The Sports Watercooler

What a busy sports oriented weekend. Everything seemed like a milestone in the world of sports this weekend.

Which Derby horse will people remember a year from today? Big Brown who almost looked like he could have started lapping some of the trailing horses had the Derby continued for another turn? Or will it be Eight Belles who finished second, broke 2 ankles and was immediately put to sleep?

I think they way NBC covered it really hit America's conscious too. While Barbaro got hurt mid-race, American was forced to endure thousands of updates as he "bravely" struggled for life over the next month. With Eight Belles, NBC cut to the official horse doctor and without tip toeing around the bush said matter-of-factly "Eight Belles suffered two fractured ankles upon finishing the race and was immediately euthanized". It all happened so fast, there was no room for emotion, just straight facts. NBC didn't know whether to focus on the horse being draped with roses, or the corpse of the second fastest horse being removed from the track.

Hopefully one of our 2 writers who were live in attendance will have an eye witness account on the whole day.

There were some other second place finishes this weekend that are noteworthy. First and foremost, the Atlanta Hawks. Analysists almost anonymously predicted they would be swept and should just be happy to make the playoffs at all (surely no one at THIS blog said such things). Atlanta showed that they not only were happy to make the playoffs, they belonged in the playoffs, and were the only first round team to play in a Game 7. They never lost a game at home and have positioned themselves as the "young team to look out for in the future", which is indeed bright in Atlanta.

In the NHL playoffs, 2 more teams saw their season end yesterday, both in a dramatic fashion. It really didn't get much better than the Rangers and Penguins game yesterday. I watched the final two-thirds of this game and was thoroughly entertained. Two quick power play goals in the 2nd by the Penguins were responded to with 2 quick goals by the Rangers to open the third. That set the pace for a high pressure very intense 3rd period and overtime, before the Penguins won and advanced to what is now an All Pennsylvania Eastern Conference final, playing the Flyers.

Dallas needed to work a bit harder to end San Jose's season. In fact, it took them a whole extra game to do such, as they scored the winning goal in the 4th overtime to win 2-1. They move on to face Detroit in the Western Conference finals.

And this brings us to a new Bandwagon Team of the Week: The New Orleans Hornets. This team is fun to watch and playing possessed. And if that is not enough, for those of you who didn't listen to Bill Simmon's podcast last week, I give you this story:

After already having committed to Wake Forest, a young high school point guard's grandfather died. He was incredibly close to his grandfather and decided to honor him by scoring 1 point for each of year of his life at the age of death, which was 60. As it happened, he was fouled while scoring the 60th point, so at the free throw line, he received the ball from the ref, took a dribble and passed it back. He then was substituted out of the game and was near tears as he walked off the court. That young high school senior was Chris Paul. A man who in high school took AP Psychology classes to better understand his teammates. Now he is one of the most likeable players in the NBA and is finishing in the top 3 of the MVP award this year. The Hornets have already taken Game 1 from San Antonio and will need all the fan support they can muster to oust the defending champions. So hop on this bandwagon before it fills up!

Sweet Kentucky Home

Saturday is one of the greatest sporting traditions Americana has to offer--the Kentucky Derby. On one hand, you have all the pageantry and tradition. The big hats, the signing of the state song, the elegant and massive horses, and the iconic track. On the other hand, you have the 150,000 people drinking for 7 hours, the gambling, and the sweet, delicious mint juleps being drank at an unhealthy rate. But tying everything together is the most exciting 2 minutes in sports.

I am always a sucker for things steeped in tradition. The Derby appealed to be even before I had gone there. That and I am a huge fan of all the fringe sports and competitions. The Hot Dog eating contest, the Great Outdoor Games, Bull Riding, and American Gladiators. The Derby manages to hit both of these categories and I will always have a fond memory of it.

But do not take my fondness of it as knowledge. I am going to give a quick rundown of the horses and their respective odds, but that does not make me an expert. If in fact you do make money off my suggestions though, you owe me 10%.

Here they are by post position:

1 Cool Coal Man
One of the cooler names in the race (no pun intended), he is trained by famed trainer Nick Zito. How do I know he is famed? Because I have heard of him. Apparently the first gate isn't ideal though. 20-1 odds.

2 Tale of Ekati
Not sure how I feel about the name. It sounds too much like it could be the subtitle of Final Fantasy 23. Apparently he is really named after a Diamond Mine. He struggled in a shorter race, so there is concern about his endurance. 15-1 odds.

3 Anak Nakal
Strange name, and it seems he is not such a good racer. He has lost his last 3 races by a combined 30 lengths. The silver lining is that his last win happened to be at Churchill Downs 5 months ago. 30-1 odds.

4 Court Vision
The owner also owns two AAU basketball teams and treats them as if they were NBA teams, hence the horse's name. He is becoming a trendy pick, but probably just because the sports articles I am reading now just like the name. 20-1 odds.

5 Eight Belles
The only female in the race! She must run faster since she doesn't have to deal with that huge horse...well you know, between her legs. Actually, its been 20 years since a filly won the Derby. 20-1 odds.

6 Z Fortune
You know those douchie kids with pretentious sounding names? That is this horse. The Z stands for the owner's last name Zayat. If this horse could run with a popped collar, it would. 15-1 odds.

7 Big Truck
The loveable loser of the race! First off, I like the name, although it makes him sound less like he should be competing in a race, and more in a "World's Strongest Horse" competition. (I would watch that). 50-1 odds.

8 Visionaire
He has what expert call the best pole position, so that must count for something. Plus he has Barbaro's old trainer which could be a blessing or a curse. 20-1 odds.

9 Pyro
He was the favorite to win for a while until his last race where he failed to move out of the gate at all and lost by...well the whole track. Still, this is my pick to win. You heard it here first. It has everything I look for--an awesome name, good position, and a proven track record. 6-1 odds.

10 Colonel John
He has the proven track record, in 6 races he has 4 first place finishes and 2 second place finishes, and he has the cool name (who doesn't love The Colonel!). To top it all off, he is SI's predicted winner. 4-1 Odds.

11 Z Humor
The other "Z" horse in the race. If the owner wanted to add a Z in there, why didn't he make up some fun names like "Z Plane! Z Plane!" or "lay Z boy". 30-1 odds.

12 Smooth Air
Smooth Air is 70 year old trainer Bennie Stutts first Derby horse. NBC is licking its lips in anticipation for a Smooth Air victory. 20-1 odds.

13 Bob Black Jack
I like this name a lot too. He is definitely a character in a cool Guy Richie movie. And apparently he is a great sprinter which doesn't bode too well for his Derby chances, but if it goes down to the wire, he can turn on the jets. 20-1o odds.

14 Monba
His owner Todd Pletcher is the Dan Marino of the Derby, winless in 19 tries. Last year he even had 5 horses, all for naught. Monba has people in the know buzzing that this might be it. 15-1 odds.

15 Adriano
His jockey is Edgar Pardo, one of the most famous jockeys in the business. So that has to stand for something. 30-1 odds.

16 Denis of Cork
Sentimental favorite around these parts, as his owner is William Warren, famous Notre Dame alumni. Also, the golf course is named after him. 20-1 odds.

17 Cowboy Cal
The Bandwagon of the Week! You gotta be pulling for this guy. He got a bad poll draw, he is somewhat of a longshot, and his owner also owns the Houston Texans. Go Cal! 20-1 odds.

18 Recapturetheglory
I am pretty sure I dislike this name. Too literal and, frankly, it comes off as a bit desperate. 20-1 odds.

19 Gayego
Everyone done giggling at the name? Good. No horse has ever won from the 19 slot before. But also, this is the first horse this trainer has ever entered. Somehow, that should connect, right? 15-1 odds.

20 Big Brown
The favorite. And the UPS commercials would write themselves if he ended up winning. Plus, his name reminds me of Big from Rob and Big. 3-1 odds.

Bet accordingly, drink accordingly, and save me a mint julep and a big flowery hat.