There Will Be No Triple Crown This Year

When the favorite to win the 2011 Kentucky Derby, Uncle Mo, dropped out of the race because of a gastrointestinal tract problem, it looked unlikely that the world would see the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. It takes a great horse to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, and with Uncle Mo scratched from the field, the remaining three-year old horses did not seem like they had the potential to win three grueling races over a little more than a month.

Animal Kingdom, a 30-1 morning line long-shot to win the Kentucky Derby, took home the race at Churchill Downs, but the chance that the underdog horse comes back and wins the final two races of the Triple Crown is slim. Animal Kingdom's victory was such a long shot that his trainer, Graham Motion, is skeptical that the horse can come back and win the Preakness. He said, "I never anticipated winning the Derby, so it's a lot to take in. It's an odd feeling to have won the Derby, and then you've got to start thinking about winning the Preakness. It's a little daunting. I'm recovering very slowly. I'm trying to enjoy the Derby before looking at the Preakness. It's all been pretty overwhelming." Animal Kingdom is not a very experienced horse and is still learning how to run, which made his Kentucky Derby victory all the more surprising. 

Since Affirmed won the Triple Crown, 11 horses have won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness but failed to win the Belmont Stakes. The average number of lifetime starts for those 11 horses coming out of the Derby was 9.3 races. Coming out of the Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom has made a total of 5 starts.

Animal Kingdom will also be dealing with a much different course at Pimlico than he did at Churchill Downs. The Preakness is more about speed than the Kentucky Derby, and it will be run at a faster pace by the horses. It will be difficult for such an inexperienced horse like Animal Kingdom to stay relaxed in a faster pace race and finish with as much "kick" as he did at the Kentucky Derby.

Long shots who have won the Kentucky Derby have, as you might expect, not done as well in the Preakness. In 2005, Giacomo won the Kentucky Derby at 50-1 odds but finished 3rd in the Preakness. In 2009, Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby as the second biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history at 51-1 odds. He failed to win the Preakness Steaks two weeks later. I suspect the same fate for Animal Kingdom.

Chris Bosh Was The Difference Maker For The Heat In Game 4

Chris Bosh was absolutely horrible in game 3. He had just 6 points on 1 of 6 shooting in the Heat's 16 point loss on the road to the Celtics. It was his lowest scoring game all season and he tied his season low for field goals made in a game. Not only did Bosh have a horrible offensive game, but he also had no answer for Kevin Garnett on the other end of the floor. Garnett had arguably his best ever playoff game with 28 points and 18 rebounds. He dominated Bosh down in the post. 

Bosh said after his extremely disappointing game 3, "Given all the elements that were out there last night... they [the fans] were so hyped. My emotions got the best of me early on and it kind of dictated what I was doing for the rest of the game. I was not trusting my game. The toughest thing to do in hostile environments is not just to trust your teammates but to trust yourself. Trust things you've been doing all your life... I wasn't relaxing and playing, I play better when I'm just relaxing. I have to take the emotions out and play basketball... There's a bunch of things I could've done better personally to affect the game more and get myself in rhythm. Mistakes teach you more than anything else. Last night's game was a huge teacher."

In the first half of game 4 against the Celtics, Bosh once again looked like he had some jitters. He was just 2 of 8 from the field and only had 5 points and 2 rebounds through the first 24 minutes. The Heat struggled to find a third option outside of Dwayne Wade and LeBron James in the first half because of the struggles of Bosh. Besides Wade and James, no other Heat player had more than 5 points and the three other Heat starters had just 9 points at halftime. Wade and James combined for 34 of the Heat's 50 points in the first half.

In the second half, Bosh finally showed up and began to gain a lot more confidence. He looked much more relaxed on the court in the second half and he wasn't rushing all of his shots. He was 6 of 9 from the floor and had 15 points and 12 rebounds in the final two periods. He also limited Kevin Garnett to 7 points on just 1 of 10 shooting from the field. Garnett's 1 field goal was the least he had in any game this season where he played more than 10 minutes. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra commented on Bosh's great defense on Garnett by saying after the game, "There’s been so much discussion about Chris and usually it’s revolving around how many points he scores. I continue to remind him he doesn’t have to answer to anyone’s expectations or critics. When he rebounds well, we usually win and when he focuses in on his rebounding and defence and covering ground it works for him.”

With 46 seconds remaining in overtime, LeBron had the ball at the top of the key and  he was being defended by Kevin Garnett. Bosh was being guarded by Paul Pierce. When James Jones ran into the left corner, the smaller Ray Allen switched onto Bosh. Chris was able to make a tip-in for the Heat after James missed the jump shot. Bosh was able to position himself for the rebound, as the smaller Allen couldn't box out the much taller Bosh. The huge bucket gave the Heat a 95-90 lead with just 24 seconds remaining in the game. It was the biggest shot of Chris Bosh's career. When the Heat needed a play to seal the game, Bosh came up huge with a big tip-in under pressure.

 

Chris Bosh's tip-in secured a five point lead for the Heat with just 24 seconds left in overtime

Bosh, James, and Wade had 83 of their team's 98 points and no other Heat player aside from the Big Three had more than 4 points. The effectiveness of Bosh gave the Heat a viable third option to go to when Wade and James needed some help from their teammates. He was a great complement to Wade and James. Bosh came up clutch for the Heat with 5 points in the extra session and was huge in the Heat's victory to take a 3-1 series lead.

Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Game 4 First Half Reaction

Boston Celtics-Miami Heat Game 4 First Half Score: Boston Celtics 53 - Miami Heat 50 (The 103 combined points in the first half by the Celtics and Heat is 13 more points than they scored in the first half of any of the first three games of the series)

• In game 3 Chris Bosh had just 6 points and 5 rebounds on 1 of 6 shooting. After his extremely disappointing game, Bosh said, "Given all the elements that were out there last night ... they were so hyped. My emotions got the best of me early on and it kind of dictated what I was doing for the rest of the game. I was not trusting my game. The toughest thing to do in hostile environments is not just to trust your teammates but to trust yourself. Trust things you've been doing all your life. I wasn't relaxing and playing, I play better when I'm just relaxing. I have to take the emotions out and play basketball. There's a bunch of things I could've done better personally to affect the game more and get myself in rhythm. Mistakes teach you more than anything else. Last night's game was a huge teacher." However, Chris Bosh is once again struggling for the Heat in Game 4 and he looks like he still has some jitters. He is just 2 of 8 from the field and only has 5 points and 2 rebounds. 


• With Bosh struggling once again, the Heat have struggled to find a third option outside of Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. Besides Wade and James, no other Heat player has more than 5 points and the three other Heat starters have just 9 points. 


• The Heat will need to continue to be carried by James and Wade. They have combined for 34 of the Heat's 50 points. They have both been attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line, where they are a combined 11 for 11. Wade and James will be looking to get out on the fastbreak more in the second half, as the Celtics had more fastbreak points than them in the first half.


• The return of Udonis Haslem in his first game since November 20th, has not gone as plan for Erik Spoelstra. He played just 3 minutes and picked up a technical foul.


• While James and Wade had their way on one end of the floor, so did Paul Pierce on the offensive end of the floor for the Celtics. In the first half, he had 19 points on 6 of 10 from the floor and missed just 1 of 7 free throw attempts. Pierce has been attacking the rim at will and the Heat have had no answer for him so far.
• Before the game, an orthopedic surgeon said about Rondo's injury, “He’ll be pretty sore, especially when he tries to extend that elbow completely. That last 10 to 20 degrees [of extending] is going to be very sore, and that’s how you can re-dislocate. I was very impressed he came back [in game 3] in because this is not a little thing. This is a legit injury. I think if it is the routine 90 to 95 percent of normal plays in a game, I think he’s going to be fine, he’s going to be limited, but fine. But it’s that 5 percent of the time . . . if he gets clipped going to the hoop, gets his legs taken out from under him, goes down breaking a fall. If that left arm is the first arm out there, that’s where the danger is going to come. Rajon Rondo has looked pretty good despite a dislocated left elbow, which he suffered in game 3. Rondo refused to take any shot to help with the injury and is playing through the pain. He has been icing the elbow on the bench. In the first half, Rondo had 6 points and 2 assist and was all over the floor.

Chelsea vs Manchester United First Half Reaction

With Arsenal's 3-1 loss to Stoke City earlier in the day, it looks like the Chelsea-Manchester United game would decide the title race in the Premier League. So far, it has been all Manchester United, as they lead at halftime 2-0. Chelsea will need to score at least three goals in the second half to remain in title contention. If Man United hold on for the victory, they will need just one point in two games against Blackburn and Blackpool to win the Premier League.

• Fernando Torres had a very disappointing game against Manchester United when they met in the second leg of their Champions League tie at Old Trafford back in April. After the game Carlo Ancelotti said, "I told you a lot of times this season I wanted to start with Fernando for this kind of game, for these type of tactics, but Didier played very well in the second half. He did better than Torres in his 45 minutes." Fernando Torres didn't get the nod today, as Ancelotti went with Malouda, Drogba, and Kalou up front. 
• It was a dream start for Manchester United. Just 36 seconds into the game, Man United found themselves up 1-0. David Luiz gave the ball away and then let Hernandez sneak in behind him for the open shot at Cech. Park Ji-Sung played a ball beind the Chelsea defense to spring Hernandez, who finished right by Cech for a goal. Luiz was in a horrible position and couldn't intercept Park's pass. It was a horrible start for Chelsea. 
• Chelsea had terrible picking up Rooney in the attacking third. He ripped shots from everywhere including a blast from 30 yards out, which Cech had to make a great save on in the 8th minute.
• In the 11th minute, Hernandez just missed a ball from Park Ji-Sung to the back post for a second goal for United.
• In the 23rd minute, Giggs took a short corner and played the ball to Park Ji-Sung, who played it back to Giggs. Giggs played the ball into the box, where Vidic headed it home for a 2-0 United lead. Nobody was marking Vidic on the corner.
• Lampard was barely involved in the first half in the middle of the field.
• It was a perfect half for United and couldn't have been much worse for the Blues. 

Cheslea Players Confident That Manchester United Will Be Playing A Different Team At Old Trafford

On April 6th, Manchester United beat Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal matchup at Stamford Bridge 1-0. When the fixture returned to Manchester, United once again knocked off the Blues 2-1 to secure a spot in the Champions League semifinals. The victory for United ended Chelsea's dream of finally winning a Champions League title.

When United take on Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday, the stakes will once again be very high. United are in first place of the Premier League at 73 points. Chelsea is just 3 points behind them at 70 and is looking to jump the Red Devils with a victory on Sunday. The two teams are deadlocked in goal differential at 38 and both teams have two games left after the meeting at Old Trafford. 

The Chelsea players are confident that United will be playing a different team than the team they beat twice in the Champions league quarterfinals. The Chelsea players believe that they have clicked and they are in top form. 

Chelsea's captain John Terry is confident that his team can beat Manchester United and win its second straight Premier League Title. He said, "Each season you know you are going to hit a bad spell and it is about how quickly you can get out of it. We got out of it very quickly last year, and have taken a little longer this time - but once again we are right back in the frame. We showed when we went to Old Trafford and won last year, which was the decisive game, that we could do it. There is no reason why we cannot do it again. There is nothing I want more than to bring back that trophy."

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien said, "We started the season extremely well, had a sour middle art, and are now ending strongly. We have hit a good run of form lately and have managed to haul ourselves back into the title race. We have to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford this weekend to ensure we are in the driving seat and I can assure you we are up for it. The team is playing well and I have no doubt we will give everything we have the beat Man United... I am glad to say after many weeks working hard on the training pitch it suddenly clicked and now we are in with a chance."

The Next Maryland Basketball Coach Is...

On March 5th, Gary Williams retired after 22 seasons as the head coach of the Maryland's men's basketball team. Williams was 460-248 during his tenure at Maryland and he led the Terps to a Final Four in 2001 and he won a national championship with Maryland in 2002. Now, one of the most attractive coaching jobs in college basketball is available. The Terps have had a very successful program with an array of great players including Len Elmore, Len Bias, Joe Smith, Juan Dixon, Steve Blake, and most recently Greivis Vazquez. Maryland also has a great recruiting base with high school basketball powerhouses like DeMatha Catholic and Montrose Christian in the Maryland area. Maryland has reportedly set their sights on a number of extremely high profile coaches. So the question is... who will be the next Maryland basketball coach?

Sean Miller: Arizona head coach Sean Miller is another very attractive option for Maryland. Unlike all of the other coaches who are under Maryland's radar, Miller hasn't been coaching at his program for a long time. He is only going into his third year at Arizona. Miller is also an east coast kid. He grew up in Pennsylvania, played college ball at Pittsburgh, and was an assistant coach at NC State for 6 years. According to sources close to Maryland and Miller, there is mutual interest between the two. Miller has also admitted that he would listen if Maryland called. Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson and Miller are expected to meet in the next few days. Miller is speaking at a Nike Coaches Clinic in Las Vegas on May 7th and Kevin Anderson is expected to meet with the head coach there. The 42 year-old Miller would bring great energy to the Terps program.

Mike Brey: Notre Dame head coach Mark Brey looks to be at the top of Maryland's list of potential head coaches along with Sean Miller. Brey is a Maryland native, as he was born in Maryland and played basketball at DeMatha Catholic High School. Brey played in college at Geroge Washington and was the head coach at Delaware for 6 years and currently has a beach house in Delaware. So the move from Notre Dame in Illinos to his roots in Maryland doesn't seem out of this world for Brey. However, Notre dame is currently working on an extension with Brey to keep him in South Bend for several more years. Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick said, "Mike is our basketball coach and I look forward to him being our coach for a very long time. There's just nothing to comment on [him going to Maryland]."

Tubby Smith: The rumors of Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith to Maryland have heated up. Like Brey, Smith is a Maryland native and one of his three sons currently is an assistant coach at Loyola University in Maryland. Maryland is a dream job for the 59 year-old Smith as he can return home and get an opportunity to once again coach at another major college basketball program (no offense Minnesota). Before Williams retired, a source close to Tubby said that there's a "99 percent" chance that he will stay at Minnesota for a couple of more years. However, he added that the only job Smith would leave Minnesota for in a heartbeat would be to go back to his home state and coach at Maryland. Although Smith may be interested in the coaching vacancy at Maryland, Maryland seems reluctant to hand over the keys to their program to a 59 year-old.

Jay Wright: Villanova head coach Jay Wright is another candidate for to replace the legendary Williams at Maryland although it seems he is uninterested in the job. Wright would fit well at Maryland because of his ability to recruit the best players in the country. Wright always recruits great point guards from Scottie Reynolds to Corey Fisher to Malikk Wayns. This year, Wright got point guard Tyrone Johnson to commit to Villanova. In fact, Jonhson is from Montrose Christian in Maryland. However, according to a source, the Wildcats' head coach is not going to leave Villanova to fill the coach vacancy at Maryland.

Jamie Dixon: Maryland may have an edge to lure Jamie Dixon away from Pittsburgh to coach Maryland although it seems pretty unlikely. From 2004 to 2010, Kevin Anderson was the athletic director at Army. He hired Jamie's late sister Maggie Dixon in 2005 to coach Army's women's basketball team. Jamie and Kevin have had a close relationship since Maggie's death, so it is likely that Anderson will make a call to Dixon about Maryland's coaching vacancy. Dixon will be attending the same Nike Coaches Clinic as Sean Miller, so Anderson will likely speak with him about the job there. However, it seems unlikely that Dixon will leave all that he has built at Pitt to come to Maryland. When a source close to Dixon was asked if Jamie would leave Pitt to come to Maryland he said, "Hell no."

Other possible replacements for Williams include Texas head coach Rick Barnes, VCU head coach Shaka Smart, Butler head coach Brad Stevens, and Texas A&M head coach Mark Turgeon. However, it appears that Sean Miller and Mike Brey are the favorites to take over the vacancy at Maryland.

The Departure of Demetri Goodson Has Opened The Door For David Stockton

John Stockton was a 10-time NBA All-Star. He was on the All-NBA first, second, or third team 11 times. John averaged a career double double. He holds the NBA record for the most career assists and steals. He holds the NBA record for the most seasons, games, and consecutive games played with one team.

Gonzaga point guard David Stockton, the son of the Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, obviously has a lot to live up to. He will get a chance to make a big name for himself next season as a sophomore at Gonzaga especially with the departure of starting point guard Demetri Goodson. Goodson, who started 35 games for the Zags last season, has decided to transfer to pursue football.

Goodson's starting job will most likely be filled by David Stockton. Stockton played more and more as the season progressed last year including when he played 28 minutes in the Zags WCC title game against St. Mary's. He even cut into some of Goodson's minutes last year with his stellar play at point. Stockton handles the ball with great court vision as he averaged 2.1 assists in just 15 minutes last season. Stockton only committed 1.1 turnovers per game last season as well. David plays tough, scrappy defense, can shoot the three ball, and shoots well from the floor, as his field goal percentage was at 46 last season.

Thunder Adjust to Guarding Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol

In the Thunder's game 1 loss to the Grizzlies, the Thunder had no answers for the Grizzlies frontcourt. Zach Randolph had 34 points and 10 rebounds, while Marc Gasol added 20 points and 13 rebounds. After the game, Kevin Durant said, "You've got to make them shoot tough shots." Thunder coach Scott Brooks added, "We have got to do a better job of controlling him and making him miss some shots. It's not going to be easy, and we know that going in... we have to do a better job."

Game 2 was a much different story. Zach Randolph was just 2 of 13 from the field and Marc Gasol was just as bad only shooting 3 of 9 from the field. The 5 combined field goals made from Randolph and Gasol was their lowest all season. In game 1, Randolph and Gasol had 23 points on jump shots. In game 2, the Thunder adjusted by not helping off the big men on driving guards. Although Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley scored 24 points, their offense never got going because of the inefficiency of Randolph and Gasol. In game 1, the Grizzlies had 17 offensive rebounds including 7 from Randolph and Gasol. The Grizzlies didn't grab their first offensive rebound in game 2 until there was only 23 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The Grizzlies were held to a playoff low 34 points in the paint as well. 

Serge Ibaka said, "It's a physical game. We just tried to be more focused and more physical and more aggressive, to get contact first. That's what we did."Scott Brooks added, "I thought we did a good job of coming out in the first quarter with the right defensive mindset.  We came out focused on how not to give them [Randolph and Gasol] easy buckets. I thought that set the tone for the game. They [the Grizzlies] scored 17 points in the first quarter, and if I’m not mistaken, they only had four points in the paint and that was an area that we wanted to focus on and make sure we did a better job on. We did that tonight.”

The key to the series will continue to be the interior defense of the Thunder. In games in which Randolph and Gasol have been held to under 10 field goals made the Grizzlies are just 6-11.

Flash: Heat Take Game 1 In Miami Over The Celtics As Paul Pierce Gets Ejected

Grizzlies "Steal" Game One From The Thunder