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Hernandez-Harrison vs. Soto: Live Round-by-Round Updates and Analysis

Alejandro 'A-TRAIN' Burgos — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:02:46 -0400

It's fight night! Dusty Hernandez-Harrison (14-0, 8 KO) faces his toughest professional challenge in veteran Eddie Soto (12-6, 4 KO) on Saturday from the University of the District of Columbia Sports Complex in Washington, D.C.

The entire Champion Class fight card—which also includes up-and-coming prospect Mike "Yes Indeed" Reed—will be streamed live via Go Fight Live.

Hernandez-Harrison is looking to establish himself in the welterweight division with an impressive win against Soto. With Grammy nominated hip-hop artist Wale accompanying Hernandez-Harrison during his ring walk, all eyes will be on the young teenage fighter.

After a successful 12-0 start to his boxing career, Soto is looking to get back into the win column after dropping his last six fights. The Pawtucket, R.I. fighter looked in great shape at the weigh-in on Friday and will need to be on his A-game to hand Hernandez-Harrison his first loss.

Stay with us for live commentary of tonight's action.

Preakness 2013 Replay: Video, Highlights and Recap

Richard Langford — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:58:33 -0400

Oxbow helped derail Orb's chase towards history as Gary Stevens jockeyed the horse to a nearly wire-to-wire upset win in the 138th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday afternoon.

Oxbow, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, finished in 1 minute and 57.54 seconds and won by one-and-three-fourths lengths.

Video via Vine.

Two Kentucky Derby also-rans rounded out the money finishers as Itsmyluckyday, ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and trained by Eddie Plesa Jr., took second and Mylute, ridden by Rosie Napravnik and trained by Tom Amoss, took third.

Orb, who was trying to become the 13th winner of the first two legs of the Triple Crown since Affirmed swept all three races in 1978, just never mounted his finishing kick as he finished in fourth place. He did not appear to handle starting on the rail well as he was looking to become just the second horse since 1961 to win the Preakness after starting in Post No. 1.

The Associated Press tweeted the results:

The race got off to a clean start with Oxbow and Goldencents setting the early pace. Oxbow never tired and finished strong.

Check out the final results according to the NBC broadcast:

Pos.	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Post	Payout
1	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	6	$32.80, $12.00, $6.80
2	Itsmyluckyday	John Velazquez	Eddie Plesa Jr.	9	$7.80, $5.00
3	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	5	$5.20
4	Orb	Joel Rosario	Shug McGaughey	1
5	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	2
6	Departing	Brian Hernandez Jr	Albert M. Stall, Jr	4
7	Will Take Charge	Mike Smith	D. Wayne Lukas	7
8	Govenor Charlie	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	8
9	Titletown Five	Julien Leparoux	D. Wayne Lukas	3

For Hall of Fame trainer Lukas, this was his sixth Preakness win. He now moves in second place all-time on the Preakness victory list. The win moved him out of a tie with Bob Baffert and Thomas J. Healey, and leaves him behind only Robert Wyndham Walden, who won the Preakness seven times.

Lukas certainly stood a good chance at claiming the top spot in the Preakness as he had 33 percent of the field. Will Take Charge and Titletown Five are also Lukas horses.

Still, he was likely at least mildly surprised at the win.

Orb was so impressive in workouts leading up to the Preakness that Lukas, via the Block News Alliance's Rick Bozich, was inspired to say, "Orb's work the other day would make you not want to enter."

This was Lukas' 14th win in a Triple Crown race.

WNBC-TV Bruce Beck tweeted this fun fact:

Hall of Fame jockey Stevens got his horse off to a strong start and was able to take the lead without having to set a punishing pace.

Stevens sounded like he had a blast. ESPN Pittsburgh's David Todd passed along this quote from Stevens:

ESPN highlighted the impressive tally of accomplishments for Stevens:

Oxbow finished sixth in the Derby, and tired after a fast opening pace. This time he benefited from the smaller field, and a strong run.

Oxbow's win leaves the June 8 Belmont wide open. It remains to be seen which horses will make the jump from the Preakness to the Belmont, but look for Oxbow and Orb to battle for the favorite position.

And no matter what happens now, we will have to wait at least another year for a Triple Crown winner.

2013 Preakness Results: Winner, Payouts and Order of Finish

Matt Fitzgerald — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:51:56 -0400

Oxbow raced out to first place right out of the gates, and he held off a late charge down the stretch to win the 2013 Preakness Stakes. The colt won by one-and-three-quarters lengths on Saturday at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course.

Itsmyluckyday and Mylute finished second and third, respectively.

Despite maximum effort from Oxbow's closest competitors near the finish, they could never quite catch him. He also thwarted prohibitive favorite Orb's chances at capturing the Triple Crown.

Below are the full race results:

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

The No. 6 starting post continued to be magical for Gary Stevens and Oxbow, as ESPN Stats & Info highlighted after the wire-to-wire triumph:

Leading the Preakness the entire time is an extremely rare and impressive achievement, as Yahoo! Sports points out:

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas won his sixth career Preakness, and he set an all-time record with his 14th Triple Crown victory. Lukas is known for entering long shots into races, and fittingly it was the least likely of his three entries that gave him his most recent win.

Stevens set a moderate pace in the beginning, and he confidently pushed his speedy colt further when he saw no one seriously challenging.

Another Hall of Fame jockey in John Velazquez attempted a late charge down the final stretch, but it ultimately wasn't enough.

Rosie Napravnik was attempting to become the first female jockey to win the Preakness at the track she began her career at. Unfortunately, she got jumbled on the straightaway, and she needed to split too far to the outside.

There wasn't much suspense for Orb. He encountered traffic issues starting at post No. 1, and he recovered too late, ultimately finishing in fourth.

Below is the payout listings for the top three horses:

Horse	Win	Place	Show
Oxbow	$32.80	$12.00	$6.80
Itsmyluckyday	—	$7.80	$5.00
Mylute	—	—	$5.20

Exacta: (6-9) paid $301.40; Trifecta: (6-9-5) paid $2,061.40; $1 Superfecta: (6-9-5-1) paid $1,087.90.

This was a thrilling showcase, and it was a dominant performance by Stevens. The 50-year-old jockey retired for seven years before saddling up with Oxbow in the Kentucky Derby, where he ran to a sixth-place effort.

Before the race, Stevens indicated to NBC's Bob Costas that he was inspired by fellow aging jockey Mike Smith's success during his hiatus from horse racing. Stevens' return was clearly worth it, as he won his third Preakness Stakes and captured the coveted Woodlawn Vase.

Stephen Panus logged a clever comment Lukas made after the race, when he clearly had no sympathy over Orb's potential bid for horse racing's ultimate honor:

While some wind may be sucked out of June 8's Belmont Stakes, Lukas and Stevens don't mind. They've simply fortified their status among the best trainers and jockeys of all time.

Note: Statistics, odds and prior results, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of Preakness.com.

Preakness 2013 Winner: Complete Breakdown of Oxbow's Victory

Tyler Brooke — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:47:20 -0400

There was plenty of hype heading into the Preakness, with several horses earning plenty of attention before the race.

Despite the hype for a potential Triple Crown winner in Orb, it was Oxbow who won, and it really wasn’t close.

Oxbow had a very strong run, leading the entire race. Coming out of post No. 6, the young colt simply got the lead and held on for the entire race.

This was the first time a winner won by leading wire-to-wire in 31 years, according to a tweet by Yahoo! Sports.

Out of the gate, Oxbow got off to a great start. He pushed ahead and had a lead of two lengths heading into the first turn. Goldencents stayed close behind for quite some time, but faltered near the end.

Heading into the final stretch, it looked like Oxbow was going to win by a mile. Both Itsmyluckyday and Mylute did a good job of gaining some ground, but ended in second and third respectively.

Meanwhile, Orb disappointed many who were hoping for a Triple Crown threat. He stayed near the front for a while, but fell hard on the final stretch, finishing out of the money and nine lengths behind the leader.

Gary Stevens added another win to a very impressive career. The Hall of Famer now has three victories at the Preakness, with his third coming at 50 years old.

Having Stevens as his jockey certainly didn’t hurt Oxbow’s chances. Stevens rode him perfectly, maintaining the lead for the entire race.

D. Wayne Lukas did a fabulous job training this horse, earning yet another major racing win. This was his sixth victory at the Preakness, proving that he is one of the greatest trainers in the history of the sport.

With two Hall of Famers helping out Oxbow, it seemed only a matter of time for the horse to pull off a major win. He came in sixth back at the Kentucky Derby in early May, and his last win came in January.

The switch to Stevens as Oxbow’s jockey came in April. The two came in fifth at the Arkansas Derby, but it seemed Stevens was looking happy to be out of retirement.

It was quite a dominating performance for Oxbow. Even though there won't be a Triple Crown winner in 2013, fans can be impressed from a big win by Oxbow and keep hoping for next year.

Sharks Fined $100,000 for GM Doug Wilson's Comments on Raffi Torres' Suspension

Dan Talintyre — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:41:11 -0400

The San Jose Sharks have been fined $100,000 for the comments made by general manager Doug Wilson regarding the suspension of forward Raffi Torres.

Torres was suspended for the remainder of their second-round series against the defending champion Los Angeles Kings after a hit on Jarrett Stoll in Game 1—something that Wilson felt was an overreaction by the league and simply a result of Torres' past decisions influencing his current punishment.

According to NHL.com, Wilson told reporters after the defeat:

Upon review of the incident, it is abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit. Comparing the facts of this incident against the actual wording of Rule 48.1, it appears that the NHL has not only made an inappropriate application of this rule but is trying to make an example out of a player who is being judged on past events...

The general manager also went on to point out that Torres has dramatically changed regarding penalty minutes this season, taking "only six minor penalties in 39 games."

This is, of course, after the forward was suspended for 25 games last season after a hit on Marian Hossa in the first round of the playoffs—a suspension that was later reduced to 21 games and carried over into the start of the 2013 season.

However, the league didn't feel the same way about Wilson's comments and were forced to fine the team due to the timing and inappropriate nature of the remarks.

According to the league statement on NHL.com:

The fine was issued for violation of League Rules that prohibit formal team statements to the media during the 48-hour period following a disciplinary decision. The Rule calls for an automatic fine of $25,000. The Sharks were fined an additional $75,000 under Article 6 of the League's Constitution due to the inappropriate nature of the comments.

The fine comes at a frustrating time for the Sharks, who find themselves trailing, 2-0, in their second-round series against the Kings heading into Game 3.

The Sharks squandered a 3-2 lead in Game 2 to lose, 4-3, to the Kings and have looked far from the team that swept the Vancouver Canucks in the first round.

Game 3 is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Saturday.

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

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race 2013: Live Results, Updates and Reaction

Michael Guadalupe — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:37:07 -0400

The Sprint All-Star Race is not your normal NASCAR race.

The biggest difference between the All-Star race and other regular-season races is the potential for drivers to put everything on the line. Unlike normal races during the regular season, the All-Star race isn’t for points.

Instead, drivers are competing for a grand prize of up to $2 million.

The race is broken down into four segments of 20 laps and a fifth segment that is a 10-lap dash for the win. If a driver manages to get the sweep by winning all five segments, he can walk away with the $2 million prize. If no one gets the sweep, $1 million will be awarded to the race winner.

There’s also the Sprint Showdown, where two drivers who weren’t eligible for the All-Star race will get a chance to race for the potential $2 million grand prize, if they can manage to finish the Sprint Showdown in first or second.

Lastly, fans will have the opportunity to vote one driver into the All-Star race, rounding out the field of 22 drivers.

The All-Star race and Sprint Showdown aren’t like the other races of the regular season, and with NASCAR constantly changing the rules of the race to keep it interesting, this year’s All-Star race will be one to watch.

Join us here on Bleacher Report as we cover the race live.

Preakness Results: Recapping the Exciting Action from 138th Race

Jesse Reed — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:35:43 -0400

Oxbow won the 2013 Preakness Stakes in wire-to-wire fashion, beating out Itsmyluckyday and Mylute with an impressive sprint to finish the race.

Starting from the No. 6 post, jockey Gary Stevens guided Oxbow to a masterful race. The duo got off to a brilliant start and never looked back. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the No. 6 post has produced more victories than any other spot for this race:

The weather wasn't a factor in this race, as the little bit of rain that did fall on Saturday wasn't enough to muddy up the track.

Instead, the cool conditions and cloud cover provided the perfect setting for Oxbow's brilliant victory, as you can see here, courtesy of the Preakness Stakes on Twitter:

In second place behind Oxbow was Itsmyluckyday. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez engineered a brilliant race, but the duo couldn't come up with the right combination to win. Rosie Napravnik and Mylute also finished in the money by coming in at third place.

Here's a quick look at the final standings, courtesy of the NBC broadcast.

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

Horse racing fans were treated to a fabulous race, but the action on the track wasn't the only treat to be found at the Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.

ESPN's Darren Rovell was at the race, and while he waited for the Preakness to begin he posted an image of the official drink of the Preakness, which is called a "Black-Eyed Susan":

Those must taste better than they look, because the crowd was in high spirits before, during and after the race.

Oxbow's wire-to-wire victory was the first at the Preakness in 31 years, according to Yahoo! Sports:

It was certainly a shocker, as Orb (fourth place) was a 3-5 favorite to win the race before the start. Obviously losing this chance at a Triple Crown will be tough for trainer Claude McGaughey and jockey Joel Rosario to handle.

Given Oxbow's impressive sixth-place finish at the Kentucky Derby and his win on Saturday, it's clear that this is a horse to be taken seriously in the last leg of the Triple Crown, should Lukas decide to run him.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

Preakness 2013 Results: Complete Standings for Entire Field

Rob Goldberg — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:31:26 -0400

The 138th Preakness Stakes featured a major upset as Oxbow was able to take down Orb and the rest of the field to win the prestigious race.

Starting from the No. 6 post, the horse got off to a strong start in this nine-horse field, holding the lead from wire to wire. Orb, the Kentucky Derby winner, came in with 3-5 odds but finished in fourth place.

For the 35th year in a row, there will be no Triple Crown winner.

Finishing in second place was Itsmyluckyday, while Rosie Napravnik's Mylute also had a strong showing, finishing in third place.

Here is a look at the full standings:

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

Oxbow was a bit of a long shot in this race after an average performance at Churchill Downs when he finished in sixth place. However, veteran jockey Gary Stevens helped the horse run a perfect race to get the best of this strong field.

Orb came into the race as the overwhelming favorite after winning the Kentucky Derby by 2.5 lengths. Jockey Joel Rosario proved his skill in that event by leading his mount on a come-from-behind victory over the large field.

At Pimlico, however, this team was unable to win for the sixth race in a row, and it will lead to a Belmont Stakes with less energy.

Goldencents had another disappointing showing after coming in as one of the favorites. He was expected to do well at Churchill Downs, but he ended up in 17th place. This time around, he could not finish in the money in a much smaller field.

Bob Baffert also had high expectations for Govenor Charlie after the horse was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby. The trainer had five career wins at the Preakness Stakes, but he could not do the same this time around.

D. Wayne Lukas had the most invested in this race with three horses in the field: Oxbow, Titletown Five and Will Take Charge. While the latter two did not finish in the money, he should be more than excited with his sixth career win at the Preakness.

Rosie Napravnik was looking to become the first female jockey ever to win the Preakness Stakes aboard Mylute. She ended in third place, although this is still a major accomplishment. She continues to break down boundaries after having the highest finish for a woman at the Kentucky Derby earlier this month.

As exciting of a race as this was, it still comes with disappointment. Orb is still a very talented horse and should compete at the Belmont along with Oxbow and others, but there is certain to be much less excitement for the Long Island race.

Still, Oxbow deserves all the credit for a strong performance to win the 2013 Preakness.

Follow @TheRobGoldberg

WWE Extreme Rules Preview: Brock Lesnar Should Beat Triple H

John Canton — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:11:53 -0400

It is WWE Extreme Rules time. I remember last year's event fondly. The top matches like John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho and Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan were all great.

The undercard was just okay, although Brodus Clay beating Dolph Ziggler in four minutes hurt my head. It was the best pay-per-view of 2012. If I made a list of best WWE pay-per-views ever, it might be in the top 15 or 20. It was that good.

This year? I don't expect it to be as good. For one thing, the storylines heading into the show are just okay. None are excellent. There's also a lack of star power with no sign of CM Punk (out resting knee and arm injuries) and Dolph Ziggler missing in action due to a concussion. They are two of the best performers in WWE. It's hard to replace guys like that.

This year's Extreme Rules pay-per-view event is an average card. If the right matches get the most time, then it could be great. If some matches that should be kept shorter are given too much time, then it will hurt the show.

Generally speaking, WWE does an excellent job of timing their pay-per-views. The in-ring action is usually above average, too. My expectations aren't too high or too low. They're somewhere in the middle. Like I said, it has the makings of an average show.

The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes (Pre-Show)

There's not much in terms of build for this one. Maybe WWE can say that Miz is the most "must-see pre-show wrestler ever" like they did before WrestleMania or whatever the hell they were trying to say there. Neither guy has much direction these days. They're in the midcard not doing a whole lot. It would be nice if Rhodes had a bigger role. Miz will go over in a five-minute match to get a babyface win to start the show.

Winner: The Miz

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

This feud has lost a lot of the momentum from where it began. This is one of the few matches on the card that is a WrestleMania rematch and it doesn't have a stipulation. That's weird. At least the stipulation doesn't have to do with dancing.

Jericho's promo near the end of Raw was good when he said he was sick of the guy and just wanted to beat him. Why couldn't they have done that instead of the terrible build that this feud had? It's as if the creative team realized how awful the feud was and had Jericho improvise that promo.

If they get 10-15 minutes it could be an entertaining match. Fandango won at WrestleMania, so a Jericho win makes sense especially if it leads to a third match. If it was me booking, I'd put Fandango over because as the newer character he should get the big win.

However, I'm picking based on a WWE booking perspective and since I think there will be another match in the feud, I'll pick Jericho to get his win back here. If there's a third match, I'd pick Fandango to win that to end the feud.

Winner: Chris Jericho

United States Title: Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose

I'm a fan of both guys (Ambrose more than Kingston) and it's a fresh matchup, so I'm looking forward to it. I've had a tough time deciding on this prediction. They have had six weeks between WrestleMania and Extreme Rules, yet this feud feels like it was thrown together within the last week. Shouldn't they plan these feuds better? Of course they should.

On the one hand, I think it's unlikely for Kingston to beat Ambrose clean just because I think Ambrose is booked strong and Kingston isn't a big enough name to go over him. It may be too soon to get the title off Kingston, since he's had some great matches since he's been the champion and keeping that momentum going could be a good thing.

I think the most likely finishes are Kingston retaining via disqualification (due to other Shield members) or Ambrose gets the title. Since I don't like predicting DQ finishes very often, I'll pick Ambrose. A screwy finish wouldn't surprise me because I think it's a bit too soon to get the title off of Kingston.

Then again maybe he is just a transitional champion between Cesaro and Ambrose. There are so many ways they can go with this one.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Tag Team Championship: Team Hell No (Kane & Daniel Bryan) vs. The Shield's Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins (Tag Team Tornado Match)

It's time to do the tag title change. I've been predicted it for a while now, but now that The Shield are positioned as the top contenders, it's time to put some gold on them. Even though I think that Kane & Bryan holding the tag titles since September has been a great thing for the tag titles, it's time to move on.

I want to see Bryan pushed as a singles babyface star. Getting the tag titles puts over The Shield as a great team and it also opens that door for Bryan to ascend as a performer. He's too good to be in the tag division for much longer.

This could be one of the better matches on the show. I'm a fan of tornado tag matches where all four guys can wrestle at the same time. They have built up some chemistry too, so I'm looking forward to this one a lot. Hopefully it gets 15 minutes of in-ring time, but I think 10 minutes is more likely.

Winners: Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger (I Quit Match)

It's a shame that Dolph Ziggler has a concussion because I was really looking forward to the three-way ladder match for the World Title. I thought it was going to be the match of the night.

Now that Ziggler is out, they've replaced it with this "I Quit" match, which is a #1 Contender match even though there are two other midcard matches on the show that seem like a bigger deal (Orton/Show and Sheamus/Henry).

The "I Quit" stipulation works for them because of their submission holds. Their SmackDown match about a month ago was better than WrestleMania, so hopefully this match is more the SmackDown match was.

I think Del Rio will win because he's the babyface that makes more sense as an opponent of Ziggler. With that said, I don't know if they'll do Ziggler vs. Del Rio at the next pay-per-view, Payback. I can see them setting up a feud with Ziggler and Orton in the near future.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry (Strap Match)

I've liked the feud. I don't really like the Strap Match stipulation, though. It limits what you can do in the match. Basically, there will be a lot of whipping with the strap without much else. They can use weapons technically, but with so many other matches with weapons likely to be used, I doubt they use anything other than a ladder.

I'm a fan of Mark Henry's work since he returned, so I hope he goes over here. I don't think a loss hurts either guy that much. I'll pick Henry because I think he's a future pay-per-view opponent of John Cena and a win here would certainly help. It's rare for Sheamus to lose, though, so I'm not that sure about this one.

Winner: Mark Henry

Randy Orton vs. Big Show (Extreme Rules Match)

It feels like a matchup that is filler in a lot of ways. Why? Because they haven't done anything to really create interest in the storyline. Show cost Orton a match at WrestleMania, but it's not like that WrestleMania match was memorable anyway. It was just a regular match.

Here we are six weeks later and they have done little to add to the story. Orton's mannerisms are the same. Show is still the dominating heel. I'm not sure if Orton's long-rumored heel turn is even a plan at this point. Whether it's a plan or not, I have Orton winning this match. It makes more sense to me.

Winner: Randy Orton

Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar (Steel Cage Match)

It's the feud that didn't really need a second match, yet here we are with the third match. If Lesnar loses this match, then WWE really has their priorities screwed up. I realize that Lesnar is on a limited schedule, but it's not like Triple H is wrestling all the time, either. You can't keep booking Lesnar as this devastating heel monster if he continues to loses matches (he's 1-2 since he came back last year).

It's pretty simple: give Lesnar the win. I think the Steel Cage setting should allow them to have a physical style of match with some good drama including nearfalls as well as each guy trying to escape the cage. The best way for Lesnar to win is in a clean fashion. I hope that's what happens.

This might be the longest match on the card just because their previous two matches went 19 minutes (Summerslam) and 24 minutes (WrestleMania 29). It's a Triple H match. His matches always go long. It's not like he's going to book a match where he loses in 10 minutes. That would be wonderful for Lesnar, but I doubt that happens. Hunter's one of the strongest performers in the company even as an aging part-timer.

A decisive Lesnar win in 12 minutes is what I would do. But I'm not booking. I think Lesnar will still win, but it will not be as decisive as it should be.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Ryback (Last Man Standing Match)

There are some people out there that have been messaging me for weeks saying that due to Cena's foot injury he should lose the WWE Title to Ryback. I don't agree.

Are you forgetting about the nearly two-year journey that Cena was on to win back the WWE Title? I really don't think he's going to lose the WWE Title in his first pay-per-view title defense. This is John Cena. He doesn't lose very often, especially one month into a title reign.

I guess it's a positive that people even think Ryback has a chance. I don't see him winning, though. Maybe if they do another pay-per-view match, but even then I doubt it.

The feud has been okay, but I worry about this match in terms of quality. I don't know if they have good chemistry. Obviously, they've been working on house shows a lot in the past month as a practice run for this match. I saw Ryback have longer matches with great workers like Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho in the last month on SmackDown. They were fine. Not great, though. Against Cena? I have my worries.

The Last Man Standing match is a good stipulation because they can use weapons and have a brawl. The problem is we saw two LMS matches with Del Rio and Big Show already this year, so it doesn't seem that fresh of a stipulation.

Ultimately, I think Cena wins after 15 minutes of taking punishment and looking like a badass by coming back to win the match despite his foot injury.

Winner: John Cena

John Canton is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. You can read more of his work at his website TJRWrestling.com. He also writes for LayfieldReport.com. You can follow John on Twitter @johnreport.

HP Byron Nelson Championship 2013: Day 3 Leaderboard Analysis and Highlights

Richard Langford — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:04:43 -0400

Keegan Bradley kept his lead at the Byron Nelson, but after firing a two-under 68 on Saturday, his lead is shrinking.

It was a hot day on the course, and scoring conditions were tough on the fast greens. As a result, no one made a big move up the leaderboard in the third round.

However, after Bradley began the day with a three-shot lead, he ended it with just a one-stroke advantage.

Sang Moon-Bae is stands alone in second at 12-under.

Meanwhile, Scott Piercy and Tom Gillis sit at 10-under and eight golfers are within five strokes of the lead.

Have a look at the leaderboard, and then I'll recap Saturday's action.

Pos.	Player	Scores	Rd. 3	Total
1	Keegan Bradley	60-69	68	-13
2	Sang-Moon Bae	66-66	66	-12
3	Tom Gillis	69-63	67	-11
4	Scott Piercy	66-68	66	-10
T5	Gary Woodland	69-65	68	-8
T5	Harris English	64-70	68	-8
T5	John Huh	69-64	69	-8
T5	Charl Schwartzel	63-70	69	-8
9	Nathan Green	67-68	68	-7

Note: For complete scores, visit PGA.com. All statistics, videos and other information, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of PGATour.com.

Bradley looked intent on slamming the door early on this tournament as birdied No. 3 to move to 12-under with a solid approach and wonderful putt:

However, Bradley quickly gave the field some hope as he bogeyed holes Nos. 5 and 6 to fall to 10-under. As we've seen with Bradley, a few bogeys does not mean he is falling apart.

After all, he had two bogeys on Thursday went he set a course record by carding a 60. Bradley birdied Nos. 7 and 9 to finish the front at one-under and hold a comfortable lead at 12-under.

The 18th hole continues to plague Bradley. His tee shot almost landed in the water and it was close enough to a rock that he merely had to chip into the fairway.

He was not able to get up and down, and for the third straight round he bogeyed the closing hole.

Still, Champions Tour golfer Larry Mowry loves Bradley's chance to take this event wire-to-wire:

If he does pull this off, he will be the first wire-to-wire winner of this event since Tom Watson in 1980.

Sang-Moon Bae will do his best to prevent that from happening.

Bae, who is looking for his first PGA win, got off to a great start. He birdied the first and second hole to quickly get to 10-under.

With his accuracy off the tee coming and going, Bae was having a hard time staying consistent. However, he dropped just one stroke to the course. That came on the par-three fifth, when he carded a four.

A birdie at No. 8 earned the stroke back, and when he stuck this wonderful approach on No. 13, he moved to 11-under and was right in the thick of the hunt:

Bae closed his round strong, playing the final 13 holes bogey free. If he can hit enough fairways on Sunday, he will have a great shot at victory.

Meanwhile, playing safe and smart golf, Gillis didn't suffer a bogey until the par-three seventeenth, and he quickly picked that stroke back up with a birdie on No. 18.

He has tremendous touch around and on the greens. He has .568 strokes gained-putting over the first three rounds. So, even when he misses the greens, he is a good bet to get a par.

And he got a lot of pars—13 of them to be exact.

Another golfer to watch on Sunday will be Scott Piercy. He fired a four-under 66, and showed he can make a move in a hurry on this course by knocking in six birdies on the day.

This remarkable putt on No. 17 helped him get the final of his birdies.

Piercy will begin the final round three shots off the lead at 10-under, and is one of the many golfers with a strong shot at victory.

All of this sets up for what should be a remarkable final round.

Rosie Napravnik Must Run Perfect Race to Become 1st Female Preakness Winner

Tim Keeney — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:01:42 -0400

At the Kentucky Derby, Rosie Napravnik made history with a wonderful ride atop Mylute. At the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, she'll have to be even better.

With her fifth-place finish at Churchill Downs earlier this month, the 25-year-old Napravnik earned the best placing ever by a female rider at the Derby. If she's going to continue her assault on the record books and become the first female jockey to win the second jewel of the Triple Crown, she and trusty thoroughbred Mylute will have to find a way to best Orb.

That's no easy task—the Kentucky Derby winner, ridden by red-hot jockey Joel Rosario, is quickly steamrolling his way toward the illustrious Triple Crown.

At Churchill, Rosario delivered a perfect race atop Orb, biding his time at the back before using a blazing finish to take home the comfortable victory.

Since then, the talented horse has only continued to gain momentum. On the morning of the Preakness, he stood as a 1-1 overwhelming favorite.

Still, Orb is beatable—especially against the nearly consensus second option and closest finisher of any of the five Derby runners also in the Preakness.

It's just going to take a flawless ride by Napravnik.

First, take a look at her and Mylute at the Kentucky Derby:

As you'll notice, the young jockey rode nearly the exact same race as Rosario. Mylute stayed far behind the opening pace, sitting in "18th, 17th, 16th and 9th at points of call from the quarter-mile to one mile." Then when he made his run, it was like a horse-shaped rocket being shot out of a cannon, propelling him to a fifth-place finish.

The takeaway? Mylute is a closer, plain and simple.

That may not seem ideal on a shorter Pimlico track that favors speed, but if Napravnik begins her run earlier—and just as importantly, before Rosario—it could work.

Her post position will make that possible:

Orb, on the other hand, is on the rail at No. 1. He has the talent to get to the outside, cover an enormous amount of ground and still win; however, combine the shorter course and Mylute's easier route to the space on the outside, and this sets up perfectly for Napravnik.

However, not only does she need to time her push perfectly and run a complete race (no big deal), her success may come down to something of a cliche:

She needs to relax and do what she always does—something that should be easy considering her experience at Pimlico, according to Claire Novak of BloodHorse.com:

She may not be a Maryland native, but Rosie Napravnik remembers galloping horses at Pimlico Race Course before she even earned her jockey's license, then winning the first race of her career at the oval in 2005.

"I think that this track is stereotypically called a speed-biased track, but, honestly, I've ridden on this track a million times and I really think that it's a fair track," she said. "I don't think it's going to be any disadvantage to us coming from behind, and it's a very long stretch."

Napravnik is going to have to be at her very best to upset Rosario and Orb, but there is no better place for her to make history—again.

Preakness Odds: Assessing Long Shots with Best Value

Alex Ballentine — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:45:47 -0400

As the Preakness rapidly approaches, bettors will be flooding in to make their final bets before the race kicks off at 6:20 p.m. ET.

While Orb has maintained his status as the distinct race favorite, a few long shots still have the potential to outperform their current odds. Here are the latest odds from Bovada.

Post	Horse	Odds
1	Orb	1-1
2	Goldencents	8-1
3	Titletown Five	30-1
4	Departing	6-1
5	Mylute	5-1
6	Oxbow	15-1
7	Will Take Charge	12-1
8	Govenor Charlie	12-1
9	Itsmyluckyday	10-1

Here are the long shots that have the best chance at pushing the favorites and putting in a good performance.

Will Take Charge

Will Take Charge may not have the best odds, but Mike Smith is one of the most savvy jockeys in the sport. The 47-year-old took Bodemeister to the second-place finish at last year's Preakness and has a ton of experience on the track.

The horse took a first-place finish at the Rebel Stakes over fellow Preakness contender Oxbow, so we know that he's capable of beating horses in the field. A disappointing eighth-place finish at the Derby isn't the only indication of the kind of sprinter he is.

With Smith's experience and Will Take Charge's sprinting ability, 12-1 odds should be tempting for anyone looking to make last-minute picks.

Govenor Charlie

Also coming in with 12-1 odds is Govenor Charlie.

This colt doesn't have the big-time experience of some of the other horses in the field, but that only increases his value. The fact that he hasn't run against the best competition keeps his odds high but also means that he should be in prime condition to run his best race.

He has the pedigree to contend, too. He, like Mylute, was sired by Midnight Lute.

As evidenced by his record-setting run at the Sunland Derby where he ran a 1:47.54 time on the 1-1/8 mile track, Govenor Charlie has the speed to surprise a lot of people at Pimlico.

David Beckham's Recent Success Will Have Huge Long-Term Impact for PSG

Dan Talintyre — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:45:14 -0400

David Beckham—like he's done so many times before—finished his career a winner, with Paris Saint Germain running out 3-1 winners over Brest in the final game.

Having lit up the world with his dazzling skills in England, Spain, the United States and now France, Beckham's decision to call it quits did come as somewhat of a surprise. Then again, so did his move over the transfer window to join the French club in the first place.

And whilst it might not seem like it just yet, the fact is that Beckham's presence and success in the French capital could very well have a long-term impact for PSG.

Simply having him around in 2013 could lead to great long-term success.

Now that might seem like an overreaction and simply more hype surrounding the 38-year-old, but it is the reality. Beckham's presence shows that a club is heading in the right direction. The success he so often has at those clubs further proves that to be the case. His incredible trophy cabinet—filled from victories from around the world—would also testify to his success.

However, what will be most significant for PSG is the longevity of that success.

Having won their first league title in 19 years once Beckham arrived at the club, PSG finally began to show that their millions of dollars purchasing players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva, Lucas Moura and plenty more, was finally worth it.

And what's more, they showed that they can be a competitive force in the Champions League—a competition they'll be back in after their Ligue 1 success.

The atmosphere in the French club at the moment is one of excitement, not one of sadness about Beckham's departure. That much can be seen from their final game against Brest, where Jerome Pugmire (Associated Press) reports that the scenes in Paris looked like they were at one big party.

PSG's players walked out to a thunderous reception and with Nirvana's “Smells like Teen Spirit” reverberating around the Parc des Princes stadium. PSG right back Christophe Jallet dyed his hair in the blue, white and red of the French flag, while the players all wore next season’s team jerseys.

It was optimism, not disappointment, that was the focal point of Beckham's last game, and if the success he's had previously is anything to go by, PSG are in for a wild ride in the near future.

Following his departure, Manchester United have won six Premier League titles, numerous league cups and the Champions League. Real Madrid have had similar success in La Liga, and whilst his success at the Los Angeles Galaxy is not yet known, we can only assume it will be just as powerful.

Paris Saint Germain have every right to be excited about what the future might bring, for their short-term success with Beckham has been a rousing success.

They're continuing to land some of the biggest stars in world football and, perhaps most importantly, they have supporters excited about the future of the club.

No amount of money or managing can do that—only the players can—and thanks to Beckham, PSG have once again captured the hearts of the French capital.

He has established a great culture in his short time there, and whatever future success that the French club has will no doubt come back to that fact.

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

Jordan's Jersey Debacle

Daily Cold Hard Facts — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:39:47 -0400

Fact: After his jerseys were stolen from the visitors' locker room when the team was on the road against the Orlando Magic, Jordan had to wear a No. 12 jersey.

Bleacher Report will be bringing sports fans the most interesting and engaging Cold Hard Fact of the day, presented by Coors Light.

Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs Enter Final Day in Familiar Position

Frank Wagner — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:31:47 -0400

When Tottenham's match against Sunderland kicks off Sunday, supporters of the club will have only half of their attention focused on their side's performance at White Hart Lane.

The other half will be scoreboard watching, hoping arch-rivals Arsenal drop precious points at Newcastle to open the door to the Champions League.

Entering these final matches, Arsenal leads Tottenham by one point (and quite a bit of goal difference) for the fourth and final Champions League spot.

As a result, Spurs' only hope in making it to Europe's top club competition next season is to win their final match while the Gunners drop points.

If you're getting a sense of deja vu from this situation, that is quite understandable. After all, an eerily similar situation unfolded just last season.

After a surge in the second half of the season, Arsenal carried a one-point lead over Tottenham into last year's final day.

With Spurs needing to defeat Fulham at White Hart Lane and for Arsenal to slip up against West Brom at the Hawthorns, Tottenham were only able to get their half done: Spurs breezed past Fulham 2-0 while Arsenal battled from behind to a 3-2 victory over Albion.

While that lead was for third place and an automatic bid to the Champions League, Chelsea's eventual triumph over Bayern Munich in that season's Champions League final meant that the Gunners' victory provided the difference between a Champions League and Europa League campaign for Tottenham.

Now, a few differences between these two situations spring to mind.

For example, Arsenal's ability to catch Tottenham last season was down to Spurs' terrible late-season form, which saw them lose five of their last 13 matches. On the other hand, this season's race has been defined by the Gunners' incredible run of form, which has seen them take 36 of the past 45 available points.

Further, Tottenham entered last year's final day worrying more about overcoming Newcastle to hold onto fourth. Meanwhile, they enter this final day rooting for Newcastle to help them attain fourth.

Still, the parallelisms between the situations are stark.

For the second year running, Tottenham enters its final match needing one point to pass Arsenal.

Yet again, Spurs supporters will be watching the scoreboard in hopes that the Gunners will slip up that little bit.

If there's any luck, the only thing that will be different is the result.

Come on, you Frenchmen.

Follow @Fw1812

Knicks vs. Pacers Game 6: Live Score, Highlights and Analysis

Tristan Thornburgh — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:22:45 -0400

The New York Knicks face their second straight win-or-go-home scenario when they take on the host Indiana Pacers in the Saturday night's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

New York avoided elimination with an 85-75 Game 5 home win on Thursday night, but the Knicks couldn't answer all of the questions surrounding their staying power.

Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith all showed their unsightly ball-domination tendencies (the trio attempted 53 of the Knicks' 78 shots, converting 41.5 percent from the field). Only 12 of New York's 32 field goals were set up with assists.

But Indiana faces its own set of question marks, none greater than the status of starting point guard George Hill.

After scoring a playoff-high 26 points in Indiana's 93-82 win in Game 4, Hill was held out of Game 5 with a concussion. The Pacers' offense struggled in his absence, shooting 36.2 percent from the field and committing 19 turnovers. Defensively, Hill's replacements had a hard time denying Felton driving lanes.

Under the league's policy on concussions, Hill must pass a series of physical and mental tests before being cleared to return (via Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today).

The game begins at 8 p.m. ET tonight on ESPN.

Notre Dame Football: The Key Player in Each 2013 Game

Matt Smith — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:12:42 -0400

All of Notre Dame's 12 wins last season required a full-team effort, but when looking back on each of the Irish's victories in 2012, often times a specific player comes to mind for a certain game.

Against Michigan, it was Manti Te'o and his two interceptions of Denard Robinson. At Oklahoma, it was Louis Nix's domination of the Oklahoma offensive line that swung the game in the Irish's favor. A week later against Pittsburgh, Everett Golson's unflappable poise was imperative in leading a late rally against Pittsburgh.

I've identified a key player for each of Notre Dame's 12 games in 2013. If you want to argue that player is Golson for all 12 games, that's a rational viewpoint, but doesn't make for an interesting article. Therefore, there are no repeats.

There isn't necessarily a right answer for any game, but different styles of play and opponents' various strengths and weaknesses will place different players or position groups in the spotlight from week to week.

Let's look at the key player each week for the 2013 Fighting Irish.

Begin Slideshow

Preakness 2013 Results: Live Analysis and Twitter Reaction

Tristan Thornburgh — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:05:04 -0400

The Preakness often seems to be in the shadow of the more famous Kentucky Derby, but the second jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown is often a sensational race.

Saturday's 138th Preakness features Kentucky Derby winner Orb, who will be trying to establish his greatness by winning the second of the Big Three races.

If Orb is victorious, he will have a chance to go for the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes in early June. There has not been a Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

Orb demonstrated sensational ability in the Derby, coming from near the back of the pack to defeat a 20-horse field. While there are only nine horses in the Preakness, he faces a big challenge because tactics in the 1 3/16ths mile race often determine who wins and who disappoints.

Orb will break from the rail at Pimlico—the Baltimore track that hosts the Preakness—and that could be a problem for a horse that likes to come from behind and does not want to get caught up in traffic.

Post time is 6:20 p.m. ET today on NBC.

Preakness Post Time: Last-Minute Betting Advice for Triple Crown Race at Pimlico

Mike Chiari — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:53:46 -0400

After two weeks of preparation since the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness is nearly here. Horse racing fans and bettors everywhere have been trying to get a good grasp on the field, and while anything can happen during the race, contenders and pretenders appear to have emerged.

Orb is clearly the favorite after winning the Kentucky Derby as he has been hovering around even money all week long. Orb is certainly the safe pick, but he isn't the most lucrative one. If something feels like a sure thing, though, it is often best to stick with it rather than chasing an inferior option.

Here are a few pieces of last-minute betting advice before you finalize your picks for the second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico.

When: Saturday, May 18 at 6:20 p.m. ET

Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Watch: NBC

Starting Order

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

*Odds courtesy of NBC

Stick With Orb to Win

Although it may seem unexciting to bet on Orb to win the Preakness Stakes, he appears to be head and shoulders above the rest of the field at this point. Orb was dominant down the stretch in the Kentucky Derby and there is nothing to suggest that things will be any different in the Preakness. It's obviously possible that Orb will falter as he could have a bad trip or come up lame, but it would probably take something extraordinary for Orb to lose this race.

Orb has won five consecutive races in dominant fashion and he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. Also, jockey Joel Rosario has had an excellent 2013 as he has won both the Kentucky Derby and the Dubai World Cup. It seems like everything he touches turns to gold, so all of the pieces are in place. Orb's co-owner, Stuart Janney, believes that all is well with his prized colt and feels like he is ready for the Preakness, according to Chris Korman of The Baltimore Sun.

Betting on Orb to win probably isn't advisable since it seems like the best someone can do at this point is double their money. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it will take a sizable bet to make any money. With that said, betting on an exacta or trifecta with Orb at the top is probably the best way to go. No matter what bet you make, though, make sure that you have Orb winning.

Select Will Take Charge to Place

If Orb is viewed as the definitive winner, then the true challenge lies in finding the second-place horse. This seems like an evenly-matched field, so any number of horses could slide into that No. 2 spot. Based on how things went in the Kentucky Derby, however, there is reason to believe that Will Take Charge has something left in reserve. He was making a late run before getting stuck in traffic and finishing eighth, so there is a lot to like about the D. Wayne Lukas-trained colt.

Will Take Charge endured a pretty bad trip in the Derby, so finishing eighth was actually quite impressive. It shouldn't be nearly as difficult to find the right line in this race as there are nine horses involved rather than 19. Also, Will Take Charge will be saddled by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith in this race, according to Daily Racing Form, so he will have ideal guidance at Pimlico.

It seems like horses with closing speed tend to fare the best in Triple Crown races these days, and Will Take Charge certainly has that. He and Orb may be the best closers in the entire field, so there is reason to like Will Take Charge's chances to finish well. It's tough to imagine Will Take Charge having a better late kick than Orb, but an Orb-Will Take Charge exacta could be fairly lucrative.

Steer Clear of Goldencents

Goldencents was considered to be among the top contenders to win the Kentucky Derby, but things broke down for the promising colt. He shot to the front of the field along with Palace Malice and helped set a blistering pace, but he simply couldn't sustain it throughout the race. Goldencents tired down the stretch and faded significantly as he finished a disappointing 17th. He is out for redemption at the Preakness, but that won't be easy.

Goldencents is in a very difficult position as he and jockey Kevin Krigger will start from the No. 2 position. Starting No. 2 isn't as bad in the Preakness as it would have been in the Kentucky Derby's 19-horse field, but it certainly isn't advantageous. Goldencents is a horse that likes to get toward the front early and maintain his lead, but the odds of him being able to do that from an inside position aren't good.

It's understandable why some bettors are gravitating toward Goldencents as there is a thought that his Kentucky Derby performance was a fluke, but it's hard to imagine him going from 17th to a money finish in the Preakness. If you're planning on betting an exacta or trifecta, you would be best off leaving Goldencents out of it.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

HP Byron Nelson 2013: Contenders Who Must Finish Strong to Build on Season

Rob Goldberg — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:51:55 -0400

There are plenty of golfers in contention for the HP Byron Nelson Championship, but some players need a bigger performance than others.

While this event is not the biggest tournament on the schedule, it provides golfers with a great opportunity to gain some momentum as they enter the heart of the season. With the U.S. Open beginning next month and the Open Championship following in July, there are plenty of places for golfers to make their mark.

However, a few players looking to do well in these majors have struggled to this point in the year. A strong showing by these guys in the final couple of rounds this weekend will make a huge difference for the rest of the year.

Keegan Bradley

It appeared that Keegan Bradley was going to be a top competitor at the Masters after he finished in the top 10 of four straight tournaments heading into Augusta. Unfortunately, an 82 in the third round dropped him far out of contention.

Since then, he's completely fallen apart. Bradley missed the cut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and then missed the cut again at the Players Championship.

The good news is that he seems to have turned the corner this week at Irving with a 60 in his opening round. However, consistency has been a problem all year, and it will be impossible for him to win without posting four strong rounds in a row.

If he can avoid another collapse, he should be able to keep his confidence heading into the rest of the year.

Charl Schwartzel

After winning the 2011 Masters, Charl Schwartzel appeared as though he was going to take a big step toward being one of the top players in the world. While he is consistently in contention, he is rarely on top of a leaderboard.

Since the start of 2012, the South African has only missed three cuts, but he also has only four top-10 finishes in that time.

Heading into the Byron Nelson Championship, Schwartzel had gone 13 rounds in a row without scoring in the 60s. That all changed with an impressive 63 on Thursday that featured seven birdies and no bogeys.

In the final two rounds, he must continue to play relatively mistake-free to finish strong and finish at least in the top 10.

Angel Cabrera

Despite a few years worth of struggles, it is clear that Angel Cabrera still has some very strong play left in him.

The 43-year-old pro lost in the playoff of the Masters to Adam Scott and is looking to build off that performance to get back among the top players in the world. The problem is that he has struggled down the stretch in each of his past two PGA events.

At the Wells Fargo Championship, Cabrera shot an 80 in Round 4. At the Players' Championship, he only managed at 76 in the final round. He has to make sure this does not become a trend.

With many talented young competitors jockeying for position on the leaderboard, Cabrera could end up once again falling behind. He has to avoid a poor round on Sunday to not only stay ahead in this event, but gain more confidence for many upcoming events.

Follow @TheRobGoldberg

No-Brainer Adjustments for Every Struggling NHL Playoff Team

Tyler Donohue — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:50:20 -0400

The race for a league championship remains wide open for eight squads still participating in the postseason frenzy. The tournament is especially intriguing this year since no team appears head and shoulders above the fray, leaving the door open for improvement in each locker room.

A few teams in particular have seen their efforts limited by shortcomings of different sorts. Rallying and rising above these issues can make the difference between playoff survival and elimination.

No team is facing dire straits just yet, so there's still time to pull things together and perform at full throttle. Here's a look at corrections that can clearly make a substantial difference in Stanley Cup hopes for several squads.

Begin Slideshow

WWE Extreme Rules 2013: Matches That Will Steal the Show from Main Event

Brian Mazique — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:44:30 -0400

The Extreme Rules pay-per-view isn't getting a great deal of attention, but there are a few matches on the card that could be classic. What some may find strange is that not one of them is the main event.

Ryback and John Cena's clash for the WWE title will drive the primary storyline, but as pure in-ring action goes, these three matches will steal the show from the main event.

Notice the distinct Shield flavor...

US Championship — (c) Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose

If you want to see one of the best blends of in-ring athletics and theatrics, this is the one match from the event you don't want to miss.

No one in the WWE is as athletic and exciting as Kofi. When he's matched with the right opponent, his moves come off excellently. Aside from Dolph Ziggler—whom the event will definitely miss—no other Superstar sells opponent's moves like Ambrose.

He's an excellent mixture of old-school heelism and new-school feel. This could be the type of match that vaults Kofi into the next stratosphere.

There are so many ways this one could go; the result and drama could be just as compelling as the in-ring action.

This is good stuff.

Tag Team Championship — (c) Team Hell No vs. Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns — Tornado Tag Match

Daniel Bryan and Kane have already been involved with one classic match with The Shield; this will be yet another epic confrontation.

It seems like the time may have come for Team Hell No to drop the titles. If so, giving The Shield some gold would seem like a logical step in their meteoric rise.

Watch the sequences with Rollins and Bryan. It should be classic material.

Fandango vs. Chris Jericho

The theme music of Fandango has gone viral. His dancing machinations and other hype are a cool package, but the guy is pretty solid in the ring too.

Don't sleep on Jericho's ability to entertain, Y2J can still put on a great match. After Fandango and Jericho's first meeting registered about a six out of 10 at WrestleMania 29, this one should be a lot better.

Hopefully they will get 10 to 15 minutes of time to shine athletically and tell a story.

Follow me, because if The Shield win Gold, I'll Happily Tweet About it

Preakness 2013: Projecting Win, Place and Show at Pimlico

Matt Fitzgerald — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:43:46 -0400

Saturday's 138th running of the Preakness Stakes is mere hours away, and as Orb looks to continue his pursuit of the Triple Crown, several horses have legitimate chances of spoiling his chase for history at Pimlico Race Course.

The odds have tightened up considerably, making projections for win, place and show all the more difficult since no one has longer than 16-1 odds.

Nevertheless, below is an overview of the entire field, followed by predictions for the top three in Baltimore.

Note: All statistics and information, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of Preakness.com.

Post Positions and Complete Field

Post No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
1	Orb	Shug McGaughey	Joel Rosario	4-5
2	Goldencents	Doug O'Neill	Kevin Krigger	8-1
3	Titletown Five	D. Wayne Lukas	Julien Leparoux	16-1
4	Departing	Albert M. Stall Jr.	Brian Hernandez Jr.	10-1
5	Mylute	Tom Amoss	Rosie Napravnik	8-1
6	Oxbow	D. Wayne Lukas	Gary Stevens	13-1
7	Will Take Charge	D. Wayne Lukas	Mike Smith	10-1
8	Govenor Charlie	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia	10-1
9	Itsmyluckyday	Eddie Plesa Jr.	John Velazquez	8-1

*Odds via NBC telecast, as of 4:30 p.m. ET, May 18

Win: Orb

The Kentucky Derby winner proved he possessed the requisite stamina to save his best for last, although Pimlico is slightly shorter than Churchill Downs.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas has three entries in the Preakness this time around, but even he implies that Orb is the prohibitive favorite, according to Tim Wilkin of the Albany Times Union:

A lot of sprinters should provide Orb with a legitimate challenge, but they won't have enough to overtake him. Orb's jockey, Joel Rosario, has 147 wins on the season and $8.5 million in earnings, per NBC's telecast—more than any of his peers.

Trainer Shug McGaughey is looking to capture horse racing's middle jewel to complete his career Triple Crown. Five horses since 2002 have won the first two legs of the three marquee showcases in this sport, and Orb has all the goods to do just that.

When Palace Malice set a swift pace at the Kentucky Derby, Orb and Rosario didn't panic. If it's fast again, though, it will be important for Rosario to get Orb going quickly enough to avoid making a push too late.

As long as Orb is within striking distance entering the final turn, his effortless stride and explosiveness should land him in the winner's circle.

Place: Departing

The Illinois Derby victory that preceded this race for Departing gives him valuable momentum, even though the Grade III race didn't possess the strongest field.

Odds are sinking leading up to the race for Departing, but they should not be. His only loss in five career starts came at the Louisiana Derby, where he fell to Mylute, who is one of the favorites in the Preakness, and Revolutionary, who came in third at the Kentucky Derby.

Departing grew up roaming the same fields as Orb when they were being groomed to become racehorses, which makes their battle among the top storylines to watch this evening.

Brian Hernandez Jr. is one of the best young jockeys in the industry, and he continually rides Departing to victories.

With two additional weeks between his last race and his counterparts who ran in the Kentucky Derby, this new shooter has to be considered a serious threat to Orb's Triple Crown chances.

Show: Oxbow

Beating the Oxbow drum isn't the most popular choice. After all, oddsmakers still see him as the second longest shot in the entire field.

It's definitely a boom-or-bust proposition to wager on Oxbow, but Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens is getting the mount once again, which helps his cause significantly.

Stevens has won the Preakness two previous times and felt Oxbow had a legitimate chance to win at Churchill Downs. According to The Courier-Journal, Oxbow is being more obedient to Stevens' commands.

Another Hall of Famer in trainer D. Wayne Lukas is part of Oxbow's support team. He and Stevens are a formidable duo, and Lukas is looking to break Jean Fitzsimmons' record by winning his 13th Triple Crown race.

Conventional wisdom would dictate that the safer of Lukas' horses to choose would be Will Take Charge. However, Oxbow's speed will propel him into third place.

At the Kentucky Derby on a sloppy track, Oxbow held his own and finished in a respectable sixth place. The sprinter's course in Baltimore should play into his favor even more.

Now that he has a more favorable post position—No. 6, where a record 15 Preakness winners have started from—and more room to operate, his chances should be better than the oddsmakers suggest.

Tiger Woods' Resurgence Has Led to Unfair Criticism of No. 1 Golfer

Justin Onslow — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:41:28 -0400

Love him or hate him, Tiger Woods is back atop the golf world, and he’s not going away any time soon.

Those who anxiously awaited Woods’ return to the forefront of the sport have embraced the world No. 1 golfer’s resurgence, heralding his 2013 success as both a positive turn for Woods’ and a boost for the sport.

That faction may not be the majority, however.

Since Woods announced his presence with wins at the Farmers Insurance Open, World Golf Championships and Arnold Palmer Invitational, controversy has followed the 37-year-old from tournament to tournament—including two controversial happenings at the Players Championship last weekend.

On Day 3 of that event, playing partner Sergio Garcia accused Woods of inciting the crowd during his backswing by pulling a club from his bag before Garcia had played his ball. According to James Corrigan of The Telegraph, Garcia had this to say:

Well, obviously Tiger was on the left and it was my turn to hit. He moved all the crowd that he needed to move, I waited for that. You do have a feel when the other guy is going to hit and right as I was in the top of the backswing, he must have pulled a wood and everybody started screaming.

Nothing much came of the dispute (short of Garcia’s Sunday collapse a day later), but that wasn’t the only incident that called Woods’ integrity into question.

On Sunday at the Players Championship, Woods hooked his tee shot into the water at No. 14. A routine drop later, the world No. 1 would play his ball and cruise to a convincing two-stroke victory over a trio of tough challengers.

As it turns out, that drop may not have been so routine after all.

Despite initial reassurance that he had dropped in the right place, Woods has come under fire about his drop placement. According to Bob Harig of ESPN, the 37-year-old should have dropped further from the hole:

All kinds of video sleuths and rules gurus are analyzing the flight of Woods' tee shot, the words of the NBC announcers, and coming to the conclusion that he was in error to drop where he did -- that he should have dropped much farther back, arguably making the hole more difficult.

This comes on the heels of an infamous snafu at the Masters involving another misplaced drop by Woods that resulted in a two-stroke penalty and an eventual fourth-place finish.

In fairness to those who have called Woods’ integrity into question, he clearly made a mistake at the Masters. And if all other reports are true, he may have made a similar mistake at the Players Championship.

But why is so much emphasis being placed on these situations? And why now?

The obvious answer is that Woods has broken the rules on more than one occasion, and if he is to continue dominating the sport in 2013, he should be expected to do so with the utmost integrity of the rules.

But the fact is, these situations happen all the time in professional golf. There is no shortage of examples of players misunderstanding the rules or making a major mistake in drop placement. It’s just part of the sport.

Woods’ polarizing personality and prior indiscretions have made him a target for criticism, though. While other golfers are making similar mistakes and remaining largely out of the spotlight, Woods is enduring the criticism of those who want the world’s best golfer to fail—or at least play poorly enough to give everyone else a chance.

None of these situations would be as magnified were Woods not winning at a torrid pace in 2013. With four wins in seven events this year, there’s no denying his return to the top of the sport.

Much to the dismay of those who enjoyed his absence.

As long as Woods is winning, controversy will continue to follow him. In a sport with so much ambiguity, doubters will always find a reason to call his veracity into question, especially if he is no longer struggling off the tee and missing cuts in major tournaments.

Some of the criticism may be warranted, but if Woods is worthy of the condemnation, so is the bevy of fellow tour players that have made similar mistakes. If all things are equal, so too should the criticism be.

Time will tell if more incidents will plague Woods this season, but if his last two tournaments are any indication, this won’t be the last we hear of Woods making a highly publicized mistake.

Ranking the 5 Biggest Offseason Needs for the Washington Wizards

Jonathan Munshaw — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:39:17 -0400

If the Washington Wizards really want to be the talk of the nation's capital, there are five main things the front office must address this offseason.

The more important the need, the more likely addressing that concern will make the Wizards a better team during the 2013-14 season.

General manager Ernie Grunfeld—as well as the rest of the Wizards' front office—is hampered by the fact that they have some cap space problems that will hold them back from making any major moves in free agency.

While most people just assume the Wizards are a young team with a bright future, they are currently in the middle of the pack in that category with an average age of 26.1. Therefore, it's important for the Wizards to bring in some younger talent—while using their older players to mentor the new players.

Most of these needs could change depending where the Wizards fall in the draft. They are most likely to fall to the ninth pick, with just under a three percent chance to get the No. 1 overall pick. But that doesn't mean they can't move further up or fall back.

No matter their draft position, the majority of these five needs should be addressed if Grunfeld wants to keep his job through next year and if the Wizards plan on being a contender in the near future.

Begin Slideshow

Chicago vs. Detroit: Will Lethargic Blackhawks Answer Wake-Up Call?

Steve Silverman — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:38:37 -0400

There's no need for the Chicago Blackhawks to panic after losing 4-1 to the Detroit Red Wings in the second game of their conference semifinal playoff series.

However, there is a need for the Blackhawks to wake up.

Chicago and Detroit are tied 1-1 after the first two games at the United Center, and Detroit would appear to have the advantage since it stole a game in Chicago.

However, the Blackhawks were 4-0 against the Red Wings this season, and they are very comfortable playing at Joe Louis Arena (they were 2-0 there). Head coach Joel Quenneville just has to have his team play with maximum effort for 60 minutes.

That did not happen in the second game.

It really isn't a surprise, either. The Blackhawks have been celebrated all season as the best team in the NHL. They won the Presidents' Trophy, but they played Game 2 like they believed their press clippings.

The Blackhawks are not a rough-and-tumble team who want to pound opponents, and that's not likely to change at any point in the series against the Red Wings.

The only way they are going to fulfill their potential and get through the Western Conference playoffs is to outplay their opponents. They did just that in the first game of the series, and they might have thought the Red Wings were about to roll over for them.

However, Detroit head coach Mike Babcock had a very tired and emotionally spent hockey team on his hands in Game 1. He brought the Red Wings back to Detroit after their Game 1 loss, and when they returned to Chicago for Game 2, they were rejuvenated.

They gave up the first goal of the game to Patrick Kane, but once the Wings tied the score on Damien Brunner's artful deflection in the second period, they dominated the game.

On the other hand, the Blackhawks displayed none of the relentlessness with the puck that they were noted for in the regular season and the first round of the playoffs.

The Blackhawks found themselves on the short end of a 2-1 score after two periods, and they never mounted a serious threat in the third.

Brendan Smith scored the game-winner for Detroit late in the second period, taking a sweet feed from Henrik Zetterberg and wristing it past Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford.

Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula added goals midway through the final period, and that allowed the Red Wings to cruise.

Credit Babcock for putting the skillful and defensively proficient Zetterberg on Blackhawks star Jonathan Toews. The Chicago captain has not scored a goal in the postseason, and that has to be troubling for Quenneville.

Wings' captain destroyed Blackhawks' captain in 4-1 victory. Zetterberg smothered Toews, outworked everyone on the ice. Brilliant effort.
— Bob Wojnowski (@bobwojnowski) May 18, 2013

However, Toews is always a presence because he is sharp in the faceoff circle and is very tenacious defensively.

Still the Blackhawks will breathe a sigh of relief when Toews finally gets on the board. He's their best player and leader, and the Blackhawks need him to be an offensive factor.

There's plenty of opportunity for him to get there because the two teams have only played two games in their best-of-seven series. However, if they don't turn things around quickly, the Blackhawks could find themselves playing must-win games shortly.

They need to come out in Game 3 with a much sharper effort. If they find themselves getting punched in the mouth by the Red Wings, they must punch back.

They didn't in Game 2, and they find themselves in a series that is all square.

The Blackhawks have received a wake-up call. Will they answer it?

Preakness Live Stream: When and Where to Catch Saturday's Big Race

Jesse Reed — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:35:54 -0400

Technology has allowed unprecedented access to sports. Thanks to a little thing called a live stream, you can watch the 138th Preakness Stakes from your smart phone, your laptop or your tablet this Saturday.

After winning the Kentucky Derby, Orb is the favorite to win the second leg of the Triple Crown. With just eight other horses to contend with, this race is unpredictable and should make for a stunning finish.

Here's what you need to know in order to catch every second of the heart-pumping action.

Where: Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

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

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

You can download the NBC Live Extra app from ITunes or simply head over to NBC's Live Extra website and stream from their video boxes directly.

Here's a look at the starting spots and details for every horse entered to race this Saturday.

2013 Preakness Stakes Layout

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

* Current odds can be found at horseracingnation.com.

Race Preview

With only nine horses, this year's field at Pimlico is small, even by Preakness standards.

Orb is the prohibitive favorite to win this race, but jockey Joel Rosario will need to employ every trick in his bag to overcome a poor draw. Orb will start from post No. 1, and, according to David Grening of DRF, recent history hasn't been kind to horses starting from this spot:

Weather could be a factor as it's been raining in Baltimore on Saturday. But ABC Washington's Bob Ryan believes the weather actually favors horse racing:

Should Orb defeat the field and the weather (for a second time), he'll have a shot at winning the Triple Crown in June with a victory at Belmont—a feat that hasn't been accomplished since Affirmed pulled off the trifecta in 1978.

Govenor Charlie, Goldencents and Departing all feature sprinters' speed.

Mylute and Oxbow could both win with excellent strategy and some luck, and long shots Itsmyluckyday, Will Take Charge and Titletown Five have experienced jockeys and trainers in their corner.

The biggest keys for this race will be how the jockeys handle their horses and which horse has the most left in the tank for a final push.

The small field will make for as unpredictable a race as possible, and nobody should be surprised if one of the dark horses pulls off an upset.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

Lamont Peterson vs. Lucas Matthysse: Live Round-by-Round Scoring and Analysis

Kevin McRae — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:34:51 -0400

Saturday night is fight night, fans, and we hope you'll join us live inside Atlantic City's historic Boardwalk Hall for an exciting night of boxing.

In our opening contest, IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander (24-1, 13 KO) will hope to take the next step towards bigger fights when he faces late substitute Lee Purdy (20-3-1, 13 KO).

Alexander was originally scheduled to defend his crown against rising British star Kell Brook, but an injury forced the postponement of the fight. The IBF title will not be on the line in this bout after Purdy failed to make weight on Friday.

Then, in the main event, two of the best 140-pound fighters in the world will meet at a catchweight of 141 pounds to determine who will go on to face unified junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia in the fall.

Lamont Peterson (31-1-1, 16 KO) scored the biggest win of his career when he upset Amir Khan to capture the IBF and WBA 140-pound titles in December 2011. But when a March rematch fell through after Peterson failed a drug test, he was forced out of the ring for over a year.

His opponent, Lucas Matthysse (33-2, 31 KO), is known as a fearsome power-puncher who has established himself as one of the most avoided fighters in boxing. Many felt he deserved to win in each of his two losses. He will look to check Peterson's chin early and often.

It's shaping up to be a great night of boxing, and we hope you'll join us for all your live round-by-round scoring and analysis!

Boston Red Sox's Andrew Miller Okay After Being Hit in the Head by a Foul Ball

Andrew Martin — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:34:13 -0400

Boston Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller recently dodged a major injury after he was hit in the head by a foul ball while standing in the dugout.

The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham reported that Miller was in the dugout during the top of the ninth inning of Friday’s 3-2 10-inning win against the Minnesota Twins when the scary moment happened. A foul ball off the bat of teammate Jarrod Saltalamacchia ricocheted off a wall and struck the left-hander in the forehead.

Miller had been searching for a piece of gum at the time and never saw the ball coming. He described to the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber, "I heard something like whistling, and then, the next thing I know, I was like, 'I think something just hit me in the forehead.' I'm fine—I think."

Typically, Miller would have been sitting in the bullpen. However, he had just finished setting down the Twins in order in the eighth inning and was waiting to go back to the mound after the Red Sox finished hitting.

Despite the scare, Miller returned to the game and retired two more batters.

The game marked the southpaw’s finest performance of the year, as he went a season-long 1.2 innings—striking out three without allowing a base runner.

Miller’s performance is part of a hot streak dating back to April 21, when his ERA stood at 6.75. Since that time, he has allowed just three runs and seven hits in his last nine innings (12 games), while striking out 16.

For the season, Miller is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 19 relief appearances. He has also averaged an impressive 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Since Miller wasn’t hurt by the foul ball, his near miss is something that can be laughed off. If nothing else, he proved that not even a blow to the head can stop his recent momentum towards establishing himself as a dominant reliever.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference

Follow @historianandrew

NBA Playoffs 2013: Spurs' Balance Will Lead Them to NBA Finals

Timothy Rapp — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:30:00 -0400

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the NBA's most physical teams and best defensive units. The Golden State Warriors were one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers were, uh, probably the NBA's most dysfunctional.

But in every conceivable way, the San Antonio Spurs are balanced. And that is why the team is primed to reach the NBA Finals this season.

You want good offense? The Spurs were fourth in the NBA in scoring in the regular season (106.1 PPG) and second in the postseason (102.8 PPG). Seven players on the roster averaged 9.5 points or more, led by Tony Parker (20.3 PPG).

And the team has multiple players capable of coming up huge in the clutch or able to facilitate the offense.

Parker does it all. Manu Ginobili is just as capable of beating a team with a timely shot as he is setting up his teammates. Tim Duncan is still an efficient offensive player. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green have been making huge shots all postseason long.

You want good defense? The Spurs allowed just 96.6 points per game during the regular season, 11th-best in the NBA. They've actually been better in the playoffs, allowing just 93.0 points per game. In Duncan, Tiago Splitter and Boris Diaw, the team can crash the boards, and, as a whole, the squad plays great team defense.

But perhaps most importantly, everyone knows his role and executes it perfectly.

In Game 6 against the Warriors, future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan—arguably the best power forward in NBA history—was benched for much of the fourth quarter. Did he complain? No. Did he sulk on the bench? Nope. Did he do weird impressions of Kobe Bryant? Didn't happen.

The point is, a player who could easily have a huge ego put it aside and trusted his coach, Gregg Popovich. If you don't think the rest of his Spurs have teammates noticed that, or if that sort of attitude doesn't become infectious, you are sorely mistaken.

San Antonio has experience, humility and players that fulfill specific, important roles. The Spurs are clinical offensively, and they work hard on defense. Somebody always seems to come up with a big shot. In a word, they are balanced.

And that balance will lead them to the NBA Finals.