a great opponent for babyfaces like Sgt. Slaughter, The Big Bossman and Hulk Hogan.
117. Jericho fights up out of a headlock when we return from the break.
118. Jericho starts to build some momentum, but he looks exhausted.
119. Cesaro powers out of the Walls of Jericho and he gets the knees up during the Lionsault.
120. Jericho hits an enzuigiri out of nowhere for a two count.
121. Cesaro comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for another close near fall.
122. Cesaro tries for a Neutralizer, but Jericho counters and tries for the Walls of Jericho again, only to be kicked off.
123. Cesaro nails Jericho with a huge uppercut as Y2J came leaping off the top rope.
124. That looked awesome.
125. Jericho counters the delayed gutwrench and finally locks in the Walls to make Cesaro tap.

126. That was a good match. Cesaro may be losing a lot lately, but he is looking good losing to top guys in great matches.
127. Summer Rae comes out on the stage after the match and distracts Jericho, but Jericho turns and sees Fandango coming at him from behind in time to cut him off.
128. Jericho fights off both Fandango and Cesaro. He ends the segment by giving Cesaro a Codebreaker.

129. Fandango's new pants remind me of Fruit Stripe gum. I wonder if Fandango's popularity will last longer than the flavor of that gum?
130. The commercial for this gum proves that ads geared towards children do not have to make any sense whatsoever. What do a rainbow-colored zebra riding a Ducati or aliens have to do with gum?

131. Zeb Colter and Jack Swagger give us their first We The People video in quite some time. The subject of this video is "Extreme." It's the same basic stuff we have seen from them in recent months.
132. Colter makes reference to some real-life issues in the government while talking about Swagger winning on Sunday.
133. Cody Rhodes is on commentary to watch his best friend take on Miz.
134. Now I can't stop thinking about General Zod when I look at Damien Sandow. Thanks, Josh Mathews.
135. Miz and Sandow exchange some offense early on, but the commentary is what is really drawing my attention for some reason.
136. Rhodes gets on a mic and tells the audience to show some respect for Damien Sandow.
137. That was kind of smart. The crowd was starting to die and that got some quick heat.
138. Sandow puts Miz through all his signature offense leading into the Elbow of Disdain.
139. Damien Sandow is so good in so many ways. He is gold on the mic, he really works well with just about anyone in the ring, and he is genuinely funny.
140. If I could pick one Superstar for Sandow to feud with it would be Dean Ambrose. One of them might have to turn babyface for it to work, but just imagine the promos those two would deliver to each other.

141. Sandow and Ambrose had a match for the FCW Jack Brisco 15 Championship which I will include for your enjoyment. It is better than anything we have seen on WWE TV this week.
142. The FCW Jack Brisco 15 Championship was a really interesting concept that might work in WWE.
143. The champion had a medal instead of a belt, and every title match was a 15-minute Ironman match.
144. There were only a handful of champions before it was retired when FCW became NXT, but it is something I would enjoy seeing brought to WWE television.
145. Cody Rhodes not knowing who Errol Flynn is really disappoints me. He was Robin Hood.
146. He was a lot of other things, too, but Robin Hood is a big part of his legacy.
147. Miz starts to build some momentum and he runs through his five moves of doom.
148. Miz grabs Sandow's leg, but Rhodes provides a distraction.
149. Miz counters Sandow again and locks in the Figure Four to get the submission win.
150. That was a good match. Both guys got in all their signatures on each other and Rhodes did not have a huge impact on the match.

151. Aksana is in the ring to face Kaitlyn after the break.
152. They show Kaitlyn getting flowers from her secret admirer backstage.
153. Josh Mathews thinks her secret admirer is Sin Cara because he is ugly and wears a mask.
154. Is Josh Mathews playing the heel a bit more lately?
155. Kaitlyn controls the early part of the match, but Aksana grounds her and slows things down.
156. Cole and Mathews argue about text messages and JBL makes a quick reference to Anthony Weiner.
157. Cole makes a reference to Mark Sanford. Why are they talking about politicians with scandals instead of the match?
158. Kaitlyn wins with a spear. I barely noticed. Maybe that's why the announcers went off on a tangent.

159. Lilian gives Ricardo Rodriguez a Spanish introduction and Ricardo gives Del Rio an English introduction.
160. After a break, we see everyone has made their way out for the six-man tag match.
161. Swagger and Del Rio start things off, with Del Rio taking the early lead.
162. At this point, I went to my DVR and watched this week's Modern Family. I am just so tired of seeing these six guys in different variations of matches with each other.
163. After putting the show back on, I see Del Rio hit a running kick to Swagger's shoulder.
164. Orton comes in and stomps on Swagger's hand.
165. Swagger comes back and starts to work over Orton's leg until he gets hit with Orton's picture-perfect dropkick.
166. Del Rio comes back in and he ends up hitting a suicide dive to Swagger on the outside.
167. Swagger ends up taking Del Rio down from the top rope the hard way and then tagging in Big Show.
168. Show stands on Del Rio's back for a full four-count.
169. Quick tags from the heels keep Del Rio in their corner.
170. We head to a break with Big Show back in the ring controlling the match.
171. We come back to Del Rio mounting some offense and avoiding Swagger in the corner so Swagger hits his shoulder into the ring post.
172. Del Rio can't make the tag as Big Show comes in and pulls him to the middle of the ring.
173. Del Rio counters Big Show and tags in Sheamus, who comes in hot with plenty of offense to Big Show.
174. Sheamus breaks out of a Chokeslam and hits White Noise before he calls for the Brogue Kick.
175. Big Show grabs him with a Chokeslam, but somehow Sheamus kicks out.
176. Swagger comes back in and drops some elbows on Sheamus.
177. Sheamus fights back and gets the tag to Orton.
178. Swagger totally no-sells Orton's signature backbreaker.
179. Everyone starts hitting their finishers on each other until Orton hits Swagger with an RKO for the pin and the win.
180. The show ends with Orton, Sheamus and Del Rio celebrating in the ring.
181. This was the final show before Extreme Rules, and I think WWE did a decent job addressing all the feuds that they could in a two-hour show.
182. Jericho and Cesaro had the match of the night, which seems to be a trend whenever Cesaro and his opponent are given 10 minutes or more to be creative.
183. I hope WWE has something up their sleeve, because Extreme Rules is not looking like a card with a lot of potential for shocking outcomes.

184. This past week featured the series finale of one of my favorite shows of all time, The Office. I have been a fan since discovering the original British version on DVD in 2004, and was very excited when the show was adapted in the US in 2005.
185. While I was very sad to see it go, there was a sense of closure to the show's finale, and it got me thinking about moving on to new things.
186. The Office lasted for around 200 episodes, and I have done close to that many recap lists. I have lost count if I am being honest.
187. Doing these lists has been one of my great pleasures for the past couple of years, but anyone who has been a long-time reader knows I have always tinkered with the format and tried to make changes.
188. While the response from readers has always been extremely positive and humbling, I feel like it is time to move on and try something new.
189. Therefore, next week's recap list will be my last. I will do my best to make sure I go out on a high note, but I feel like it's time to move on.
190. I will be back the following week with something new. A new weekly recap format that hopefully continues to entertain you while allowing me to explore new formats. I am sure this decision will be met with some criticism, but I hope you allow me the chance to entertain you in a new way after next week's final list.
191. As always, thank you so much for reading my goofy thoughts, and feel free to leave your thoughts on the show below. Also, join me here on Bleacher Report for live coverage of Extreme Rules on Sunday,

Follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor

Breaking Down What Rajon Rondo Must Do to Become Elite NBA Point Guard

Jared Dubin — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:27:38 -0400

Rajon Rondo is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA, especially when it comes to discussions of his value. Coaches, players and writers in league circles often list him amongst the best players in the league.

Others, however, dispute that notion, pointing out that stats such as John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating (PER) don't reflect highly on him, and that despite Rondo's true point guard virtues, the Celtics offense he runs hasn't been very efficient since he's been handed the keys.

The term elite is an amorphous one—it can mean wildly different things to different people. So while it's safe to say that Rondo is a well above-average player and point guard, the question of whether he's truly one of the best in the league is up for debate. To solidify his standing among the game's best, there are a few things he needs to do.

First and foremost, he must not return from his ACL injury until he is 100 percent healthy—both physically and mentally.

One need look no further than Gilbert Arenas for an example of what happens to players who come back to the court too soon after a serious knee injury. Along with the risk of re-injury to the same knee, there is also the risk of your body overcompensating for the original injury in ways that can do even more permanent damage.

Of course, injuries are not only physical. There is a mental hurdle to clear as well. You need to be able to trust that your body will respond the way you want or need it to. If that trust isn't there, nothing else matters. Coming back before being mentally ready can be just as damaging as coming back before being physically ready.

By contrast, the absolute worst thing that happens if you wait to come back is you catch some flak in the more impatient corners of the media, a la Derrick Rose. In the grand scheme of things, waiting and ensuring physical and mental readiness is well-worth the tradeoff.

Once he does get back on the court, the obvious improvement Rondo should make is with his outside shooting. Luckily, he appears to have history on his side.

According to Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal, the 20 NBA players since 2003 aged 26 or younger at the time of their ACL tear have seen a collective 4 percent increase in their mid-range shooting percentage—defined as shots taken between 16 and 23 feet from the basket—rising from 38 percent pre-tear to 42 percent post-tear. Rondo falls into this group, having turned 27 years old shortly after his tear.

Rondo has never been considered an elite shooter, particularly from range, but he did shoot 48 percent on shots between 16 and 23 feet from the basket before getting hurt this season, according to HoopData.

While that percentage is likely unsustainable—he shot 33, 41 and 39 percent from 16 to 23 feet in the three seasons prior to this one—maintaining a low-to-mid-40s percentage would be a welcome development.

With Rondo, though, it's not even always about the ability to make shots but the willingness to take them.

If we define outside shots as those from 16 to 23 feet plus three-pointers, Rondo ranked 25th out of the 28 point guards who appeared in at least 30 games and averaged at least 30 minutes per game in outside shot attempts with only 4.9 per game. The average player in that group attempted about 6.9 outside shots per game, with Stephen Curry leading the way at 12.1 per game.

While some unwilling outside shooters make up for their lack of outside aggression by getting to the rim for layups or fouls, Rondo is notoriously inside-averse as well. A Google search for "Rajon Rondo scared to shoot" returns nearly 3,000,000 results, including this video of him passing up a wide open transition layup.

Among the same group of 28 players, Rondo ranked 22nd in free throws per field-goal attempt (FTA/FGA), even behind such paint-averse luminaries as Brandon Jennings and Luke Ridnour.

For a player with his athleticism, the dearth of fouls Rondo draws is nearly inexcusable. It's not impossible to be a patient and willing passer and still get into the lane and draw fouls—Chris Paul ranked second among the group of 28 in FTA/FGA. Paul also averaged 6.7 outside shots per game, just about the average number in the group.

In this video, Rondo too willingly takes exactly the shot the defense wants him to take—that mid-range jumper. When Rondo comes around the screen, Ben Gordon goes underneath, practically begging Rondo to step into a jumper. And Tayshaun Prince, the man guarding the screener, hangs back, also inviting the jumper.

When Rondo gets around the screen here, though, he has an open driving lane to either side if he wants. Kyle Singler is sliding all the way across the lane to stick with Avery Bradley, and Jason Maxiell is just outside the lane checking Jared Sullinger—and neither of them is exactly the greatest rim protector, anyway.

Gordon is still directly behind the screen, and Prince is shielded off from the baseline. Rondo can attack the middle of the lane or more preferably the baseline and get to the basket. Instead, he steps into a jumper and misses.

Rondo's prodigious passing skills allow him to string pick-and-rolls like this one out to the middle of the court or the sideline while seeking passing lanes, but mixing in more aggression and drives to the rim would add another element to his game that doesn't currently exist. It would also open even more passing lanes and allow him to use his best talent in a whole new way.

A player like Mike Conley would be a good model for Rondo to follow here. Conley isn't the centerpiece of the Memphis offense—that would be Marc Gasol—but his pick-and-roll skills are vital to what the Grizzlies want to accomplish on each possession.

While he's a good shooter, Conley passes the ball out of pick-and-rolls more than almost any other point guard in the league. However, that habit doesn't stop him from probing the lane and finding better angles from which to pass the ball, or getting to the rim for layups, floaters and free throws.

Conley is very small in stature, but he makes up for it in quickness, shiftiness and guile. He knows the angles to attack, and he uses his smaller frame to hide behind the behemoth screeners he has in Gasol and Zach Randolph before jetting into the lane.

Rondo could and should do the same with Kevin Garnett, assuming both are back in Boston next year.

Another common Rondo criticism centers on the overall performance of the Boston offense. In the last five seasons, Boston has ranked sixth, then 13th, then 18th, then 24th and then 20th in offensive efficiency, per NBA.com. That trend is not exactly befitting a top-shelf point guard.

While some of that trend is due to the personnel on hand—prior to Jeff Green's emergence after Rondo's injury this season, the Celtics didn't really have any off-the-dribble creators beyond Rondo and Paul Pierce—some of the blame also has to lie at Rondo's feet.

He often doesn't get the team into its sets fast enough, as evidenced by the fact that the team hadn't taken more than 36 percent of its shot attempts in the first 10 seconds of the shot clock at any point in the last five years before hitting 37 percent this year, according to 82games.com.

When a team struggles to score in the half court as badly as the Celtics do, early offense becomes even more important in generating efficient looks. Pushing the ball in transition not only generates layups and three pointers but also opens up the opportunity to catch the defense before it gets fully set. This leads to more open shots and more efficient offense.

One last thing Rondo can improve upon is his defense. While he has a sterling defensive reputation, the truth is his performance on that end has been in decline for a few years. His steal percentage has gone down a few years in a row:

The Celtics sported a better defensive efficiency with him off the court than on in each of the last three seasons, and he just allowed opposing point guards to post a PER above 15 (league average) for the first time since the 2009-10 season, per 82games.

The last two years, Bradley has taken on the tougher defensive assignment when the two have shared the court and has been the one counted on to apply ball pressure up and down the court. While that is partially due to the need to spare Rondo the tougher assignment to save his energy to run the offense, it's also contributed to his slippage on that side of the court.

That's not to say he's now become a below-average defender, but he's not quite the ball hawk or passing-lane hound he used to be.

This is a nice bit of misdirection from the Spurs, but you didn't often used to see Rondo get as lost as he does here. He loses track of Parker because he simply doesn't expect him to jet off a screen of his own so quickly after setting one for Manu Ginobili cutting down the lane.

This is a relatively routine coverage, and Rondo botches it badly. These types of mistakes still aren't overly common, but he rarely used to make them at all, and they've crept up in number over the last few years.

None of the tactical or physical adjustments Rondo makes will mean anything if he isn't healthy, though. That's the elephant in the room. An ACL tear is a monumentally tough injury to recover from, whether or not you need explosive athleticism to play your game—just ask Ricky Rubio.

If Rondo stays diligent with his rehab and walks back onto the floor with a healthy knee, he's ahead of the game. If he makes some tweaks to the way he's played the last few years, he can be even better.

6 NBA Teams Guaranteed to Have Interest in Trading for Pau Gasol

Howard Ruben — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:24:42 -0400

If you count yourself both a Lakers and Pau Gasol fan, you might not want to continue reading. On the other hand, if you're a realist, you will readily admit that trading the soon-to-be 33-year-old center may be the smartest move his current team could make this summer.

In a perfect world, where Kobe Bryant returns to full strength and Dwight Howard finds financial "peace" in purple and gold, the Los Angeles Lakers hold onto their prized Spaniard for the remaining one year left on his $19.3 million contract.

Unfortunately, very little about the current Lakers situation would classify as perfect. Many would argue they have the wrong coach for the group of talent they've assembled—that they're too old and slow, and that management has placed too many eggs in too few baskets for the Lakers to be competitive with the elite teams in the NBA.

Let's cut to the chase, shall we? With a bloated payroll, an aging roster and a very attractive free-agent market looming in just one year from now, the Lakers should be ready to make a few significant moves if they want to build back into title contenders.

Regardless if you think Pau Gasol is worth holding onto or better off trading for pieces and youth, the Lakers will make a move of some sort. It may not happen before July 1, which is the date players like Dwight Howard become free agents.

While all of Lakers Nation sits and waits for D12 to make his big decision, the Lakers will be entertaining conversations from at least half a dozen NBA teams who will show keen interest in obtaining the two-time World Champion Pau Gasol.

Kobe Bryant has been Pau's biggest supporter and has publicly stated his desire to keep Gasol in a Lakers uniform.

Via Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press via Twitter:

Kobe, answering a question from a Spanish reporter about Pau's status with the Lakers: "As long as I'm there, he's going to be there."

I wouldn't take this one to the bank. If the Lakers can improve the team by trading Pau Gasol this summer, they will do it and not look back.

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West Bromwich Albion vs. Manchester United: Premier League Live Score, Recap

Max Towle — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:07:29 -0400

Premier League Live: West Bromwich Albion vs. Manchester United, The Hawthorns (19th May, 11.00 a.m. ET)

Manchester United bids farewell to the retiring Sir Alex Ferguson this Sunday.

The Red Devils' clash with West Brom marks the multiple trophy-winning manager's 1500th game in charge of the club, and his last.

The game also represents Paul Scholes' final appearance in a United shirt—the veteran retiring at the season's end.

Sir Alex's side has already wrapped up Premier League glory, while the Baggies are safe-and-sound in eighth place in the table.

West Brom enter Sunday's fixture in a run of bad form, having lost their previous three league games.

Last weekend it was Norwich City who put them to the sword in a resounding 4-0 thrashing.

In terms of injuries and suspensions, the Red Devils will be missing long-term absentees Ashley Young and Darren Fletcher, who are out with an ankle injury and illness respectively.

West Brom will be without midfielder Zoltan Gera, who continues to suffer from a serious knee injury, and youngster George Thorne.

So make sure to check in here about 45 minutes before kickoff for all the team news and buildup.

In the meantime, here are some related articles to get you amped for the game:

Complete Match Preview

What to Expect From David Moyes' First Year

Sir Alex Wins League's Best Manager Award

Follow @MaxBentleyTowle

5 Contenders Who Need a Wake Up Call This Offseason

Wes Stueve — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:00:00 -0400

Every now and then, a contender will seemingly grow content with its status as a premier team in the NFL. This team will stop making the moves that made it so good. Teams like these require wake up calls.

Teams in need of wake up calls have a few traits in common. They have either established themselves as a contender in 2012 or recent years, and they aren't making the offseason moves they need to.

There are obviously some good teams on this list. However, if they don't change their ways, a few of them could see themselves falling quickly out of contention.

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UFC Star Miesha Tate and Bryan Caraway: The Most Hated Couple in MMA?

McKinley Noble — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:56:22 -0400

Bantamweight fighter Bryan Caraway was never the most popular guy in the UFC—and thanks to recent events, he may become an outright villain.

After all, the Team Alpha Male talent has quite a track record of controversy.

So far, he's threatened to physically maim Ronda Rousey, publicly bashed marijuana supporters while gleefully accepting another fighter's bonus pay, and if the latest news from Bloody Elbow turns out to be accurate, intentionally attacked Cat Zingano prior to her TUF 17 Finale bout with his girlfriend, Miesha Tate.

If Caraway's trying to get himself more fans, he's going about it the wrong way.

But if this is some kind of strange plan to become one of the most disliked names in the promotion, he's weaving a masterful web of hatred.

Miesha Tate arguably hasn't done much better for her own public image in the UFC either, although she's by far the bigger star compared to her boyfriend.

Still, many MMA fans and pundits haven't hesitated to bash the former Strikeforce champion on occasion, most notably during UFC on Fuel 8, when Tate provided some of the worst corner advice ever, telling Caraway to "coast" for a decision during a close fight against Takeya Mizugaki.

If that wasn't bad enough, Tate's only made matters worse by demanding that Dana White and the UFC award Caraway his win bonus anyway, despite her boyfriend losing a split decision—a move that several fans have mocked, calling Tate and Caraway sore losers.

Throw in a history of verbal mudslinging with Rousey, complete with sullen dismissals of her rival's obvious talent, and it's arguable that Tate's painted a picture of herself as the jealous runner-up who lost everything to a rising star.

But the PR disasters don't stop there.

Other prominent UFC fighters can't seem to stand Tate and Caraway either, with Nate Diaz recently getting himself fined and suspended for calling Caraway "the biggest fag in the world" and Rousey herself stating that Tate should dump her "douche" boyfriend.

Several members of the UFC have relationships that never come into the public eye, but very few of those relationships are between fighters.

Hence, Tate and Caraway pay an added price for their partnership—one that seems to have made them the most hated couple in the UFC, if not the most hated couple in the sport altogether.

To their credit, the two of them seem to take it in stride, continuing to openly support each other and take active parts in each other's camps.

But while Tate and Caraway can shrug off losses, harsh critiques of their relationship and the occasional bonus-related backlash, this chilling story from Cat Zingano may not be something that they can roll off their backs:

[Caraway] smiled back in my face then elbowed me in the head at weigh-ins. I was pissed. I considered him in that same respect. I am a fighter all the same, but that was dirty and cheap to do to anyone, let alone a girl.

[Caraway and Tate] were both in on it, which makes it even more disturbing. If my husband or son ever pulled something like that, I would be their biggest problem. I won't be bullied nor condone it.

Other members of Zingano's camp have corroborated the story, although no response has come forth from Tate, Caraway or their managers.

But what if it's true?

What if Tate and her boyfriend are exposed as bullies, or worse, Caraway is pegged with the stigma of being an actual woman-beater?

It's true that the validity of Zingano's claims may be in question without the other side's response, but Tate and Caraway seem to be making more enemies by the day—and with so much negative press in such a short span of time, one has to wonder when (and if) MMA fans will turn on them completely.

McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist. His work has appeared in NVision, PC World, Macworld, GamePro, 1UP, MMA Mania and The L.A. Times.

1st-Quarter Grades for the Cleveland Indians

Dan DiLoreto — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:22:01 -0400

The Cleveland Indians are now roughly one quarter of the way through their 2013 season and are sitting atop the AL Central standings with a 23-17 record.

Even with a nice start, some Indians fans may be hesitant to hop on the bandwagon after similar starts in 2011 and 2012—where the Indians combined for a 49-31 record through the first 40 games in each season.

No one could blame them for being hesitant, because the aforementioned teams finished both seasons without a playoff berth. In fact, last year the Indians compiled the worst month in franchise history when they put together a 5-24 record during the month of August.

But enough about the past, right?

So far in 2013, there isn’t too much to complain about in Cleveland. Breaking down the offense, defense, rotation, bullpen, bench and coaching will give you a better idea of what is working in Cleveland and what might need a little tweak.

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5 Radical Predictions for the Remainder of the Mariners' Season

J.J. Matthews — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:09:50 -0400

With optimism higher for many Mariners fans after a series win against the AL East leading New York Yankees, fans are starting to think about bigger things for the 2013 Seattle Mariners.

From individual performances to team goals, there just seems to be a different vibe surrounding this Mariners team than has been there in years past. The Mariners may still be a shade under .500, but they continue to battle against quality teams and show glimpses of what could be when everything starts to click.

So what exactly could the Mariners do if everything clicks?

Well, there are of course the individual statistics that could come from it, but there are also moves the Mariners could make to truly make a splash in the AL West. With that in mind, here are five radical predictions for the remainder of the Mariners' season.

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2012 NFL Draft Revisited: 5 Players on the Verge of Being Busts

BJ Kissel — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:37:09 -0400

We've had a chance to see the 2012 draft class in action for just one season, but it's never too early to make outrageous, premature judgements on what we've seen so far from these players. Right?

So let's take a look at five players from the 2012 draft class who aren't looking like the players we thought they'd be, at least not after one season. Some of these guys were considered "the answer" for their teams' issues at a specific position, but each of these guys still have questions about them heading into 2013.

The optimistic side of every fan is going to make all the excuses in the world for each of these players. We know it's only been one year and some of these guys were dealing with injuries, but they still left a lot to be desired based on the expectations for them heading into their rookie seasons-—whether it's fair or not.

The bottom line is that if each of these guys play at the level they did last season, we're going to be using the "b-word" about them before too long. No, not that one. The other one.

Bust.

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FIFA 14: Breaking Down Best Changes from Previous Versions of Game

Dan Talintyre — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:36:52 -0400

FIFA 14 might not be out yet, but if the proposed changes are anything to go by, then the latest version of the famous game is shaping as one of the greatest yet.

Some of the proposed changes are more obvious than others, and some will be better received by gamers themselves. That's the case with any game and its updates, and it's especially true for a game like FIFA that has become one of the most iconic sports video games around the world.

Let's take a look at some of the biggest (and best) changes of FIFA 14.

Teammate Intelligence

Here are the proposed changes to teammate intelligence (per FIFA Play.com):

Teammate Intelligence has been improved on both sides of the ball. New decision-making logic delivers tighter, smarter marking and improved run tracking where defenders recognize opportunities to provide support and win back possession, while attacking players have new ways to outsmart their opponents by creating space for themselves, running along the backline and checking their pace.

I can't highlight just how good this will be for the game.

How often have you found yourself striding forward in the middle of the field and slid a perfect through-ball to release a player through on goal, only for the striker to have wandered offside. Anything that can be done to stop that from happening gets a huge tick in my book.

I also really like the defensive changes proposed here, and I think it will definitely help defenders cope against free-flowing attacks much better.

Again, anything that can be done to stop me having to change between six different players just to tackle Lionel Messi is a huge plus. I was seriously starting to get sick of marking him perfectly and calling for assistance—only for that assistance to fail like an offside striker in his tackling attempts.

Protect the Ball

Here are the proposed changes to ball protection (per FIFA Play.com):

Fans will be able to create rewarding build up to opportunities and have the tools to dictate the tempo of a match through four new features.

Protect The Ball will enable players to fend-off and block defenders from the ball while dribbling at any speed, or out-muscle opponents for position before receiving the pass, then turn defenders to carve out opportunities.

Again, another big fan of this one—especially given the fact that you'll now be able to showcase whatever tricks you desire and not lose any momentum doing it.

How often do you pull off a perfect roulette or lane change, only to have the next step push a little long and cost you possession? Or how often do you try to fend off challengers from players, yet end up losing the ball at the slightest hint of contact from another defender?

All of that has been changed in FIFA 14, and for those of us who aren't the strongest dribblers in the game, this proposed feature gets a huge tick of approval.

Pure Shot

Here are the proposed changes regarding shooting (per FIFA Play.com):

Finishing has been transformed with Pure Shot so players have the intelligence to adjust their stride and approach angle to find the best position for hitting the back of the net. Well-hit balls feel more exhilarating and rewarding. New shot types include pure strikes, as well as off-balance and rushed shots.

Plus, Real Ball Physics now determines the trajectories of balls, enabling players to kick the ball with force from distance, drill low rising shots with accuracy, and blast dipping or turbulent shots, just like real footballers.

When I first read this change, I was a little skeptical, but I've since been convinced as to how important this feature will be. Perhaps the best part, in my opinion, is the early shot feature, which will allow you to quickly get the shot away before an incoming defender can get in the way of it.

I also like this move because, as with everything, it's a closer step to realism.

No two power shots or finesse shots are the same, and thus the ability to hit a low-rising shot or a dipping shot is a much-needed change to the way teams attack.

I'm not thrilled for the skills this will now give Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when I meet them in the Champions League, but I'm comforted to some extent that my Manchester United lineup—where I'll be hoping to keep Wayne Rooney—will have the same attacking skills to play around with.

Now if only I could figure out the whole accuracy thing...

What changes to FIFA 14 are you most excited about?

Comment below or hit me up on Twitter: Follow @dantalintyre

NBA Teams That Should Tank for Andrew Wiggins and 2014 Draft Class

Daniel O'Brien — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:16:59 -0400

When the 2014 NBA draft approaches next summer, several NBA squads will be hoping the lottery balls bounce in their favor.

Who wouldn't want a chance to select Andrew Wiggins, Kansas' incoming 6'8" small forward, who has superstar written all over him?

He's not the only star-quality prospect of that loaded draft class; Duke commit Jabari Parker is an inside-outside force, and incoming Kentucky forward Julius Randle is a physical specimen. Don't forget about Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart and Arizona commit Aaron Gordon.

There's a group of NBA franchises that desperately need the star power these youngsters can provide.

Free agency is also an option for these teams, as the 2014 class is stocked with megastars, scorers and key role players. But for teams that won't attract significant signees, the draft is an exciting avenue to return to glory.

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