Bleacher Report - Front Page

UFC 160 Live Stream: Complete Online Viewing Guide

Brian Leigh — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:11:35 -0400

UFC 160 will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand this evening, utilizing various distribution platforms to showcase some of the sport's top fighters.

The main event pits Cain Velasquez against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, the former trying to retain the World Heavyweight Championship against the latter. It's Velasquez's first title defense since dismantling Junior dos Santos, and also his first bout with Silva since issuing a TKO in Round 1 during UFC 146.

The co-main event, though not featuring a championship on the line, could be just as exciting for fans of MMA. The aforementioned Junior dos Santos—a former heavyweight champion—and challenger Mark Hunt are two of the strongest punchers in the entire sport. Their bout should be a perfect appetizer for the championship battle.

The main card, available only as a pay-per-view, follows a couple of undercards presented across two different platforms. The first three fights will be broadcast on YouTube, while the next four fights will be broadcast on FX. The final five fights—main event included—will be part of the paid spectacle.

Here's a look at the entire schedule, including when and where to find all 11 of the evening's fights.

YouTube Prelims—6:30 p.m. ET

Stephen Thompson vs. Nah-Shon Burrell

Brian Bowles vs. George Roop

Jeremy Stephens vs. Estevan Payan

FX Prelims—8 p.m. ET

Mike Pyle vs. Rick Story

Dennis Bermudez vs. Max Holloway

Colton Smith vs. Robert Whittaker

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

Contact your cable provider for more information on how to watch FX on your television.

UFC 160 Pay-Per-View—10 p.m. ET

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

Glover Teixeira vs. James Te-Huna

Gray Maynard vs. T.J. Grant

Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons

Purchase the pay-per-view via the above YouTube player. Follow the link to the UFC's official YouTube page, and pay the $44.99 fee.

Mikkel Kessler vs. Carl Froch: Cobra Wins by Unanimous Decision

Brian Mazique — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:09:29 -0400

Carl "The Cobra" Froch (31-2) avenged one of only two losses in his career on Saturday. The 35-year-old from Nottingham delighted his countrymen in attendance at the O2 Arena in London.

He defeated Mikkel "The Viking Warrior" Kessler (46-3) by unanimous decision to unify two portions of the super middleweight championship.

After another epic battle, Froch and Kessler must agree to a tie-breaking third fight. The next time the two elite super middleweights clash, it should be at a neutral site.

The first bout took place in Kessler's native Denmark; the best place for a third fight is somewhere outside of both men's home countries.

Ryan Bivins of Sweet Boxing at least agrees a third fight would be great to see.

Froch deserved the unanimous decision in a thrilling bout.

Per the HBO telecast, the official scorecards read 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113 in favor of Froch. Though most would agree Froch won the fight, an eight-point edge was a bit exorbitant.

For most of the night, Froch's jab took control. He established it early and rode that weapon to victory. In the 12th round, the Cobra left no doubt who the winner was. He fought like he wanted to finish Kessler and cemented a strong performance.

Kessler had said he would retire if he didn't beat Froch, but boxing fans know retirement pledges aren't always truthful.

It is difficult to think the 34-year-old would walk away after having his share of moments on Saturday. The Viking Warrior landed a few hard shots on Froch's chin that wobbled him.

The 11th round was especially good for Kessler. Froch's chin was tested in this round as hard lefts and rights found their mark.

Kessler landed 55 percent of his power shots, but Froch outworked him by throwing 366 power punches to just 165 for Kessler, per CompuBox.

With each man owning a win over the other as the predominant crowd favorite, it is time to see them duke it out in front of fans without such a clear rooting interest. Froch said in his blog he would be open to a third fight, if this fight was as good as the first.

Saturday's clash was certainly another stirring confrontation. In a third meeting, perhaps Froch would win again, or maybe Kessler will prove to be the better man.

The point is, nothing is settled just yet between these two men. A rubber match without the energy of the crowd spurring one over the other would be a nice close to a great rivalry.

Follow me, because I love boxing and you do too

Golden State Warriors: 3 Players Who Should Be Signed to Long-Term Deals

Andy Hu — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:08:18 -0400

The Golden State Warriors have compiled one of their best seasons in recent history, and the team has brought back excitement to a loyal fanbase in Oakland.

A huge part of their success was due to the improvement and growth of the younger players on the roster. Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes showed that they will be vital parts for the Warriors' future, and Stephen Curry has emerged as a superstar.

However, a lot of the success should be credited to the older, more seasoned players on the team, who revitalized their careers while playing for Golden State.

This slideshow will evaluate three players who are nearing the end of their current contracts but deserve to remain a part of the team's future plans.

Begin Slideshow

Heat vs. Pacers: Bold Predictions for Each Team in Game 3

Benjamin Klein — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:59:14 -0400

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers will be decided by some intriguing trends from the previous two games.

Indiana didn’t play defense on LeBron James at the end of Game 1, which caused it to lose. In Game 2, though, Indiana—mainly David West—played great defense and came away with a series-tying victory. Not to say that Indiana’s defense will determine the series’ winner, but it will be important.

There are a couple of other things to look for in Game 3, and I’m here to share those with you.

LeBron James Will Have More Turnovers Than Assists

The pair of turnovers by James in the final minute of Game 2 ended Miami’s hopes of heading to Indiana with a two-game lead in the series.

But what really hurt the Heat was that he wasn’t very efficient with the basketball throughout the game.

In Game 2, James had just three assists while turning the ball over five times. It was the fewest assists he had all postseason and the first time his turnover total exceeded his assist total since March 27 against the Chicago Bulls—the loss that ended Miami’s 27-game winning streak.

James averaged 7.3 assists and 3.0 turnovers per game during the regular season. His 2.44 assist-to-turnover ratio was the 28th best in the NBA, according to ESPN. But in the playoffs, James has been much more careless. His assist-to-turnover ratio has gotten worse, dropping to 1.95.

The Pacers have played great defense against James, even though he’s scored at least 30 points in each of the series’ opening two games. They’ve forced him to commit nine turnovers to just 13 assists. That gives James a 1.44 assist-to-turnover ratio in the Eastern Conference Finals, which isn’t good at all.

Bench Play Will Decide Game for Indiana

The Pacers managed to escape Miami with just one loss, which could prove to be enormous later in the series. But Indiana wouldn’t have won without the play of its starting lineup. Indiana’s bench scored just five of the team’s 97 points.

With the starters accounting for 94.8 percent of the Pacers’ points, Indiana now has the second-highest percentage of starters’ points of any team this postseason, according to the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN). That’s a remarkable percentage, but one that will definitely be lower in Game 3.

In Game 1, Indiana’s bench scored 18 points—or around 18 percent of Indiana’s points. Tyler Hansbrough scored 10 while D.J. Augustin scored eight. In order to win their first Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers are going to have to rely more on those not starting the game.

Paul George has been called for eight fouls in the first two games, while Roy Hibbert has been called for nine. In Game 1, every Pacers starter had at least four fouls. If Indiana keeps getting into foul trouble, the bench will have to step up. Whether it does or not will determine whether Indiana is up or down 2-1 in the series.

Poor Free-Throw Shooting Will Lose Game for Heat

During the regular season, the Heat weren’t the best team from the charity stripe. Collectively, Miami players shot 75.4 percent from the free-throw line, the 16th-highest in the NBA.

In the postseason, Miami has been worse, shooting 73.6 percent.

Miami will not win this series and get a chance to repeat as NBA champions if it continues to shoot poorly from the free-throw line. It’s that simple. In Game 1 against the Pacers, the Heat shot 16-of-25. In Game 2, they went 18-of-26. Combined, that’s roughly 67 percent.

The Game 1 blame can be put on James and Dwyane Wade, who combined to go 5-of-11 from the charity stripe. In Game 2, they were better at 7-of-10. But the rest of the team wasn’t very good either. Seven Heat players were awarded foul shots and all but two missed at least one shot.

As long as the Pacers stay out of severe foul trouble, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t continue to put the Heat on the line. The statistics show that Miami probably isn’t going to be very successful, and a missed free throw—or several—could be the difference between the Pacers winning Game 3 and losing.

UFC 160 Fight Card: Last-Minute Odds and Predictions for Marquee Fights

Alex Ballentine — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:45:30 -0400

The UFC 160 fight card is littered with matchups that will shake up the championship landscape.

From the first title defense in Cain Velasquez's second title run to a No. 1 contender's match in the lightweight division between T.J. Grant and Gray Maynard, the results for Saturday's biggest matchups will affect the immediate title picture in at least two divisions.

As the pay-per-view approaches, so do the buzz and anticipation for the biggest fights on the card. Here's a look at the full fight card and the latest odds for the biggest fights.

All odds via Bovada.

FX Prelims (8 p.m. EDT)

Mike Pyle (170) vs. Rick Story (169)

Dennis Bermudez (146) vs. Max Holloway (145)

Colton Smith (170) vs. Robert Whittaker (171)

Khabib Nurmagomedov (158.5) vs. Abel Trujillo (155)

Main Card (10 p.m. EDT)

Cain Velasquez (240) vs. Antonio Silva (263)

Junior dos Santos (239) vs. Mark Hunt (264)

Glover Teixeira (205) vs. James Te-Huna (206)

Gray Maynard (156) vs. T.J. Grant (155)

Donald Cerrone (155) vs. K.J. Noons (156)

Odds and Predictions

Cain Velasquez (c) vs. Antonio Silva

Odds: Velasquez -800, Silva +500

When these two first met, Velasquez battered and bloodied "Bigfoot" with a barrage of elbows on the ground until the fight was stopped after three minutes and 36 seconds.

Since then, Velasquez turned in the best performance of his career, dominating former champion Junior dos Santos over the course of five rounds and earning the strap once again.

But Silva has improved too. He put away Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem in devastating fashion and has established himself as a legitimate UFC heavyweight.

Prediction: Velasquez via second-round TKO

Silva has improved, but he's nowhere near Velasquez's level. Expect Silva to survive a lopsided first round before the champion puts him away in the second via ground-and-pound.

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

Odds: dos Santos -450, Hunt +325

This one's going to be fun.

Dos Santos and Hunt are two of the best power punchers in the UFC, and they'll collide on Saturday night. The winner will most likely head for a title fight against the winner of Velasquez vs. Silva.

"Cigano" hasn't fought since he lost a unanimous decision to Cain Velasquez, but he still maintains the No. 1 contender's spot in the UFC's media rankings.

Hunt brings in a four-fight win streak, which includes an impressive knockout victory over Stefan Struve.

Prediction: Dos Santos via unanimous decision

How do two sluggers with the power of dos Santos and Hunt go to decision? When dos Santos is too good of a boxer to get caught and Hunt is too tough to be taken out.

As great as dos Santos is, he wasn't able to put away the always tough Roy Nelson, and this fight could play out the same way.

T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard

Odds: Grant +130, Maynard -160

The winner of this bout is expected to become Benson Henderson's next challenger for the lightweight title.

Grant is on a roll of late. He has four straight wins including an impressive first-round knockout of Matt Wiman in his last bout. His wins haven't come against elite competition at 155, but his improvement has been noticed by Dana White and Co.

Maynard will be making his return to the Octagon for the first time in almost a year. After defeating Clay Guida by split decision in June 2012, he's just one win away from returning to the title scene.

Prediction: Grant via third-round TKO

Maynard is the slight favorite here, but Grant's momentum is no joke. Grant is a much better striker than Maynard, and he has had success against good grapplers recently. Maynard's layoff could give Grant the edge he needs to pull off the upset.

Buffalo Bills: Is Kiko Alonso the Answer at Linebacker?

Travis Wakeman — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:43:30 -0400

The 2013 Buffalo Bills will definitely bring a completely different look on the defensive side of the ball.

New defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who came over from the same position with the New York Jets, will bring his hybrid version of an NFL defense to another team in the AFC East, and fans should expect to see multiple different looks and formations.

For his defense to be successful, the Bills will have to get much better play out of the linebacker position than they did a year ago.

The Bills used their second of two second-round picks (No.46 overall) on linebacker Kiko Alonso out of Oregon. Alonso was the fifth linebacker taken in the draft and only Manti Te'o and Kevin Minter went ahead of him as inside linebackers.

Alonso should have the chance to be a day-one starter for the Bills, a huge opportunity considering his off-field trouble in college, as outlined here by Tim Gardner of USA Today. Despite that, the Bills still saw enough potential in Alonso to spend a high draft pick on him.

Alonso gives a team many options at the linebacker position. He is a solid tackler and times his blitzes quite well. He is also above average in pass coverage and can handle a tight end or even a slot receiver one-on-one. But what likely attracted the Bills to him is his versatility.

Pettine will love what he can do with Alonso, who can play any of the linebacker positions. Pettine will be able to line him up all over the defensive formation, making him a perfect fit for the scheme that Pettine wants to bring in.

Though he is just a rookie with a sketchy past, Alonso could easily win over his new teammates with his play on the field and become one of the defensive leaders going forward.

So where will Alonso be leaned upon the most? He will have to be able to match up with a guy like New England's Danny Amendola coming across the middle or step up to the stop a running back in the hole. These are things Alonso is very adept at.

The Bills will ask Alonso to wear many hats in their defense, but he will have help from veteran Manny Lawson, whom the team picked up through free agency, as well as the emerging Nigel Bradham.

Alonso, Lawson and Bradham. That sounds a lot better than any linebacker combination the team put on the field in 2012.

The Bills have not had a linebacker make the Pro Bowl since Takeo Spikes achieved the honor following the 2004 season. Alonso may be the team's best chance to end that drought in years.

Highlighting Chicago Bulls' Top Free-Agent Target at Every Position

Mike B. — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:41:19 -0400

Unlike the summers of 2000 and 2010, the Chicago Bulls won’t have a ton of cap space this offseason. So that means mega free agents like Chris Paul and Dwight Howard aren’t taking their talents to the Windy City.

And you can forget about guys like Josh Smith, Andre Iguodala, David West and Al Jefferson.

So which free agents will the Bulls target this summer?

Jermaine O’Neal would be a nice backup for Joakim Noah and wouldn’t cost much to sign. Also, Matt Barnes would provide the Bulls’ bench with solid defense and outside shooting.

The Bulls will emerge as title contenders next season with the return of Derrick Rose.

Their core of Rose, Noah, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Jimmy Butler is definitely championship material. All the team needs to do now is add a couple free agents to the mix.

Begin Slideshow

Crazy Bird Stares Down Death at Monaco Grand Prix 2013 Practice

Ken Dorset — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:38:46 -0400

Watch as this bird stares down death and narrowly escapes Felipe Massa's Formula One race car during a practice run at the Monaco Grand Prix. He has been dubbed the "Matrix Bird" by folks on the Internet.

Matrix bird HAHAHAHAHAHA freaking cool. Did a flip trying to fly away when the car passed
— MelissaLee (@WarWithinMe) May 25, 2013

Jupp Heynckes Within Touching Distance of Greatness with Bayern Munich

Richard Morgan — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:30:29 -0400

After guiding Bayern Munich to their fifth European Cup with a victory over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium, Jupp Heynckes is now within one step of a record-breaking campaign with the Bavarian side.

Heynckes, who became the second-oldest coach to win Europe’s premier club competition at 68 years and 16 days, will bring down the curtain on his two-year reign as head coach of the German giants against Stuttgart in the German Cup final next Saturday.

If Bayern were to win that contest, Heynckes will have created history by becoming the first coach in the club’s long and distinguished history to have won the Treble of European and German Cups, plus the Bundesliga—and don't forget that the latter was a record-breaking league campaign in which the team were beaten just three times in 53 contests.

And when it really came to it on Saturday night, with the match in the balance going into half-time all level, the veteran trainer really showed his experience by making a key tactical switch that saw man-of-the-match Arjen Robben play a more central—and decisive—role in the second half.

This, remember, is the same manager who was heavily criticised in the aftermath of last year’s Champions League final loss to outsiders Chelsea, on Bayern’s own ground, after substituting goalscorer Thomas Muller late on for Daniel Van Buyten.

Now, with Heynckes pushing the in-form Netherlands international winger into more threatening positions, Bayern were able to compete and then start to boss proceedings after the break, with their attacking impetus being rewarded with two goals. In result, Heynckes joins an elite list of three other coaches to win the European Cup with two different clubs.

What is more, this is just the German’s third-ever campaign coaching in the Champions League, and he has made it to the final on every single occasion, starting with Real Madrid in 1998, before back-to-back appearances with Bayern in 2012 and 2013—quite a remarkable record when you think about it.

And he and the team deserve their triumph, as they have without doubt been the stand-out performers on the Continent this season, and by some distance, too. It was also the case last year as well, when they had to endure the agony of having the trophy stolen from their grasp at the Allianz Arena.

Meanwhile, after having appearing in three of the last four Champions League finals, finished the season 25 points ahead of their opponents at Wembley and remained unbeaten against Dortmund in their four previous meetings this campaign, perhaps Heynckes and Co. deserved the little bits of luck that went their way against their fellow Germans.

And Dortmund certainly made the better start on the night and were in charge of proceedings in the first half, while Bayern were also extremely fortunate that neither Franck Ribery or Dante were sent off.

But in the end, Heynckes managed to mastermind a victory over Dortmund just as he had all those years ago in his very first game in charge of Bayern, during his first spell in Munich back in August 1987.

And now the two-time European Cup-winning manager can hand over the baton to another two-time Champions League-winning coach, with the pressure very much on the Catalan’s shoulders to create history himself next year by making it back-to-back wins in Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in the modern era.

That is quite some curve ball that Heynckes has just passed Pep Guardiola, but he will not be thinking about that right now. No, he and his team will rightly celebrate long and hard into the cool London night, happy and just a bit relieved that they have finally made it a case of third-time lucky in the English capital, with a possible record-breaking treble still on the cards.

While for the Bavarian’s old-school trainer, who lamented the modern age of the laptop manager pre-match 36 years to the day he played in the European Cup final for Borussia Monchengladbach against Liverpool, this has been a fitting finale to a glittering 34-year coaching and 50-year playing career at the very highest level.

And although Heynckes has still not confirmed yet whether next Saturday will be his final-ever match in top-level management or not, and surely the likes of Chelsea, AC Milan, Madrid and Manchester City would all be interested were he to be available. Surely there could be no better way to go out than with victory over Stuttgart to cap off what would be the perfect season?

Follow Richard Morgan on Twitter here.

Champions League Reaction: Is This the End for Borussia Dortmund?

Alex Richards — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:22:38 -0400

As Arjen Robben latched onto Franck Ribery's clever flick, surged through the heart of Borussia Dortmund's defence and guided the ball past a helpless Roman Weidenfeller, you knew that was it.

An enthralling encounter had found its decisive moment. And the heart of that collective yellow wall of noise, which had been so vocal in support of their side, had been broken.

A tremendous all-German encounter, the 2-1 victory for Bayern Munich was probably the correct result. The strongest side in Europe, certainly over the last 12 months, were in the end deserving winners.

Certainly Bayern had to overcome an opening 25-minute salvo where Dortmund swarmed around the pitch, not allowing them to get into any kind of rhythm, one where Manuel Neuer proved his value to the now five-time European champions.

Yet in the end, Die Bayern were that little bit too strong, too clever and too good for Jurgen Klopp's wonderful young side. Robben, a player with tremendous pedigree, having previously played for clubs such as Chelsea, PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid, was the difference-maker with a goal and an assist.

Nevertheless, Die Borussen can hold their heads high. But even after such an exhilarating campaign where they have seemingly become every neutral's second team, there is a feeling that this was it for BVB.

Perhaps it is too soon to write a definitive epitaph for a side that last season celebrated a second successive Bundesliga title, but there is certainly a feeling that this was their greatest opportunity for success on such a grand scale.

For whilst it is easy to suggest that Bayern will go from strength to strength after this success and will be amongst the favourites to reach the 2014 final in Portugal's Estadio da Luz, it would appear highly unlikely that Dortmund can do likewise.

An outstanding young side though they have proven to be during the current campaign—one capable of some of the most jaw-droppingly brilliant one-touch play that you are likely to see anywhere across the footballing landscape right now, they face a long and potentially tumultuous summer.

Already, Mario Gotze has agreed to a deal with Bayern, a move which not only weakens their own chances of success but strengthens their biggest rivals.

Indications suggest Robert Lewandowski will also be heading through the Westfalenstadion's exit door. The Polish international striker, who has been an integral member of Klopp's side these past three years, has one year left on his contract and, according to John Edwards of the Daily Mail, has declared that he would like a summer move—with the Allianz Arena his preferred destination.

Defender Felipe Santana, a useful backup to Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic, has agreed to join Schalke in search of regular first-team football.

And what of others? German international defender Hummels sees his reputation continue to grow; likewise the midfield general Ilkay Gundogan. Marco Reus (although a boyhood Dortmund fan) is a player of great movement and versatility and certainly wouldn't be lacking suitors, either.

Of course, losing key players is something they have dealt with before, most notably in the case of Shinji Kagawa, who moved to pastures new last summer.

But there is only so long a side can continually rebuild before it has a notable effect on the pitch.

Additionally, how long can BVB continue with Klopp's high-intensity game plan before wear and tear shows its effects?

The high pressure strategy, very Bielsista in its implementation, can surely only continue for so long. A number of sides who employ similar styles— most notably Marcelo Bielsa's Athletic Bilbao, 2011 Copa Sudamericana winners Universidad de Chile and even Spanish champions Barcelona— have all shown signs of the strain that consistent high-tempo play over a sustained period can cause.

The right-back Lukasz Piszczek has already succumbed: A hip operation planned for the summer will keep him out of action for up to five months. Will he be the only one or just the first?

Also, let us remember that this stretch has seen them run their luck awfully close on occasion. Malaga were two injury-time minutes and an offside goal away from knocking them out at the quarter-final stage. Real Madrid certainly had chances in the semi-final second leg to break up the final's German duopoly.

That same luck is unlikely to be prevalent in the next campaign, and it certainly didn't go their way at Wembley, with both Ribery and Dante arguably lucky to not be sent off.

Throw into the equation that the likes of vanquished semi-finalists Real Madrid and Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, returning Italian champions Juventus, the two Manchester clubs and Europa League winners Chelsea will all likely enhance themselves over the summer, and Dortmund's chances of taking Europe by storm once more surely decrease.

And that list doesn't include the newly crowned champions, with Messrs. Guardiola and Gotze in tow.

On the other hand, there is no denying the managerial brilliance of the man known as "Kloppo." Hopefully, his bewitching side oozing with personality can come back stronger next season; buoyed by their tremendous European run and replenished with new gems, whether signed from elsewhere or unearthed from within (Moritz Leitner, perhaps).

But defeat at Wembley just feels like the end of something rather special. Like viewing a shooting star, their magnificence has been awe-inspiring.

Let's just hope that unlike that particular phenomenon, Borussia Dortmund can show far greater longevity and continue challenging European football's elite in the years to come.

However, it may well prove nearly impossible for BVB to return to such a high point in the immediate future.

Tony Romo Must Prove to Cowboys He's Worth Massive Contract

Tyler Brooke — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:17:16 -0400

Tony Romo became one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league this offseason, but he needs to prove to the Dallas Cowboys that he is actually worth his lofty contract.

This offseason, Romo received a six-year contract extension worth $108 million with $55 million in guaranteed money. Plenty of people criticized Jerry Jones and the Cowboys front office for such a lucrative contract, but Jones has shown faith in his quarterback time and time again.

A tweet by NFL on ESPN revealed that Tony Romo recently underwent surgery to remove a cyst on his back, and will miss OTAs.

Later, a report by Michael David Smith on ProFootballTalk.com revealed Jerry’s thoughts behind Romo and his contract, saying:

“When you give somebody $100 million, you’d like to get every ounce of anything they can bring to the table to win a football game,” Jones said.

Jones said he believes Romo is a great offensive mind who can add a lot to game planning sessions.

“He’s outstanding on offensive concepts and he’s got a vantage point that very few people have,” Jones said of Romo. “So anything that he can bring from the concept to the field has got to make us a better football team. I think it will.”

For Romo, it’s understandable that he needs time to recover from surgery and that he isn’t going to be doing drills during OTAs. However, this doesn’t excuse him from being absent altogether and not bonding with newer players.

Earlier in the offseason, Jones was expecting “Peyton Manning-type” preparation out of his quarterback after Romo signed a big contract.

Right now, Romo better do whatever it takes to help out teammates and help the offense get on track.

OTAs aren’t an incredibly important part of learning the playbook, but they are a time to build team chemistry. The Cowboys’ chemistry has been called into question plenty of times over the past few seasons, especially due to the fact that the team has failed to reach the playoffs in the past three seasons.

The quarterback is expected to be the leader of the team, even if he can’t actively participate in drills. For Romo, he needs to talk with rookies and new additions to the team to make them feel as comfortable as possible and prove he is the true leader of the team.

Not only are teammates expecting to see Romo working hard, but so are fans.

Fans of the Cowboys have had a rough enough past few seasons, and plenty weren’t exactly thrilled with the idea of Romo getting such a lucrative contract extension. Now, they see that their quarterback isn’t actively participating in OTAs, and that Dallas is paying him all of this money to sit out.

With the amount of money Romo is getting over the next few seasons, at the very least he should be out helping teammates in any way he can while he’s sidelined.

There are plenty of people that would work very hard for that kind of money, and right now Romo needs to show his teammates and the fans that he is willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Champions League: How Jupp Heynckes Got the Better of Jurgen Klopp at Wembley

Clark Whitney — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:17:03 -0400

Bayern Munich claimed the Champions League trophy for the fifth time in their history on Saturday, beating Dortmund 2-1 in a highly entertaining match that was close until the final whistle.

Very little separated the two teams, who were deadlocked at 0-0 or 1-1 for all but nine minutes. But in the end, Jupp Heynckes' Bayern had just enough in them to overcome Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund. And much of the credit for die Roten's success can be attributed to slight tactical advantages that emerged as the match progressed.

The game started exactly as Klopp would have hoped. Dortmund pressed their opponents high up the pitch and Bastian Schweinsteiger was forced to play almost in a libero role, often dropping as deep as his centre-backs.

With Schweinsteiger playing so deep during the early stages, Dortmund were fully comfortable. Not only content to counterattack, they enjoyed extended spells of possession in the attacking half with Ilkay Gundogan controlling the play.

The head-to-head battle between Gundogan and Javi Martinez was thoroughly entertaining and critical to the flow of play. In the early stages, the BVB man had the upper hand. Later, the Spaniard asserted himself more and the scale tipped in Bayern's favor.

Much is said of Bayern's attacking strength in wide areas, but the source of their defensive quality is in the centre. When Martinez and Schweinsteiger finally settled, their physicality was—as it was against Barcelona and Juventus—too much for their opponents. They were able to step in to win the ball and shield it almost with ease.

When Marco Reus received the ball between the lines, one of the Bayern holding midfielders would chase him as the centre-backs charged. One way or another, die Roten would either win the ball or concede a free kick. No matter the outcome, Reus was unable to run past defenders as he did to so many of BVB's opponents earlier this season.

Dortmund were increasingly reliant on balls played over the top to Reus and Robert Lewandowski, which were very difficult to claim against the tall and imposing Dante and Jerome Boateng. The diminutive Reus especially had no joy contending for headers against defenders several inches and nearly 50 pounds heavier than him.

Once Schweinsteiger was able to move into the midfield and Bayern got their bearings, their attacking play flowed from the flanks as he and Martinez played more cautiously. Franck Ribery struggled to make his mark, and Arjen Robben instead was the danger man for the Bavarians. The Dutchman could have scored multiple times in the first half, but made amends when he set up Mario Mandzukic for a tap-in that opened the scoring.

Ribery, Robben and Thomas Muller constantly changed positions, and it was when the French and Dutch wingers combined that Bayern were maximally effective. Ribery found Robben from the left to assist the opener, and the ex-Marseille man played the final ball before the latter's last-minute winner.

Bayern's fluidity in attack caused all sorts of problems for the Dortmund defenders, who consistently had to adjust to facing different tasks. The winner was scored after Ribery—playing in the centre forward position—fielded a long ball and Robben made a sprint through the centre. The striker, Mandzukic, was nowhere near the play.

Saturday's match was a hotly contested affair that captured the spirit of the Bundesliga as Germany's strongest club teams met on the greatest stage. Either side could have won it, and both had distinct tactical advantages, but in the end it was the Bavarians who emerged victorious. Although weak in the early stages, they adjusted to the play, tweaked their game plan and came out the better side in the second half. Those little changes made the difference, and Heynckes' side deservedly claimed the trophy at full time.

Follow Clark Whitney on Twitter

Cruz Azul vs. America Final 2013: Players to Watch in Liga MX Clausura 2nd Leg

Joseph Zucker — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:06:10 -0400

Cruz Azul might be only 90 minutes away from a Liga MX Clausura title.

By virtue of a 1-0 win over Club America in the first leg, Cruz Azul has the advantage as it travels to the Estadio Azteca to secure the title. Despite that lead, it's going to be an uphill battle, as America will be playing at home and has more than enough talent to erase a one-goal deficit.

The first leg was a good match, but the second should provide even more entertainment. America won't be holding anything back, and Cruz Azul will likely hunker down to protect its lead.

With the match kicking off this Sunday, here are two stars from each team to focus on in the second leg.

Cruz Azul

Jose de Jesus Corona

Jose de Jesus Corona continued to be a dependable keeper by holding Club America to a clean sheet in the first leg. Although America's attack wasn't deadly the entire match, Corona did well to make Christian Gimenez's goal the difference.

If Cruz Azul is going to get a similar result in the second leg, Corona will have to be even better.

America will be returning to the friendly confines of the Estadio Azteca. A one-goal lead doesn't sound anywhere near as comfortable as it would under other circumstances.

You can expect America to get out in the attack quite often, so Corona will need to make key stops. World football fans often say that goalkeepers can't win matches alone, but Corona's performance will go a long way in determining the outcome of the second leg.

Christian Gimenez

Christian Gimenez was the lone goalscorer in the first leg. He has been Cruz Azul's best attacking threat across both the Clausura and Apertura. Gimenez is second on the club in goals (eight) and assists (five).

As the central attacking midfielder, Gimenez can help to set the pace of the match. Cruz Azul only had 41 percent of possession in the first leg, and it's realistic to expect that percentage to remain the same or possibly drop in the second leg.

If Cruz Azul wants to get an all-important second goal, it will need to make the most of its opportunities on the counter.

Gimenez will be a big part of that because his passing can set his teammates up to score, or he can look to score by himself.

Club America

Christian Benitez

If Club America's attack is to improve in the second leg, it will need more from Christian Benitez. It's great to have 25 shots, but it's not so great to only get six on target. That's just being wasteful in the attack.

Benitez didn't have the kind of performance you would have expected of him. He scored 11 goals in 16 Liga MX Apertura matches and five goals in as many Clausura matches. He carried over this form from last season, when he scored 22 goals in 32 Liga MX matches.

Fans whose only images of Benitez are from his time with Birmingham City in the Premier League have missed what he's done in Mexico. He continues to be a skilled striker who is always a threat in the attack.

If America wants to overturn the one-goal deficit, Benitez will need to step up.

Rubens Sambueza

If Benitez is having problems creating opportunities through the middle, America can rely on winger Rubens Sambueza to provide a threat out wide.

Sambueza leads America in assists, with nine across the Apertura and Clausura. He's also added two goals, which tie him for third on the club.

It's always good to have players like Sambueza who can offer much-needed width. He can play on either wing, but he prefers the right. He's also skilled enough to create or score, depending on what the situation calls for.

Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks Game 5: Live Score, Updates & Analysis

Isaac Smith — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:00:01 -0400

The Chicago Blackhawks host the Detroit Red Wings for Game 5 (in progress) of their best-of-seven Western Conference Semifinal series.

Keep it locked to this live blog for scoring updates and in-game analysis of Game 5.

Detroit Red Wings 0, Chicago Blackhawks 0. First period.

The Case for Dwight Howard's Free-Agent Homecoming to Atlanta Hawks

Grant Hughes — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:56:35 -0400

While the odds still favor Dwight Howard ending up with the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks, there's actually a good argument to be made for the league's most discussed free agent returning home to join the Atlanta Hawks.

No, seriously.

Any analysis of why a Georgia homecoming is a viable option has to start with the reasons why Howard wouldn't re-sign with the Lakers. Don't worry, there are plenty of those.

Obviously, Howard's first season in L.A. didn't go as planned. His physical struggles, caused by the first major surgery of his career, held him back all season. Plus, the Lakers basically fell apart around him—in every conceivable way. Injuries, coaching changes and a general lack of a defined scheme prevented L.A. from ever stringing together a sustainable stretch of solid play.

Howard butted heads with Kobe Bryant throughout the year, bickering publicly over roles, toughness and even the hard-to-define parameters of "alpha dogness."

The unrest didn't end there, either.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Howard voiced his frustration with coach Mike D'Antoni during a postseason meeting with GM Mitch Kupchak:

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, part of the discussion between Howard and Kupchak centered around Howard's frustration with D'Antoni—particularly how the center felt marginalized as the coach looked to Bryant and Steve Nash for leadership and suggestions and discounted Howard's voice.

Look, if you've been following the NBA at all over the past few months, none of the turmoil in Los Angeles is really news. Howard's attitude and the team's poor play combined to create a toxic situation. The bigger issue is that among Purple and Gold fans, Howard simply isn't embraced as a "true Laker."

He's already botched his first impression, and it may not be possible for him to correct the damage if he re-ups with the team.

All that aside, the Lakers' roster is also a mess. Crippled by the salary cap and saddled with a roster full of the aged, infirm and ineffective, the prospects of the Lakers getting appreciably better in the future aren't very good.

Unless the entire roster hops a plane to Germany to get a double dose of whatever strange knee treatment allowed Bryant to play like a 25-year-old last year.

Obviously, the Lakers can pay Howard the most money ($118 million) and offer him the longest deal (five years). In addition, Los Angeles affords him the attention and marketing opportunities he seems to crave. Those are huge incentives.

But it's shortsighted to ignore the mountain of negatives that D12 would have to deal with if he returns to the Lakers.

The Rockets and Mavericks provide a couple of decent alternatives for Howard. I won't belabor them here, but suffice it to say that the Mavs have proved to be a class organization with an owner who thinks big, and the Rockets have a superstar in James Harden, as well as the international marketing dollars that could intrigue Howard (thank you, Jeremy Lin's rabid fanbase).

So, D12 has a couple of good options if he doesn't want to go through the spin cycle of another L.A. season.

But what about the Hawks?

Howard is from Atlanta, and if he's looking for a fresh start with extremely low expectations, he could do a lot worse than the Hawks. For what it's worth, GM Danny Ferry is very much interested in bringing Howard in to serve as a cornerstone on the team he's building almost from scratch.

The Hawks have one of the best salary cap situations of any team in the league. They've also got Al Horford inked to a very team-friendly deal and are otherwise only committed to Lou Williams and John Jenkins next year. If Atlanta declines the various options it has on its current restricted free agents, it could afford to sign both Howard and another big-name player to lucrative deals.

Which is where things get interesting.

Chris Paul, the other marquee unrestricted free agent on the market, is also a major target for the Hawks. According to Mark Heisler of Lakers Nation, if Paul chooses not to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Hawks could have a chance to make a major splash:

If Paul leaves, it could could pose a problem for the Lakers, who had enough already, if he and Dwight Howard decide to create a new option, joining up in Atlanta. Howard and Paul are pals. The Hawks can open up two maximum slots. They mused about Atlanta (D12’s from there, CP3 from North Carolina) years ago, before fate led them in other directions.

And according to ESPN's Bradford Doolittle (subscription required), if the Hawks trimmed all of the fat from their roster, they'd have a good chunk of money to offer Paul (who's from nearby North Carolina) and Howard. Of course, the pair would have to make a minor financial sacrifice a la the Big Three in Miami:

If the cap comes in at, say, $60 million, then that would be $34 million for Howard and Paul to split. Not the max, but this scenario only works if the pair decides to follow in the path of Miami's LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Paul really is the trump card here. If he ends up in Atlanta first, or can somehow convince Howard to join him in a dual signing, the Hawks could suddenly morph into an Eastern Conference powerhouse.

Ultimately, it's awfully tough to imagine Howard giving up the extra money and attention the Lakers can offer him. But if he's at all concerned about finding the best overall situation for the next few years of his career, he'd be crazy not to consider teaming up with Paul on the Hawks.

This saga is far from over, but amid the constant talk about the Lakers, Mavs and Rockets, keep the Hawks in mind as a dark-horse destination that actually makes a whole lot of sense.

French Open 2013: Odds of Each Major Contender Winning It All

Benjamin Klein — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:54:22 -0400

There’s a strong chance that the 2013 French Open will be won by one of the top three seeds in the tournament: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal.

No one outside of those three has won at Roland Garros since 2004. Nadal has accounted for seven of the titles, while Federer won it all back in 2009. Djokovic, while winless at the French Open, has the championship on the tip of his tongue.

Djokovic, Federer and Nadal won’t have to worry about taking on Andy Murray either, as he withdrew from the tournament with a bad back, according to Christopher Clarey of The New York Times. With the No. 2 player in the world out, it increases the chances that one of the three stars wins it all.

But who of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal holds the best odds of taking the title in 2013? Let’s take a look at how each has done at Roland Garros in the past and what could be in store for them this time around.

Novak Djokovic, No. 1 Seed: 6-1 Odds

Djokovic enters the French Open looking for revenge. He’s never been able to win it all, but has gotten closer and closer in recent memory. He fell in the quarterfinals in 2010, the semifinals in 2011 and in the final—to Nadal—a year ago.

If Djokovic is going to get revenge on Nadal, though, it won’t be in a finals rematch. They are on the same side of the bracket, meaning that if Djokovic is going to reach the final for the second straight year, he’ll likely have to top Nadal first. That’s pending that Nadal makes it that far, though.

Djokovic isn’t the best on clay, but did just win at Monte Carlo, topping his Spanish rival, Nadal. He didn’t have great performances in his other two clay tournaments this year, losing in the second round at the Madrid Open and in the quarterfinals at the Rome Open.

The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament that Djokovic has yet to conquer, and you can bet that he’s hungry to do so in 2013. Whether that dream will become a reality this year doesn’t seem very likely, though.

Roger Federer, No. 2 Seed: 5-1 Odds

Federer doesn’t have an easy path to the French Open final, but it’s certainly easier than either of the two aforementioned stars. That’s because he’s basically on his own on the other side of the bracket.

Federer is also somewhat lucky that Andy Murray isn’t competing. Because of Murray’s withdrawal, Federer is the No. 2 seed and won’t have to face a top-five opponent until the semifinal. He could, however, play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the No. 6 seed, in the quarterfinals.

The Swiss right-hander hasn’t had a great year on clay thus far. He fell in the third round at the Madrid Open and couldn’t get past Nadal in the Rome Open final. But he is the only other player outside of Nadal to win at Roland Garros since 2004. Keep in mind that he defeated Robin Soderling, the No. 23 seed, in the championship that year.

Because of the way the other contenders are seeded, there’s a strong likelihood that Federer makes it to the French Open final. Winning it all over Nadal will be extremely difficult. Facing Djokovic in the championship would be preferred, but it still wouldn’t be a walk in the park.

Rafael Nadal, No. 3 Seed: 2-1 Odds

Nadal is the player at the French Open with a target on his back. He’s won it all more than anyone else in the Open Era—although Max Decugis did win eight times during the Amateur Era. He’s also looking to make it four straight titles at Roland Garros.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Nadal has very good odds to win his eighth title this year. It certainly won’t be easy, though, considering he’s on the same side of the bracket as the top player in the world and the No. 1 seed in the tournament, Djokovic.

In order to reach the final, Nadal will likely have to go through Djokovic first. Neither has a very tough road to the semifinals, meaning a showdown between two of the best in tennis seems probable. Nadal does have the upper hand since the match will be on the clay, where he’s 13-3 in his career against the world’s No. 1.

Nadal has only lost one time in his career at the French Open and don’t expect 2013 to be the year where he falls a second time.

Spurs vs. Grizzlies Game 3: Live Score, Highlights and Analysis

Ken Dorset — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:47:33 -0400

The San Antonio Spurs aren't going to get ahead of themselves. The Memphis Grizzlies won't be looking back.

Both teams know better.

Of course, the Spurs have to concede that a 2-0 lead certainly gives them breathing room in the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals, but each club knows the series is far from over.

The Grizzlies have opened all three of their playoff series with at least one loss. They faced a 0-2 deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers before rattling off four straight wins to escape the first round.

San Antonio tallied the first two victories of the 2012 Western Conference Finals, but lost the next four games to Oklahoma City.

Tonight, the Spurs will try to be the first road winner at Memphis in this postseason. They lost twice there in two regular-season trips.

Game 3 tips off at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Keep it here for live updates, analysis and highlights.

Crowne Plaza Invitational 2013: Day 3 Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More

Matt Fitzgerald — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:43:45 -0400

Matt Kuchar finished up his second round on Saturday morning at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, then fired a one-under 69 to get to 11-under through 54 holes. That gives Kuchar a one-stroke lead over four others, headlined by Boo Weekley.

Inclement weather forced play to be suspended near the end of Round 2, which is what caused Kuchar and others to wake up extremely early to finish up. After polishing off his second consecutive 65, the veteran proceeded to battle various competitors throughout the day and ultimately maintained his lead.

Below is an overview of the logjam at the top of the leaderboard entering Sunday's final-round action at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. For complete scores, head over to PGA.com.

Pos.	Player	Scores	Total
1	Matt Kuchar	65-65-69	-11
T2	Matt Every	65-69-66	-10
T2	Chris Stroud	67-66-67	-10
T2	Boo Weekley	67-67-66	-10
T2	Graham DeLaet	64-67-69	-10
T6	Martin Flores	66-70-65	-9
T6	Tim Clark	67-69-65	-9
T6	John Rollins	63-71-67	-9
T6	Steve Flesch	68-64-69	-9
T10	Freddie Jacobson	66-67-69	-8
T10	Zach Johnson	67-69-66	-8

Note: All statistics, videos and other information, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of PGATour.com.

An opening birdie at the par-five first hole got Kuchar off to an ideal start, but he dropped consecutive shots at Nos. 7 and 8 to lose the lead to Graham DeLaet.

However, Kuchar bounced back with a birdie at No. 11, a par five. A beautiful tee shot at the par-three 16th broke Kuchar out of the pack of players tied for the lead when he drained the 11-foot putt thereafter:

In one of the more bizarre coincidences that come to mind in recent memory, all four players who sit a stroke off the leading pace birdied No. 18.

Perhaps the most impressive of the bunch was Chris Stroud, whose rather disappointing approach only turned up the drama when he drained a beautiful uphill putt four a three-under 67:

As mentioned before, the Canadian DeLaet—who bombs the ball and hit 12 of 18 greens in regulation—got as low as minus-12, but dropped three shots in his next six holes. That was followed by a brilliantly played final hole alongside Kuchar, when DeLaet stuffed it to five-and-a-half feet and got back to under-par for the day.

Matt Every is also in the thick of the hunt after a solid 66. He is searching for his maiden Tour win along with DeLaet and Stroud.

Weekley's putter has let him down in recent years, but in dropping this 40-footer at the par-four 12th, he was showing no ill effects:

PGATour.com's Amanda Balionis documented the gallery reaction:

Between the boos for Boo Weekley and the "Kuuuuch!" drones for Matt Kuchar, this is going to be a fun Sunday in Fort Worth.

Let's take a look at some of the other key developments that occurred in Round 3, and the ramifications they might have over the final 18 holes.

Jordan Spieth Sinks Down Leaderboard

Birdies at three of his first five holes put the 19-year-old Texan atop the field, but it only got worse from there. Bogeys at Nos. 6 and 9 put a damper on the hot start to Jordan Spieth's front nine.

By capitalizing on the par-five 11th with a birdie, Spieth looked to be rallying back at two-under for the afternoon:

Unfortunately, that was followed by a dropped shot at the next hole, then Spieth hit his approach to the par-three 13th into the water short of the green, leading to a double bogey. Another bogey at 15 was remedied by a birdie at the closing hole, showing that Spieth had the fortitude to rally after a tough stretch.

Being four shots off the pace was certainly not what Spieth could have envisioned when he had his strong run early on Saturday. It's not exactly the worst position to be in, though.

This marks Spieth's 19th start on the PGA Tour, and the prodigy has a chance to join company with the likes of Tiger Woods if he wins, per PGA Tour Media on Twitter:

Due to the tight nature of the tournament, those near the top will be jockeying to hold on to their positions, while players like Spieth can fire willingly at flags in an effort to apply pressure and make up ground.

Defending Champion Still in Hunt

Zach Johnson has won this event twice in the past three years, including in 2012. The opportunity to grab the coveted tartan plaid jacket at Colonial is presenting itself yet again, as Johnson sits just three strokes back at minus-eight.

This place is dubbed "Hogan's Alley" for a reason—Ben Hogan won the tournament a record five times, while Johnson and a select few are knotted with two titles apiece.

In winning his third, Johnson could make unique history in connection with Hogan, as Golf Channel's Randall Mell observes:

The precise iron game and control off the tee allow Johnson to always be a factor at this venue, because it simply suits his style so well.

It could result in yet another triumph Sunday, which would be absolutely huge to get Johnson's 2013 campaign kick-started. Johnson has yet to register a top-10 finish this season, but appears destined to do that now.

Steve Flesch in Fine Form

The 2004 champion of this event, as surprising as it might be, has won just one fewer PGA tournament than Kuchar has.

Steve Flesch spends most of his time as an analyst for Golf Channel these days and had only played twice all season entering this event. Shane Bacon of Yahoo! points out how long it's been since Flesch had any tangible success on the Tour:

At 46 years old, the veteran is on the back end of his career on golf's top circuit, but he still has plenty left in the tank.

With past success and plenty of knowledge and experience of Colonial's layout, the lefty should be able to weather the stress of contention better than most.

It helps that a lot of those closest to Kuchar haven't won on Tour before, but it will be up to Flesch to overcome stalwart, consistent players such as the leader and Johnson.

Junior Dos Santos Will Book Trilogy with Cain Velasquez at UFC 160

Alex Ballentine — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:42:57 -0400

Remember when Junior dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez to win the UFC heavyweight title only to have a determined Velasquez come back from the defeat better than ever and reclaim the title?

Dos Santos does. And at UFC 160, he'll look to book his own road to redemption.

Last time we saw dos Santos, it wasn't pretty. Velasquez simply put on the best performance of his career and took the title in convincing fashion. From the outset, he was aggressive, stayed busy and just overwhelmed Cigano.

It would be understandable if folks didn't think that dos Santos was on the same level. But the fact remains that dos Santos is one of the elite heavyweights in the organization.

At UFC 160, he'll remind everyone of that by ending the incredible run of Mark Hunt.

Hunt enters the fight with more momentum that just about anyone in the division. With a four-fight win streak to his name and a No. 9 ranking in the UFC's official media rankings, he believes he's deserving of a title shot if he can beat dos Santos.

Whereas Hunt is hoping that the groundswell of support he gets as a fan favorite and recent success will net him a title shot, dos Santos has already been told he'll be the next challenger if he gets past Hunt.

The Super Samoan isn't a joke. He's a rotund brawler with the knockout power to put anyone away and enough toughness to hang in the pocket with a tough striker. That's why dos Santos will look all the more impressive when he puts his impressive boxing on display.

Hunt's run has been fun—who doesn't love a big man that routinely sends opponents careening off the canvas with massive punches? But dos Santos will show that he's ready to set up the epic rubber match that will be Velasquez vs. Dos Santos III.

After dos Santos' electric knockout of Velasquez in the first fight and the former's thorough domination the second time around, it should be a great matchup.

Velasquez vs Silva 2: Round-by-Round Recap and Analysis

Scott Harris — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:29:30 -0400

It's hard to believe that as dominant as Cain Velasquez is, he has never once successfully defended the UFC heavyweight belt, despite possessing it on two separate occasions.

The odds are with Velasquez (11-1) changing that tonight against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, who Velasquez hammered into pulp for a TKO victory exactly one year ago Sunday.

Silva (18-4) has taken two in a row since that bloody setback, including a stirring knockout of presumptive top contender Alistair Overeem. He'll have quite a stress test in front of him Saturday night when he attempts to even the score with Velasquez.

Didn't order the pay-per-view? Looking for some instant analysis? You're in the right place. In the following slides, we'll provide round-by-round updates and analysis as the action unfolds.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 160: Octagon Warriors Who Will Become Household Names

Brian Mazique — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:23:18 -0400

On Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a few fighters will use the spotlight provided by UFC 160 to smash their way into the forefront of MMA fans' minds.

While these fighters' previous exploits may have already garnered respect from the hardcore fans, Saturday night's pay-per-view event will take them to the next level.

Be sure to check out the performances of these three men.

"King" K.J Noons

You don't have to win to become a household name. Gray "The Bully" Maynard—who is also in action on Saturday vs. T.J Grant—is forever ingrained in the minds of MMA fans because of two bouts with Frankie Edgar.

The Bully didn't win either of those fights, but the way he fought and pushed Edgar established his reputation with the sport's faithful.

Noons—who is making his UFC debut—is the same type of fighter. This tweet from Noons proves warriors recognize their own:

You won't catch King K.J going for many—if any—submissions. The Strikeforce veteran comes to the Octagon to bang and his UFC 160 matchup with "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone could end explosively.

Cerrone is the more established UFC commodity and has faced a stiffer list of competition.

I picked him to win the bout, but that isn't to say Noons doesn't have an excellent chance to stop the Cowboy. Both men are excellent strikers who never seem to shy away from toe-to-toe battles.

Their chins give them the confidence to fire away in close quarters. Cerrone was stopped for the first time in his last bout with Anthony "Showtime" Pettis. A simply spectacular kick to the mid-section crumpled the Cowboy.

Noons has been stopped only once as well and that came in 2007. Needless to say, he has improved since then.

Cerrone's and Noons' styles will make for an action-packed bout. The battle will reaffirm Cerrone's reputation with UFC fans and establish Noons as a must-see fighter.

Nah-Shon "Rock N Rolla" Burrell

Cool nicknames are important and the Rock N Rolla certainly has one. He also has exciting striking ability which is important if anyone is to care about the alias.

He will battle Stephen Thompson as part of the Facebook preliminaries for UFC 160.

Burrell made his successful UFC debut at UFC 157 by defeating Yuri Villefort via decision. However, you haven't seen him at his best unless you've seen him win by KO.

Per UFC's official Twitter account, boxing legend and Father Time's fiercest competitor Bernard Hopkins gives Burrell a ringing endorsement.

His defeat of Lukas Les at Strikeforce Challengers 18 was his best work. As he makes his second appearance in a featured event, Burrell should be more comfortable.

Expect to see him take a few chances and really let his hands, knees and feet fly. As Burrell tweets here, he is hungry for another fight night bonus—and I strongly doubt he's targeting Submission of the Night.

Khabib "The Eagle" Nurmagomedov

Making Nurmagomedov's name roll off the tongue will take some practice, even if he is impressive on Saturday night.

Nurmagomedov's 19-0 record is beginning to force fans to brush up on their pronunciation of the young Russian's surname.

The Eagle will be facing a very tough and explosive Abel "Killa" Trujillo during the FX preliminaries. Trujillo is 10-4, stoutly built and extremely aggressive.

There is no doubt he represents the most dangerous foe the Eagle has faced in his career. This scuffle at the weigh-in proved he isn't intimidated.

The challenge will only cause Nurmagomedov to elevate his game. He'll show the sound submission techniques that UFC fans have only seen once: in the 24-year-old's UFC debut.

At UFC on FX in Jan. 2012, Nurmagomedov made Kamol Shalorus tap out from a rear-naked choke. Since then, he has shown the ability to win by decision and by KO.

Expect to see him come full circle on Saturday night. He will tap out the rugged Trujillo in a manner that will grab almost as much attention as his then 20-0 record will.

Be on the lookout for an expertly performed triangle choke.

Follow me, because Royce Gracie started me on this MMA path, and now I'm out of control.

JDS vs Hunt Full Fight Round-by-Round Recap and Analysis

Steven Rondina — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:18:41 -0400

The fight that nobody expected but everyone wanted is finally here! Former heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos and hard-hitting K-1 veteran Mark Hunt. This matchup between two of MMA's top knockout artists has anything you could want in a fight.

Both fighters have dynamite hands, and there are huge title implications here.

So how is this fight actually shaking out? Are things going the way of Belfort vs. Rockhold or Bisping vs. Belcher?

Find out right here!

Begin Slideshow

Why No UFC Heavyweight Champion Has Defended the Belt More Than Twice

Michael Stets — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:14:45 -0400

The UFC heavyweight title is considered the crown jewel of combat sports. On Saturday night at UFC 160, Cain Velasquez will begin his second reign as heavyweight king, as he looks to defend his belt vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

If Velasquez beats Silva, he will only be one defense shy of the heavyweight division record. That’s right—no champion has ever made it to three. Only Randy Couture, Tim Sylvia and Brock Lesnar have defended the title twice.

It may be easier to win the heavyweight strap than it is to defend it. Perhaps it’s because the harder you try to hold onto something, the easier it is for it to slip through your fingers. Or it just comes down to numbers and some risk management.

Let’s take a look at the numbers and try to solve the mystery of why no UFC heavyweight champion has defended the belt more than twice.

Since Mark Coleman defeated Dan Severn to become the first UFC heavyweight champion in 1997, there have been 13 different champions in the promotion's history, along with four interim champions. Velasquez, Couture and Sylvia are the only three to have won the belt more than once.

In the 23 UFC heavyweight title fights that have taken place under the Zuffa banner, almost half of them haven't made it past the second round. Eleven contests have ended within the first two rounds, for an average of 47 percent.

The old "force equals mass times acceleration" formula comes to mind. When the largest athletes connect with a clean punch with only a four-ounce glove or land an uninterrupted kick, someone usually goes down in a hurry.

Blunt-force trauma, so to speak.

Some highly skilled grappling technicians have participated in these 23 contests, but only five of them have won by submission. Lesnar was the last one to do so, submitting Shane Carwin via side-triangle choke at UFC 116.

What about the fourth and fifth rounds, aka the “championship” rounds? Only five of these title contests have gone the distance, for a meager 21 percent—the most recent being Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos at UFC 156.

Prior to that bout, you’d have to go back to UFC 68, when Couture won by unanimous decision over Sylvia. The only time a heavyweight championship fight ended in the fifth round was at UFC 39, when Ricco Rodriguez defeated Couture by submission.

Most of these behemoths just don't have a big enough gas tank to tread the deep waters late in fights. They are built to end these battles at a violent and fast pace.

The average title-fight time for the heavies is 10 minutes and 47 seconds—just into the third round. If a fight doesn’t make it to a decision, the average time is seven minutes and 47 seconds—about midway into the second round.

Something or someone has to give before the third round is over, and it’s usually in the form of a knockout. Five-round decisions are a rarity; there were 87 pay-per-views in between the last two of them.

The primary reason that no fighter has successfully defended the UFC heavyweight championship more than twice comes down to the inherent risk of fighting in the division.

If he makes one mistake, a fighter may become someone’s "Knockout of the Night” bonus. If he squeaks past the third round, he has a good chance of listening to Bruce Buffer announce the decision rather than the referee waking him up.

As a minus-800 favorite on Bovada, Velasquez may defeat Silva, but the odds are not in his favor that he'll defend the title another time.

Will Velasquez be the first to defend the UFC heavyweight title more than twice? Let Bleacher Report know in the comments below.

Michael Stets is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Arjen Robben's Champions League Final: From First Half Zero to Second Half Hero

Jerrad Peters — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:13:30 -0400

He didn’t need to say anything at the final whistle. His face revealed everything.

Arjen Robben, after a first half that, in other circumstances, could have been a contributing factor for a Bayern Munich defeat in the Champions League Final, redeemed himself with a second period for the ages, scoring once and setting up another goal as Bayern claimed a fifth European Cup.

“It was an even game,” he remarked after the match. “We had chances; they had chances. It’s not quite sunk in yet, but it will. There’s a lot of emotion. I can’t believe it!” (UEFA)

And no one had as many chances as Robben, himself.

On the stroke of 30 minutes the Dutchman found himself in a one-on-one situation with Roman Weidenfeller, and although the Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper did well to make the save, Robben’s Bayern teammates walked away fuming after he might have squared the ball across goal.

Six minutes later he had a chance to make up for his first blunder, but with his instincts saying “shoot” and everyone else saying “pass” he ended up doing neither, indecisively fumbling the ball off Weidenfeller and out for a corner.

Finally, with just two minutes to go before the break, he accepted a long pass behind defender Mats Hummels, cocked his foot and unleashed a powerful shot, only to see it strike Weidenfeller in the face.

Three quality chances and nothing to show for it.

With the Champions League Final teetering nervously on a knife’s edge, Robben’s flawed finishing might easily have gone down as the decisive factor in a devastating loss. But he had other ideas.

Straight after the restart, Bayern Munich began playing everything through Robben, and with Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger helping to overload the right-hand attacking flank, the 29-year-old found himself with even more touches than he had enjoyed in the first half.

As the hour-mark ticked off the clock, he had already altered the narrative of his performance, threading a delicate pass from Weidenfeller’s extreme right to Mario Mandzukic, who tapped the ball into the back of the net for the opening goal of the contest.

And while Dortmund managed to fight back and equalize from the penalty spot just eight minutes later, Robben still wasn’t finished with his imprint on the match—a mark he would finish carving out just two minutes before the end of normal time.

And what a mark.

Accepting a cute, back-heeled lay-off from Franck Ribery just inside the 18-yard box, he evaded the sliding challenges of Hummels and Neven Subotic before delicately placing his shot to the outside of Weidenfeller that trickled, almost in slow motion, over the goal line.

And as he watched his effort become the winning goal in a Champions League final, he fell to his knees in relief.

His first half, his previous failures—all of it vindicated in an instant, washed away in a flood of emotion only his redemption could bring.

Follow @jerradpeters

Austin Dillon Still in Good Shape After History 300 Finish

Tyler Brooke — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:11:25 -0400

Austin Dillon was likely looking for something more at the History 300 in Charlotte, but he is still in a solid position in the Nationwide Series standings.

The 23-year-old driver was able to win the pole position during qualifying Saturday morning before the race. It was his fourth career pole position, with three of them coming in 2012.

There were plenty of eyes on Dillon heading into the race, but he wasn’t able to make much of an impact on the race. He led only one lap, finishing No. 13 while Kyle Busch was able to take home the win.

Despite the finish, Dillon was able to keep his position in the Nationwide standings, as he is still No. 6 on the board and just 52 points back.

There’s still plenty of racing to be done in this series, but Dillon has shown already in his racing career that he can be a winner.

In 2010, Dillon became the Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year. Just one year later in 2011, he went on to be the Truck Series Champion.

If the Nationwide Series continues like the Truck Series did for Dillon, he’s going to be in good shape this year.

So far, the Nationwide Series has looked a lot like the Truck Series. In 2012, Dillon was named the Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year. He finished No. 3 in the standings, with two wins, 16 top-five finishes, 27 top-10 finishes and 486 laps led in 33 starts.

Through 10 starts in 2013, Dillon has look pretty good as well. He had his first pole position in this race at Charlotte along with two top-five and five top-10 finishes.

Although Dillon has yet to register a win this year, some of his best races from last year haven’t happened yet. His wins last year came at Kentucky, where he won in June as well as September after winning the pole position in both races.

Dillon is a young driver who is beginning to do some very good things. Having the No. 3 on his car brings a lot of attention, but Dillon is doing what he can to make his own legacy as the No. 3 driver.

Living up to the famous Dale Earnhardt is no easy task, but up to this point Dillon is starting to become one of the better drivers in the Nationwide Series. With enough time in the racing series, Dillon could eventually become a big name in the Sprint Cup Series.

Until then, we will all be watching him as he becomes one of the more exciting drivers to watch.

Champions League Final: Arjen Robben Exorcises Demons with Brilliant 2nd Half

Brian Leigh — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:10:04 -0400

After the first 45 minutes of Saturday's UEFA Champions League Final, a pervasive air of deja vu came over Bayern Munich supporters and players alike...one man, you would have to think, more so than the rest.

First, a little context: It's been more than a full calendar year since the 2012 Champions League Final, a game Arjen Robben's Bayern Munich side seemed, at multiple times, to have in hand. An 83rd-minute goal from Thomas Muller put Die Roten ahead, but Didier Drogba evened the score for Chelsea with a goal of his own five minutes later. Extra time would be needed to settle the match.

In that extra frame, Frank Ribery earned a foul in the opposing box, resulting, as we all know, in a penalty kick. The number of options Bayern Munich had were manifold: Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez, Ivica Olic, Bastian Schweinsteiger—they all could have been selected to take the kick. But instead, and hard to fault at the time, it was Arjen Robben who's number got the call.

The rest went down in infamy: Robben's weak, borderline pathetic kick was turned away by former teammate Peter Cech; extra time went scoreless, pushing the game into penalties; Arjen Robben was not selected to kick for Bayern Munich; and Chelsea went on to win 4-3 in PKs, taking home the Champions League title.

For more than a year now, Robben has had to live with the ignominy of that hapless PK—perhaps the lowest point in an otherwise illustrious career. Despite 19 goals in 2011-12, and 12 more in 2012-13, he was subjected to occasional boos from his own hometown fans, who still hadn't forgiven his transgression on the biggest possible stage.

All of which, again, makes us wonder what was going through the Dutch striker's head at halftime of the 2013 Champions League Final, a time when, after being given the unthinkable opportunity to avenge his wrongdoings just one year later, he appeared to be repeating them instead.

You see, Robben didn't look like a man on a mission during the game's first half; he looked like a man overwhelmed by his mission. Two perfect chances came and went on his foot, and Bayern had not a goal to show for it.

Both times Robben did well, technically, with the ball, but Borussia Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller did better to knock it away. Still, even if his shot itself wasn't culpable—as it undoubtedly was last year against Chelsea—the narrative would have read the same had Bayern come up short: Arjen Robben bungles chances; Dortmund wins the trophy.

Robben was given one chance, one short half, to direct the legacy of his career back on the longevity of his brilliance, to divert it away from the shame of shrinking from the moment. And what the old Dutch striker did in that half was nothing short of, well...brilliant.

First came the 60th minute, where Robben linked up with Ribery to slip into the box once again. With Weidenfeller charging once again (a tactic that worked in half No. 1), Robben kept his wits about him and calmly slid a nimble ball across to Mario Mandžukić. The Croatian poacher had little to do but tap the ball in for the game's first goal—a goal that, while not attributed to Robben on the goal sheet, was more his doing that anybody else's.

Twenty-nine minutes and one Dortmund goal later, Robben again found himself in position to make history. A back-heel pass from (who else?) Frank Ribery set Robben up near the top of the box, and a patented burst of speed pushed him through, clear on net, with only the keeper in his way. With all the pressure of last year's final weighing down on him, and with a moment of time to potentially over-think himself into a tizzy, Robben instead used his famous left foot to gently slot home the game-winning goal.

Bayern Munich 2, Borussia Dortmund 1. Game. Over.

It's hard to say exactly what would have happened to Arjen Robben's legacy. I'd like to think that time would put things in perspective—that over the years, we would have forgiven his Champions League errors and focus on the breadth of his greatness. But there's no way to know for sure what would have happened had Dortmund stole this game.

All we know, and all we can know, is the result of what actually happened. Arjen Robben won't ever be booed in Munich again.

Bayern Munich: Champions League Title Gives Pep Guardiola Tough Act to Follow

Michael Cummings — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:03:38 -0400

The frightening part is that Bayern Munich might only be better next season. The catch is that their new manager almost certainly can't be that.

Bayern Munich won their fifth European title Saturday with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling and tightly contested UEFA Champions League final at London's Wembley Stadium. Arjen Robben assisted the opener and scored the winner as both he and his team earned redemption for the excruciating failures of the recent past.

Along the touchline, another tale took shape as the outgoing architect, retiring manager Jupp Heynckes, celebrated the second of what could be three trophies won in a profoundly dominant season.

Already champions of Germany in record style, Heynckes' Bayern steamrolled to the Champions League final with authoritative two-legged victories over European powers Juventus and Barcelona in the knockout rounds. And with Dortmund now conquered, only Stuttgart in next weekend's German Cup final can prevent Bayern from claiming their historic treble and a place among Europe's greatest-ever teams.

For his part, Heynckes is not far behind. Also a Champions League winner with Real Madrid in 1998, Heynckes now can claim two European titles, three Bundesliga crowns and much of the credit for Bayern's potential place in history.

Even for a manager of Pep Guardiola's talents, that leaves little room for improvement.

Guardiola, the 42-year-old tiki-taka mastermind who authored FC Barcelona's recent run of 14 major titles in four years, is set to take over from Heynckes a month and a day after Saturday's final (per BBC Sport). And so, for a month and a day, Guardiola will ponder one improbably unlikely fact.

The man who won everything with Barcelona can now do little—if anything—to improve on what Heynckes did this season.

Not that he won't have the ammunition. Bayern have already announced the signing of Mario Gotze from Dortmund in a €37 million deal (per BBC Sport), ensuring their closest competitors in both Germany and Europe will take the pitch without their best player next season. Even better for Bayern and worse for the rest, Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski—scorer of four brilliant goals against Real Madrid in the semifinals—could be next.

Add that to Bayern's productive youth academy and a supremely talented core of players that won the Bundesliga by 25 points: Together, they hint at the strong possibility that Bayern could maintain this level for the next half-decade or more. With Guardiola in charge, the winning will surely continue. And with redemption secured on Saturday, Bayern should now break free from any doubts that remained from 2010 and 2012.

As for Heynckes' legacy, this season's broken records and stockpiling silverware tell the story. Perhaps no man, not even Pep, could have done better and left Bayern healthier. At 68, Heynckes might have more managing in him, but with Guardiola on the way, it won't be with Bayern. And after 34 years on the touchline, a treble would be the most sublime of send-offs.

That last part is still a work in progress, of course. But at this point it seems only a miracle could keep Bayern from finishing off their destiny.

And thanks to Heynckes, Guardiola would need a miracle to top it.

Stock Up, Stock Down on MLB's Top 10 Prospects After Week 8

David A. Cucchiara — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:02:48 -0400

It’s eight weeks into the minor league season and we‘re already starting to see some of Major League Baseball’s top prospects working their way to the show.

Monday’s recall of top-prospect Jurickson Profar marks the first major league call-up of a top-10 prospect this season. With teams like the Miami Marlins proving to be the furthest thing from contenders, we may see a few more top prospects getting the call in the coming weeks.

However, it’s been rather quiet on the prospect-front this week. The Marlins’ Christian Yelich saw his average slip under .300 and even the red-hot Francisco Lindor’s average took a hit.

It’s been an unusually rough week for the top pitching prospects as well.

All minor league stats are courtesy of MiLB.com.

1. Jurickson Profar, 2B, Texas Rangers

2013 Stats: .222/.200/.222, 1 R, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 SB, 0 BB (3 G)

Ah, yes, the much anticipated major league arrival of Jurickson Profar is finally here. Nervousness and eagerness have perennially plagued some top prospects’ performance upon their arrival to the majors, and it’s beginning to look like Profar may be falling into that category.

Granted, it has only been three games, but so far Profar is looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable at the dish. For Triple-A Round Rock this season, Profar was able to work deep into counts, fighting off pitches and working a decent amount of walks.

Overall, his early struggles are simply rookie jitters. Profar will improve and the Texas Rangers will have a big decision to make once Ian Kinsler returns from the disabled list.

Stock: Up

2. Oscar Taveras, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

2013 Stats: .317/.351/.480, 17 R, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 5 SB, 6 BB (31 G)

After suffering an ankle injury two weeks ago, things are looking up for Cardinals top-prospect Oscar Taveras. The 20-year-old outfielder has been running agility drills and will likely return to the lineup on Sunday, according to CBSSports.com.

Up until his injury, Taveras was living up to expectations and a major league call-up seemed imminent. In his last 15 at-bats before his injury, Taveras was 7-for-15. If he can pick up right where he left off, he’ll find his way to the Cardinals' outfield in the next few weeks.

Stock: Hold

3. Dylan Bundy, RHP, Baltimore Orioles

2013 Stats: N/A

There is still no set date for the return of Orioles’ top-pitching prospect Dylan Bundy. Yesterday, the 20-year-old right-hander began testing his full range of pitching motions in his right arm with positive results. That’s good news for the Orioles, whose rotation's 4.79 ERA currently ranks 25th in baseball.

Bundy received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right arm last month after being diagnosed with right flexor mass tightness in his elbow.

Stock: Hold

4. Wil Myers, OF, Tampa Bay Rays

2013 Stats: .242/.333./.388, 25 R, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 3 SB, 23 BB (43 G)

Last week’s struggles have carried over into week eight for Rays’ top-prospect Wil Myers. In his last 40 at-bats, Myers has just seven hits with one homer. His 53 strikeouts on the season is another ugly mark that needs improvement. Still, Myers remains part of a select group of prospects that teeter on the edge between the majors and minors.

With Desmond Jennings struggling at the plate and Ben Zobrists’ positional flexibility, the Rays are keeping the outfield warm for a potential Myers call-up. Nevertheless, if the 22-year-old outfielder continues to lack offensive production, general manager Andrew Friedman won’t hesitate to give Myers more time to develop in Triple-A Durham.

Stock: Down

5. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates

2013 Stats: 48.0 IP, 3.75 ERA, .214 AVG, 35 K, 23 BB (9 GS)

Pittsburgh Pirates top-pitching prospect Gerrit Cole has displayed a serious lack of control in 2013, thus far. Cole is walking 2.5 batters a game, while his strikeout totals haven’t been anything impressive. In his last start on Sunday, Cole was tagged for eight earned runs in 5.2 innings.

Cole isn’t in jeopardy of drastically losing his stock this early in the season, but he isn’t where he should be at this point in his minor league career. He has the stuff to be a successful major league middle of the rotation guy if he can fix his command.

With the Pirates' pitching staff pitching well, don’t expect a call-up any time soon.

Stock: Down

6. Taijuan Walker, RHP, Seattle Mariners

2013 Stats: 52.0 IP, 2.77 ERA, .197 AVG, 57 K, 25 BB (9 GS)

After an excellent start to the minor league season for Taijuan Walker, the Mariners’ top-pitching prospect has tailed off a bit over his last few starts. Last Sunday, Walker allowed seven runs (5 earned) in 4.2 innings. Like Cole, one, even two bad starts every so often won’t hurt a young pitching prospect.

Walker’s strikeout totals have been excellent and he’s been showing he has the stuff to compete at a high level. Even with the success, don’t expect Walker in the big leagues until later in the season, if at all.

However, Walker should be promoted from Double-A to Triple-A in the coming months.

Stock: Hold

7. Xander Bogaerts, SS, Boston Red Sox

2013 Stats: .276/.353/.423, 28 R, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 4 SB, 19 BB (39 G)

Red Sox top-prospect Xander Bogaerts continues to post consistent numbers in Double-A Portland. This week, Bogaerts is hitting just .222, but has proved clutch knocking in five RBI.

Bogaerts is still a year away from the majors, but he’s shown vast improvement from last year in Single-A at the dish. Even with the low average this week, he’s making solid contact and keeping the strikeouts to a minimum—an area he’s struggled in his young career.

It’s only a matter of time until this guy catches fire and gets promoted to Triple-A. For the remainder of this season, the Red Sox will continue to rely on Jose Iglesias and Stephen Drew for production from the left side of the infield.

Stock: Up

8. Zack Wheeler, RHP, New York Mets

2013 Stats: 48.1 IP, 3.91 ERA, .246 AVG, 49 K, 20 BB (9 GS)

Zack Wheeler has been flaunting his stuff so far this season and lies on the verge of his first major league call-up in the next two weeks. The Mets’ top-pitching prospect is expected to make his debut after two or three more minor league starts, CBSSports.com is reporting.

The Mets, who currently sit at a 17-27 record, have little to lose and everything to gain from promoting Wheeler to the bigs. In his start on Wednesday, Wheeler picked up the win and allowed three earned runs over five innings.

Outside of Jon Niese and the dominant youngster Matt Harvey, the rest of the Mets’ rotation combines for a horrendous 2-15 record. Wheeler has a chance to add some stability to a desperate rotation upon his call-up.

Stock: Up

9. Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland

2013 Stats: .324/.393/.453, 26 R, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 11 SB, 19 BB (44 G)

Cleveland top-prospect Francisco Lindor is shaping into one of the premier young talents in the minors. He continues to outhit virtually every one of the top-10 prospects.

Lindor, just 19, is at the very least a year away from the majors. His hot start to the season could have him jumping to Double-A in the coming months. Over his last 10 games, the average is down but remains respectable at .282.

Stock: Hold

10. Christian Yelich, OF, Miami Marlins

2013 Stats: .296/.359/.589, 24 R, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 4 SB, 14 BB (31 G)

Like most hitters on this list, Christian Yelich is having a down week at the plate. The Marlins prospect is just 4-for-22 at the dish after starting the month off red hot. Still, due to the Marlins' struggles, Yelich could be on his way up to the majors sooner rather than later.

Whether owner Jeffrey Loria wants to admit it or not, this is undoubtedly a rebuilding year for Miami. Like the Astros in Houston, the situation gives prospects like Yelich the perfect opportunity to exhibit their talent at a major league level with little cost to the organization. If he continues hitting, expect Yelich in the majors before the All-Star break.

Stock: Hold

IRB Pacific Nations Cup Match Report: USA vs. Canada

Jeff Hull — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:01:48 -0400

The 2013 Pacific Nations Cup kicked off on Saturday, with two fiercely contested matches between some of the world's more promising rugby nations.

By noon on North America's East Coast, Tonga had already defeated a proud Japanese team by a score of 27-17. The scene then shifted to a wet and rainy Edmonton, Alberta for a North American grudge match between Canada and the United States.

The 14th-ranked Canadians had little to gain in terms of IRB ranking points in this match but knew that a home loss to the Americans could severely damage their hope for closing in on the world's top 10.

If they were to be successful, both Canada and the USA knew they would have to do so without many of their overseas stars. Both coaching staffs had decided to rest some of their top players, following a long European campaign. Professional Canadian speedsters DTH Van der Merwe, Phil Mackenzie, Matt Evans and James Pritchard were all out of action for this encounter, as was injured international sevens star Conor Trainor.

The Americans, on the other hand, took to the field without veterans Chris Wyles, Paul Emerick, Shawn Pittman and Biarritz flyer Takudzwa Ngwenya.

All of the youth and inexperience in the mix heralded the coming of a sloppy and disorganized first half of rugby, which is something we eluded to in our exclusive Bleacher Report preview.

The first half was indeed an energetic but error-strewen affair, with both teams struggling to maintain a fluid attack.

Canada looked the more ambitious with Glasgow Warriors wing Taylor Paris making several impressive breaks.

A series of tactical kicks, by young Canadian fly-half Harry Jones, pinned the Americans deep in their own end for the majority of the first 40 minutes. The pressure finally yielded reward, as flanker John Moonlight snatched a fumbled USA line-out and spun his way over his opponent's try-line.

A Connor Braid penalty was added to take Canada into half-time with a 10-3 lead over the visiting American squad.

When the teams re-emerged from the dressing rooms, it was the Americans who struck first and kept the pressure on. Two straight USA penalty kicks closed the gap to a narrow 10-9 scoreline heading into the last 15 minutes of play.

In a game that became ever more broken and disjointed, Canada eventually worked their way back into American territory through superior tactical kicking, where the USA gave away—what can only be described as—immature and undisciplined penalties.

Connor Braid once again stepped up to notch two more kicks for Canada and win his team back a 16-9 lead with only moments left to play.

From nowhere, the USA Eagles seemed to find the composure to sustain a final well-coordinated attack.

Wave after wave of American charges battered an increasingly tired and desperate Canadian defence. Multiple Canadian penalties saw the USA only meters away from potentially tying the match, but in the end, careless errors returned to haunt the Eagles.

A knock-on from an American forward run saw the final USA hopes flicker away and saw Canada through to the narrow home victory.

In a game where physicality and defence were the all-important factors, the play of Canadian blindside flanker Tyler Ardron was a highlight. The young Ontario native will likely be catching the eye of overseas professional clubs in the coming months; certainly, this tournament represents an excellent platform for him to make his talents known.

Ardron was named Man of the Match for for his efforts.

Who else but @tyardron named Man of the Match for Canada. #PNC2013 #GOCanadaGO
— RugbyCanada (@RugbyCanada) May 25, 2013

For Rugby Canada head coach Kerian Crowley, he will be pleased to have escaped Edmonton with a win. It could certainly be argued that the USA outplayed his squad in the second half. Canada will count itself lucky if it can move on to its next Pacific Nations Cup match, on June 1, without any additional serious injuries.

Click here to see the complete Pacific Nations Cup schedule.

For the USA, the next few weeks will look very different. It does not meet its next opponent until June 8; after which it will be forced to play the remaining four tournament matches in a span of two weeks.

The Eagles management will almost certainly be able field more of their professional talent by then, and they will need all the help they can get.

As they continue their tournament schedule, both Canada and the United States must soon face the wrath of two more highly ranked Pacific Island nations, in the forms of Fiji and the now-undefeated Tongans.

Final Score: Canada 16-USA 9

Canada Tries: Moonlight

Canada Conversions: Braid

Canada Penalties: Braid (3)

USA Penalties: Siddall (3)

Canada’s Roster for USA: Name, (Club/CRC Team) Hometown

1. Hubert Buydens, (Saskatoon Wild Oats/ Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK
2. Ray Barkwill, (Niagara Wasps/ Ontario Blues) Niagara Falls, ON
3. Jason Marshall, (Atlantique Stade Rochelais/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
4. Brett Beukeboom, (Plymouth Albion RFC) Lindsay, ON
5. Tyler Hotson, (London Scottish FC) Vancouver, BC
6. Tyler Ardron, (Brantford Harlequins/ Ontario Blues) Lakefield, ON
7. John Moonlight, (James Bay AA/Ontario Blues) Pickering, ON
8. Aaron Carpenter, Captain, (Cornish Pirates) Brantford, ON
9. Sean White, (James Bay AA/Pacific Tyee) Victoria, BC
10. Harry Jones, (Capilano RFC/BC Bears) Vancouver, BC
11. Taylor Paris, (Glasgow Warriors) Barrie, ON
12. Pat Parfrey, (Swilers RFC/Atlantic Rock) St. John’s, NL
13. Nick Blevins, (Calgary Hornets/ Prairie Wolf Pack) Calgary, AB
14. Ciaran Hearn, (Castaway Wanderers/Atlantic Rock) Conception Bay, NL
15. Connor Braid, (Doncaster Knights/ Pacific Tyee) Victoria, BC
16. Ryan Hamilton, (Capilano RFC/Pacific Tyee) Vancouver, BC
17. Andrew Tiedemann, (FC Auch Gers/Prairie Wolf Pack) St. Albert, AB
18. Doug Wooldridge, (Lindsay RFC/Ontario Blues) Lindsay, ON
19. Jon Phelan, (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue/Atlantic Rock) Montreal, QC
20. Cameron Pierce, (Kelowna Crows RFC) Coldstream, BC
21. Nanyak Dala, (Castaway Wanderers/Prairie Wolf Pack) Saskatoon, SK
22. Phil Mack, (UVIC Vikes/Pacific Tyee) Victoria, BC
23. Liam Underwood, (Queens University/Ontario Blues) Toronto, ON

Rugby Canada Summer Team Staff

Head Coach: Kieran Crowley
Assistant Coaches: Geraint John, Neil Barnes, Clive Griffiths
Strength and Conditioning: Andy Evans
Medical Support: Isabel Grondin, Carrie Smith, Nicole Ainsworth, Rebecca Spiers, Danielle Mah, Michael Cook, Carla Brash,
Doctor: Dr. Paul Watson, Dr. Andrew Everett, Dr. Shelby Karpman, Dr. Peet Du Toit
Performance Analyst: Calum Ramsay
Manager: Gareth Rees
Media Coordinator: Bryan Kelly

Men’s Eagles | Pacific Nations Cup vs. Canada

1. Shawn Pittman
2. Zach Fenoglio
3. Eric Fry
4. Brian Doyle
5. Louis Stanfill
6. John Quill
7. Peter Dahl
8. Todd Clever
9. Robbie Shaw
10. Toby L’Estrange
11. James Paterson
12. Andrew Suniula
13. Troy Hall
14. Luke Hume
15. Adam Siddall
16. Tom Coolican
17. Phil Thiel
18. Nick Wallace
19. Graham Harriman
20. Liam Murphy
21. Chris Saint
22. Seamus Kelly
23. Blaine Scully

Men’s Eagles Staff | Pacific Nations Cup vs. Canada

Mike Tolkin, head coach
Tristan Lewis, manager
David Schneider, doctor
Dan Payne, assistant coach
Tony Smeeth, assistant coach
Derek Dowling, assistant coach
Dave Williams, strength and conditioning coach
Paul Goulding, video analyst
Kristen Douhan, physiotherapist
Zach Vyhnanek, physiotherapist

Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

To follow the author on Twitter, click in the link below.

Follow @RugbyScribe

Best Pictures from the Champions League Final

Max Towle — Sat, 25 May 2013 18:00:04 -0400

Bayern Munich achieved redemption inside Wembley Stadium Saturday, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in an entertaining Champions League final.

An 89th-minute Arjen Robben goal was enough for Bayern, who avenged their recent final defeats at the hands of Inter Milan and Chelsea.

The two sides cancelled each other out tactically in a goalless first half, but Mario Mandzukic and Ilkay Gundogan traded strikes in the second to setup a thrilling climax.

With time ticking away, Robben, who had missed several good chances to score earlier in the game, controlled Franck Ribery's neat layoff and turned his shot past a helpless Roman Weidenfeller.

The win confirms Bayern as the premier club team in Europe at this moment and marks their fifth European Cup or Champions League title.

Here are the best pictures from a memorable night in London:

Fans of both clubs gather in a nearby pub:

The pre-match spectacle is one to behold:

The game begins:

The two managers, Jupp Heynckes and Jurgen Klopp, do their best to keep their teams organised:

Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel seems to be having some trouble with the rules of the game:

Franck Ribery and Robert Lewandowski engage in a fierce battle for possession:

The drama is almost too much for one fan:

Man-in-the-middle Mario Gotze watches from the stands:

Flares are lit in the Bayern fans' section:

Dortmund's Marco Reus takes a tumble under pressure:

Robert Lewandowski misses a golden chance:

Mario Mandzukic opens the scoring for Bayern and wheels away in celebration:

Ilkay Gundogan levels from the penalty spot soon after:

Some Bayern players begin to get a sense of deja vu:

Dortmund fans celebrate. A sea of yellow covers part of Wembley Stadium:

Arjen Robben is denied a clear chance from close range:

Sent through on goal in the final minute of normal time, Arjen Robben doesn't miss this time:

The Dortmund players suffer the heartbreak of defeat:

The Bayern bench erupts at the final whistle:

Bayern Munich are the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League winners:

Bastian Schweinsteiger celebrates with the trophy:

So there you have it—the defining images from a terrific all-German Champions League final. It's 12 months until the next one. See you then.

Follow @MaxBentleyTowle