Robert Lewandowski and Borussia Dortmund endured a frustrating final day to ... - Bundesliga - official website

Dortmund - Unusually, very little went right for Borussia Dortmund in their final competitive test ahead of the biggest game in the club's recent history.

The Yellow Blacks slumped to a 2-1 defeat against survival-chasing 1899 Hoffenheim, Robert Lewandowski was pipped to the top goalscorer's award by Bayer 04 Leverkusen's Stefan Kießling and Mats Hummels had to be withdrawn with injury, potentially endangering his appearance in next weekend's UEFA Champions League final against FC Bayern Munich. All in all, it couldn't have gone much worse for Jürgen Klopp's team.

And yet for long periods of Saturday's action, such an ending seemed inconceivable. Lewandowski had put Dortmund in front inside six minutes with his 24th goal of the season, taking him level with Kießling. However, BVB then spurned a host of chances to let Hoffenheim back into the game and, after two recklessly conceded penalties, the second of which led to a red card for goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller, Hoffenheim were 2-1 in front.

"We didn't make the most of the chances we had and that's what really annoys me," commented head coach Klopp after the game. His players might yet have scraped a point - and condemned Hoffenheim to relegation - had Marcel Schmelzer's strike not been ruled out for an offside flag, but the footballing gods had deserted BVB and 2-1 it remained.

This was after Hummels had been substituted from the action after turning awkwardly on his ankle, an injury that will have the medical team sweating over his fitness ahead of next Saturday's Wembley showpiece. His ankle ligaments are not believed to be torn, though, and chief medical officer Dr. Markus Braun rated his chances of featuring next week as 'not unrealistic'. Still, it was hardly positive news, especially with star attacker Mario Götze already a doubt.

Meanwhile, news filtered through that Kießling had scored late on for Leverkusen at Hamburger SV, taking him to 25 for the season, one more than Lewandowski. The Polish striker was understandably disappointed, not only at the result but also at missing out on winning the Torjägerkanone. "That's unfortunate as I would like to have won it," said the 24-year-old. "You never know - I might win it next season."

As the former Lech Poznan man explained, however, there are more important things on the players' minds than individual gongs, namely Wembley next week. "It's no use talking about [the Hoffenheim] game. What matters now is the final and that's what we're concentrating on," added Lewandowski, adamant that the result will bear no relevance to the clash with Bayern.

"Neither this game, nor the draw against Wolfsburg will be in our heads when we take to the pitch. What's done is done. The final will be a totally different game, you can be sure of that."

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Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid Critique - Goal.com India

After the spectacular revelation of his summer proceed to Bayern Munich for a price of a37m, all eyes will be on Mario Gotze. Meanwhile, Sven Bender and Ilkay Gundogan might find off competition from former Blancos midfielder Nuri Sahin and club leader Sebastian Kehl to begin in the center of the park, with Jakub Blaszczykowski favored to Kevin Grosskreutz on the wing. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have a couple of damage concerns before their visit to the Westfalenstadion. With Alvaro Arbeloa stopped, Sergio Ramos will begin at right-back, with Pepe and Raphael Varane at the center of the protection. Marcelo features a hamstring affect, meaning Fabio Coentrao begins at left-back. Elsewhere, Jose Mourinho's men may well be more or less at full strength, though Luka Modric and Karim Benzema are medical slight injuries. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 11 goals in the Champions League in 2013. He wants three more to match Lionel Messi's total from last year.

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5 Things That Could Go Wrong for Miami Heat Between Now and NBA Finals

Frank Vogel's club gave Erik Spoelstra's bunch some serious problems in the 2012 conference semifinals, and it could do it again as a unit built to compete with the Heat.

Chris Bosh and LeBron James aren't going to get many easy opportunities in the paint, but offense might not be their biggest issue.

If Hibbert and West, along with bench bruiser Tyler Hansbrough, can pound the rock on the low block, Miami could get into some foul trouble.

Will it be enough to bounce the Heat from the postseason? Maybe. Even if it isn't, it's going to make Miami's trip to the finals a bumpy one.

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Philadelphia Eagles: What kind of an Impact Will Felix Jones Have got in 2013?

That Philadelphia Eagles have decided to a one-year deal using running back Felix Jones, the team announced Wednesday.

Jones might join a crowded backfield of which already includes LeSean McCoy, Bryce Browning, Chris Polk, Miguel Maysonet and Matthew Tucker. Jones is mostly a former first-round pick with the Dallas Cowboys, although he never lived close to expectations the team had for him.

Jones averaged a stunning 8. 9 yards per carry on 30 carries as some sort of rookie, then led the league by having a 5. 9 average being a second-year player. He struggled to turn into a full-time back though, topping out at 185 carries in 2010. Jones' lifetime 4. 8 yards per carry average is among the most better numbers among lively running backs, and he should still be ready to produce in a part-time position in '13.

Jones will tackle Brown for a copy spot, as McCoy is still the star of that show. Jones seems as a logical fit for Food Kelly's offense, as they possesses the speed Kelly cherishes in his players. Jones was timed in the 4. 37 40-yard dash appearing out of college.

He is a solid receiver out from the backfield as well. He's averaged 34 receptions and 312 gardens per campaign since 2010. Your backfield with McCoy, Jones and Brown contains the potential to lead a NFL in rushing back yards, especially with Michael Vick from quarterback.

Jones' one-year deal for only $715, 000 should leave him with something to help prove. He's still just 26 yoa with only 569 career persists his body.

Jones watched his yards per have average drop to merely 3. 6 last 365 days, by far a very own worst. That may have had something about the Dallas Cowboys' bothersome line, a unit that included a slew of subpar players to the interior.

McCoy will receive the majority of the carries in Kelly's run-first the offense, which should amount to a career year. Brown's touches is based solely on his ability to hold onto the hockey (four fumbles in 115 initiatives last year). Jones ought to be a lock to conquer out Polk, an undrafted out of law school free agent from '12.

The only other competition comes from a couple undrafted players from earlier this draft class in Maysonet and additionally Tucker.

The Jones signing may end up a pleasant surprise for the Eagles. He will probably get from about 50-100 carries plus 20-30 gets.

It's a low-risk tackle a potentially high compensation. If it doesn't work out, the Eagles can lower ties in training camp and still put forth a excellent backfield with McCoy together with Brown. If it works out, maybe Jones could possibly be piece to push the Eagles to a playoff spot.

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Getty Images Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images 4 hours ago - Yahoo! Eurosport UK

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 21: Carlos Tevez of Manchester City and Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham Hotspur battle for the ball during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at White Hart Lane on April 21, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) less&nbsp

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WTA Expedition Prize Money Leaders since May 20, 2013.

[1] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) – $3, 247, 084[2] Serena Williams (USA) – $2, 751, 481[3] Nancy Sharapova (RUS) – $2, 537, 411[4] Na Li (CHN) – $1, 560, 897[5] Sara Errani (ITA) – $1, 367, 457

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Audra Miller Decommits from The southwest: Gators Lose No. 3 All around OLB Recruit.

Decommitments happen regularly in the world associated with college football recruiting, but also for Florida, the loss of 4-star out of linebacker Christian Miller isn't something to gloss across.

Miller is ranked being the No. 3 outside linebacker in the 2014 class, and he's the No. 1 player with the state of South Carolina, using the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Keep in mind that Florida will be simply fine, but losing this commitment is a loss for Will Muschamp and his people. He would have ended up a talented player for ones Gators.

Miller is 6'4'', 215 fat, and he runs your 4. 71 40-yard sprint, according to 247Sports. He's got the combination of size and speed that you really look for in an out of doors linebacker, and he comes with great potential.

All that talked about, Florida's 2014 class stands in eight recruits, and it's still extremely early with the recruiting cycle.

The Gators even now have defensive commitments with 4-star defensive tackle Anthony Moten along with 3-star cornerback Duke Dawson, and they're in the running with regard to big defensive recruits just like 5-star defensive end Gerald Willis (top three), 4-star outside the house linebacker Dwight Williams (leader) in addition to 4-star defensive end Trent Harris (top four)

"I feel like I should consider some schools that I will now have been in a position to seen earlier (on endorsed visits), and also I wish to make sure I made the appropriate place for me together with my future, instead of just by a specific coach or even scheme, " Miller talked about.

That does not necessarily mean Will Muschamp and his staff can't regain the services for the standout pass rusher later on. Miller, who made 121 tackles, 14 sacks, 21 tackles for great loss and forced four fumbles as a junior, said he is considering all schools at this moment, making the Gators considerably still in the merge.

For what it's worthy of though, Alabama and Tennessee at this moment listed as the two teams along with Miller's 247Sports interest report.

Going back to the positives, Florida still has the commitment of 5-star jogging back Dalvin Cook, along with offensively, the Gators are poised to bring in a talented school. That should be far more exciting considering the protective haul from last action.

This is without question a noteworthy decommitment, but feel free to look forward to the future, as it is really rather bright.

Note: Just about all scouting and analysis of Miller done via recorded argument study of film given on his 247Sports account page. Recruit interests also consistent with 247Sports.

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Wiggins Signing Sends Kansas March Madness Betting Odds Soaring

As it turns out, he's such a big deal in college basketball that his decision to play in Kansas completely changed the betting odds for the 2013-14 season.

One sportsbook even declined to post March Madness 2014 future odds until Wiggins signed. When he did sign this week, they opened the Jayhawks as the second betting choice just behind Kentucky (at 5-1).

Another had Kansas at 30-1 last week on the heels of losing all four of last season's starters, but that same shop had Kansas at 10-1 this morning.

"He is the biggest impact player we have seen in a long time and he is an immediate difference maker on college basketball future odds."

The Toronto-born Wiggins played basketball at a Huntington, West Va school this year. He was the 2013 Naismith Prep Player of the Year and the 2013 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Wiggins, the son of former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins, was believed to be headed to Florida State—where his father played. His brother Nick plays at Wichita State and Kansas could now be headed to the Final Four just like WSU did this past March.

Bovada also made him the early favorite to be picked No. 1 in the 2014 NBA draft. He was sitting at -300 this morning. Bookies also posted odds on how many points per game he will average as a Jayhawk.

"To go to 10-1 from 30-1 on one teenager signing is not something you see every day," said Mark Presley of OddsShark.com. "It's good for business when the marquee schools are threats to win it all and when those schools enjoy the marquee talent."

Defending national champions Louisville was the third betting choice while perennial Final Four threat Michigan State was fourth.

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Stoke City 1 Norwich City 0 match report: Charlie Adam puts Stoke on verge of ... - The Independent

The big screen at the Britannia Stadium was advertising Stoke City's end-of-season awards dinner during yesterday's match. Whoever is tasked with compiling the highlights package for that evening's entertainment will have their work cut out but at least Stoke will be able to raise a glass to another season in the top flight.

Stoke's narrow, if deserved victory, lifted them three places to 12th and on to the 40-point safety mark, ensuring a sixth successive Premier League campaign in 2013/14. It was a victory fittingly secured by a goal moments after the restart that carried the hallmarks of Stoke's route-one approach as Peter Crouch flicked on Ryan Shawcross's long punt forward and Charlie Adam latched on to it, touching the ball past Steven Whittaker and then burying a low shot past Mark Bunn. Adam raised his arms in the air and looked skywards as he celebrated his first goal since the death of his father, Charlie Adam Snr, in December.

It will have brought relief for manager Tony Pulis (below) who has received unprecedented criticism during Stoke's post-Christmas slump and this week denied speculation that he was ready to walk away from the club. The Welshman did not comment afterwards, leaving the post-match media duties to his assistant, David Kemp, who played down the negative mood, saying: "[The criticism] has not affected him or anybody else. We just get on with it and that is the life of a football manager." Kemp also defended a style of play that, when not producing results, has little else to commend it. "The stadium is full every week," he said. "I like the style of play today, I enjoyed it last week," he added referring to the win at QPR.

In truth, the first half was poor. The form book had suggested this would be no classic – like Stoke, Norwich entered the game with only two wins this calendar year – and it lived down to expectations. Norwich winger Robert Snodgrass sent an early header over, Cameron Jerome saw a goalbound volley deflect to safety off team-mate Steven Nzonzi, and that was about it. The frustration seemed to get to both Nzonzi and Jerome, each picking up bookings for rash challenges, but the game changed with Adam's intervention moments after the restart. The Scot has not had the best of times since arriving from Liverpool and did not start a game in February and March, but he showed his class with his goal.

"The goal released the tension a bit," said Kemp, and more goals should have followed as Stoke raised the tempo. Adam teed up Crouch with a ball across the six-yard box but the big striker completely missed his kick. Nzonzi then saw a powerful drive parried by Bunn; Crouch steered the rebound wide but would have been offside anyway.

At the other end, despite the introduction of Wes Hoolahan to add some craft, Norwich did not force a save out of Asmir Begovic. Their manager, Chris Hughton, said: "The frustration is [with] the goal we conceded. We knew what we had to do, we knew they would play very direct. The timing of the goal really hurt us."

Norwich remain on 38 points and cannot relax yet, although Hughton is hopeful of easing their lingering relegation fears in the upcoming home fixtures against Aston Villa and West Brom. "It is in our own hands, we need to make the most of the two home games."

Stoke (4-4-2): Begovic; Shotton, Shawcross, Huth, Wilkinson (Cameron, 61); Adam, Whelan (Whitehead, 65), Nzonzi, Walters; Jerome (Etherington, 79), Crouch.

Norwich (4-2-3-1): Bunn; Martin, R Bennett, Bassong (Pilkington, 86), Whittaker; Tettey (Hoolahan, 67), Johnson; Kamara, Howson, Snodgrass (E Bennett, 64); Holt.

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Borussia Dortmund vs 1. FSV Mainz 05 LIVE Discourse - Goal.com

N. MAnchengladbach FC Augsburg Eintracht Frankfurt Hamilton Academical Schalke 04 Bayer Leverkusen TSG 1899 Hoffenheim Borussia Dortmund 1. FSV Mainz 05 Hannover 96 Hamilton Academical Bayern MAnchen Burger SV Fortuna DAsseldorf Werder Bremen VfL Wolfsburg VfB Stuttgart SC Freiburg 1. FC NArnberg SpVgg Greuther FArth 2010/2011 German Bundesliga

Preakness 2013: Poor Post Draw Won't Stop Orb from Winning at Pimlico

Triple Crown hopeful Orb will have to overcome a poor draw in order to become the sixth horse since 2002 to win the first two legs on Saturday at the 2013 Preakness Stakes.

The Kentucky Derby winner will run out of post No. 1 this weekend. That's the only real bad news for Orb considering Tabasco Cat was the last to win the Preakness from the rail back in 1994.

But before you count out the talented colt, consider the following reasons why he's poised to win the 138th Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

While it's usually game over for any horse that draws the rail at the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness is often more forgiving.

Pimlico Race Course is similar to Churchill Downs in terms of surface and distance of course, but there isn't so much trouble looming at the start according to Orb's trainer Shug McGaughey (via ESPN.com):

It's not nearly the problem it would be in the Derby. The Derby is kind of catty-cornered. You got to shove your way out of there or you get shut off down in there. It's pretty straightforward here. There are only nine horses. There's not going to be that kind of jockeying into the first turn. We'll just hold our position and see how the race plays out.

There are only nine horses racing in this year's Preakness Stakes, which bodes well for Orb, who won't have to worry about being freight trained by the pack early on.

While a quick start is important, it won't be the end of the world for jockey Joel Rosario and Orb if they don't break away early considering there are only eight others horses to contend with, as opposed to 18 others at the Kentucky Derby.

In a large field there is a better chance for a closer like Orb to get swallowed up in the pack, but this year's Preakness field is small enough where Orb can recover from his poor draw.

While Orb will be pitted against Kentucky Derby horses like Goldencents, Mylute and Itsmyluckyday on Saturday, he won't be pitted against of the horses that finished toward the top at Churchill Downs two weeks ago.

Golden Soul, Revolutionary and Normandy Invasion, who finished second through fourth at the Derby, are all absent from this weekend's race.

Fifth- and sixth-place finishers Mylute and Oxbow will race, but neither came close to matching Orb's world-class speed down the stretch at the Derby.

The other top contender, Departing, didn't race in the Derby, running in the Grade III Illinois Derby instead. But unlike Orb, Departing has yet to prove he possesses the greatness to win a Triple Crown event.

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Sharks vs. Kings Game 5: Score, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

The defending champion Los Angeles Kings defended home ice with a 3-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Thursday night.

The Kings' Jeff Carter got two minutes for boarding Matt Irwin 5:28 into the game, but, minus a couple of long slap shots by Irwin and Dan Boyle, the Sharks didn't threaten much during the ensuing power play.

Despite the lack of penalties, however, that doesn't mean it wasn't physical. The Kings racked up 24 hits in the first period alone, making it known that they came to play and to protect their Staples Center ice.

Neither team scored in the first 20 minutes. Los Angeles managed nine shots on goal during the first period, while San Jose registered six shots. It was clear coming into the battle that Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick would make life tough for the offenses, but the defenses helped out early on, too.

The Kings once again came out firing early in the second period, playing aggressive hockey and keeping the Sharks in their zone for the most part. But the Kings were still unable to get much going on the offensive end, failing to score, or even draw a penalty from San Jose.

While there weren't very many penalties, there were plenty of whistles for icing. There were six stoppages for icing in the first eight minutes of the second period.

At the 11:19 mark, the Kings were the ones to commit another penalty. Kyle Clifford was whistled for charging Patrick Marleau.

But it was the short-handed Kings that actually threatened more, with Dustin Brown's wrist shot from 13 feet being saved by Niemi.

Los Angeles was awarded a power play a few seconds after San Jose's ended when Jason Demers boarded Robyn Regehr. But the Kings weren't even able to get off a shot on goal.

After some back and forth, the Kings finally got on the board at the 18:08 mark of the second when Anze Kopitar flipped it home from point-blank range off a rebound, assists going to Clifford and Justin Williams.

Former NHL player and Sharks radio color commentator Jamie Baker hit us with a Pulp Fiction reference, and we thank him for it:

After San Jose's T.J. Galiardi was hit with interference at the 18:50 mark, Jeff Carter's attempt from 11 feet was saved brilliantly by Niemi, keeping the Sharks within range headed into the final period.

A mere 53 seconds into the third period, the defending champions struck again. This time, it was Slava Voynov, who connected on a 50-foot wrist shot off an assist by Trevor Lewis. The Kings had the lead, 2-0.

San Jose was awarded a power play at the 10:26 mark when Kopitar was whistled for tripping Joe Thornton. But two shots on goal by the Sharks were saved by Quick and time was ticking for San Jose.

San Jose's James Sheppard was given two minutes for roughing Mike Richards at the 13:36 mark. The Kings got off three shots during the ensuing power play, but they were all blocked by the Sharks.

The Sharks' last-ditch effort down the stretch ultimately came up short, as Jeff Carter finished off the win by swinging the puck into the open net with 32 seconds remaining.

To-Do List for Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry to Return Better Next Season

Steph Curry lit up the scoreboard and the national fans' attention spans with dominant playoff performances, but he still has a to-do list to become even better next season.

Curry is arguably the best pure shooter in today's NBA game, and he will work to improve on his shot selection and his ability to move off screens, since he is now one of the top 10 players in the Association.

With him propelling into stardom, teams will be focusing on limiting his movement and forcing him into close quarters. Curry will need to break through double-teams, use his brilliant ball-handling skills and use his vision to create opportunities for him and his teammates.

The first item on his to-do list is to get stronger and strengthen both of his ankles. As you can remember from the playoffs, he hurt his non-surgically repaired ankle, and it significantly limited his mobility in the San Antonio series.

The strength will help Curry play and grind out the extra minutes that he will be playing next season.  The stronger each ankle gets from conditioning and hours in the weight room, the better off he will be going into the late season and the playoffs.

He can't majorly bulk up, or he will lose some of his quickness, but if he can add strength to his frame, he can continue to drive to the center of the court and take on other teams' bigs. He has perfected his floater as you can see in the video below.

Curry is very creative when he drives to the basket, but the major missing ingredient is that he doesn't get the fouls and hasn't generated enough trips to the line.

If he can start getting the fouls, and his rising ascension around the league will help, Curry is a deadly shooter at the charity stripe. He shot 90 percent from the line, but he only earned 291 free throws, ranking him 42nd in the league and 12th versus point guards with an average of 3.7 attempts per game.

When he became the "guy" in the playoffs, Curry only averaged 3.2 free throws per game. Yes, he converted at a 92.1 percent rate, but he could have used at least four or five more free trips. In the same number of games (12), Memphis Grizzlies' point guard Mike Conley has averaged 6.8 attempts per game.

The strength will help show the league that Curry isn't someone who is afraid of the contact and won't always be in a position to pass the ball when contact is near. However, he is a very creative passer, as evidenced by his assist to Carl Landry below.

Curry dribbles around and draws the defenders up before he spots Landry near the baseline. He lofts a pass that only Landry can catch, and Landry converts on the play.

Passing is a strength of his game, but he needs to continue to develop the skill before the start of next season. Curry needs to have a 360-degree awareness at all times, so that he can make transition passes, start the pick-and-roll with Andrew Bogut or David Lee and find the open man when he draws more than one defender.

The focus on passing will further enhance his shooting ability, because defenders will have to react to Curry, instead of focusing on just his shot or his dribble-drive penetration. Curry can't fall into the habit of just relying on his shooting ability.

During the season, Curry averaged 6.9 APG, which ranked him 13th among point guards. In the playoffs, he stepped it up a notch as he dished out 8.1 dimes per game. If he can bring that type of consistency to next season, he is one step closer to becoming one of the league's best players.

Curry has outstanding ball-handling skills, but he can give up easy turnovers here and there. The ankle problems have increased the occasional turnover at times, but this is one area that he really needs to focus on this summer.

He finished the season ranked tied for 180th place in the NBA with former Warrior Monta Ellis by committing 3.1 turnovers per game. Yes, Curry has the ball in his hands more than most players, but he finished tied for 39th place out of 43 point guards.

He can't force the ball when nobody is open. He needs to survey the floor and kick the ball back to a wing or Andrew Bogut, if he is hanging out near the top of the arc.

Combining his assists with his turnovers, Curry has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.25, which ranks him 35th among point guards. Top-tier point guard, Chris Paul has an AST/TO ratio of 4.26.

If he can increase his assists and lower his turnovers, Curry will help the Warriors win more close games and pad his star status.

Coach Mark Jackson and assistant coach Mike Malone have reinvented the culture of the Warriors with an intense defensive focus. Curry is a good defender, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

Hopefully with a full offseason without any surgery, Curry can improve his lateral quickness. Against the Spurs, he didn't have what it took since he was hobbled by his ankles.

Tony Parker dribbles around Curry, gets him off balance and forces him to reach with the foul. As you can see from the remainder of the highlights, Curry is running very slowly and he can't use his legs to break through the screens.

When he returns next season, he will need to use his new strength and quickness to get between his man and the basket, while he breaks through and avoids players trying to shield him from the play.

He needs to be more effective off the ball where he can fill passing lanes to deflect passes and be in the right position for medium to long rebounds. He also needs to finish plays and not give up if the ball isn't in his vicinity for a period of time.

Ideally, he should have a sit-down with Chris Mullin, who was known for wearing out his opponents on both sides of the floor.

Curry has a solid foundation in place, and if he can strengthen and condition his body during the summer, he will be an even better player next season. He can isolate and pay particular attention to his weaknesses, Curry could very well move into MVP consideration.

If Curry can provide this type of consistent play all season, his teammates will benefit from an open floor, and the win total should continue to increase. He can also become a certified All-Star and build on the Warriors' championship dreams.

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Mike Trout Hits for ones Cycle vs. Seattle Mariners.

Getting into the contest, Trout ended up hitting. 293 with nine home runs, 34 RBI, thirty-one runs and nine ripped off bases. He's hitting. 308 with six home runs, 13 RBI, sixteen runs and four compromised bases in May.

The 21-year-old may be phenomenal for the Angels since getting regular playing time frame last season. In 2012, he batted. 326 with 30 home runs, 83 RBI, 129 runs and 49 stolen bases for the AL Rookie of the season.

Trout's impact on this baseball field was at full display Tuesday. After striking out looking with the first inning, he roared back. First, it was an infield single with the third inning. Then, it was a triple in that fourth. Then, it was a double within the sixth inning.

The second-year pro saved the most beneficial for last versus Seattle, homering to center field within the bottom of the eighth that will help the Angels returning to the 12-0 glory over their division opponents.

Thus continues the story associated with Mike Trout, a true five-tool player whose legend only escalating. He's certainly done what he can to help the ailing Angels this season.

Perhaps Trout's wonderful achievement can assist rejuvenate the team. L . a . is now just 18-27 after the victory—far below expectations, to speak about the least.

One thing's beyond doubt: If Mike Trout makes this up, it's visiting be difficult for the Angels to reduce ballgames. Tack on another accolade for the young star.

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Calif. High Higher education Senior Tosses 66-Pitch Perfect Game, Celebrates With Far more Efficient Tweet.

He doesn't look some thing like Kenny Powers (see original post), but Michael Strem gives the Thunder anyway. Strem, the only senior on the E. Francis High School involving Mountain View (CA) roster, plonked a 66-pitch perfect online game to lead the Lancers finished Monta Vista of Cupertino, 2-0, with the Central Coast Section Div. I playoffs last week.

Yeah, that's 66 pitches in a very seven-inning game, or typically 9. 4 pitches for inning. That's amazing for virtually every pitcher in a high school game, let alone in the playoffs. It was the first perfect game in class history.

You may remember the St. Francis baseball program out of such hits as Eric Byrnes (who proceeded to play for a A's and Diamondbacks), Serta Nava (Red Sox), Daniel Descalso (Cardinals) along with John Gall (Marlins, 2008 Olympic baseball team); in addition to Doug Cosbie (Cowboys All-Pro snug end) and Linda Cardellini (Freaks together with Geeks! and Mad Men). Also due to the heated West Catholic Fit League rivalry with nearby Serra A lot of San Mateo, which made Barry Bonds and Ben Brady.

Mark Cardinalli drove inside the game's only runs which has a single in the 6th inning. Aside from this, Monta Vista's Peter Stern matched Strem zero for zero. Stern allowed three hits, walked three and additionally struck out eight inside six innings.

Strem have eight strikeouts, and word on the street (that street is about seven miles from when I'm writing this) is that he's maneuvering to Boston College in a fall.

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As the Premier League Season Closes, An Even Better One Beckons Next Season

And so the end has come once again, the moment every ardent soccer fan dreads; the final kick of the ball, the last high-pitched call of the whistle, and the customary sign-off from FOX Soccer and ESPN (in the States) and Gary Lineker and the boys (in the UK).

It has been a long and eventful season in the Barclays Premier League, a mixed bag of triumphs and tumult, and once again the red side of Manchester is caught up in jubilant victory songs.

At the other end of the spectrum, the battle has not been so predictable, with the scrap for relegation promising to go right to the wire until Arsenal crushed Wigan's hopes of yet another miraculous escape. Speaking of Arsenal, the North London club have kept things interesting in the tussle for a Champions League spot despite having to nurse a fresh wound from another big name departure, though once again they have finished the season empty handed.

During the past 10 months of domestic affairs, the English elite have come up short in the Champions League, upstaged by their German counterparts whose pursuit of European glory has been somewhat of a procession. There is some consolation to be had for Chelsea of course, after lifting the Europa League on Wednesday night, but next season the big hitters will all be looking to do much better in one foreign ground.

However, the priority for every team is to make their mark in their own back yard, and when August comes around after the idle days of summer and money-spinning pre-season tours have finished, serious business will commence. In soccer, few things are certain, particularly for less wealthy outfits that will have to perform a precarious balancing act, giving their supporters palpitations aplenty. But in the upper echelons, a new dawn is on the horizon, and a major shuffling of the pack at United, Manchester City and Chelsea promises to ruffle the feathers of fans who have lived a charmed life in the past few years.

With the last of the dinosaurs, Sir Alex Ferguson, now riding off into the sunset with one final notch on his hefty championship belt, the newly crowned victors will be starting from scratch under the stewardship of the wily Glaswegian David Moyes, the third longest serving manager currently operating in the league. Having been commanded and protected by Ferguson for so long, there are more than a few whispers of trepidation circulating Old Trafford, and Moyes will be under an enormous amount of pressure to succeed, especially now in an age where patience is a virtue that only a few in soccer possess.

Just beneath them, Manchester City will also have to adapt to change after Roberto Mancini was rather harshly shoved out of the back door only a year after guiding the club to their first league title in 44 years. Rumor has it that the fiery Italian had lost certain parts of the dressing room in the latter months, and the amount of highly publicized rifts with his players did little to quell any of the gossip, particularly the training ground rough and tumble with Mario Balotelli before a gathering of salivating photographers. With the imminent arrival of Malaga coach Manuel Pelligrini, a man who is no stranger to controversy after a spell at Real Madrid, City's sheiks will be hoping that the team performs far more cogently in Europe next season after two previous lacklustre showings.

At Chelsea, yet another managerial shake-up has come along, and even though the club has managed to acquire silverware on a consistent basis during the reign of Roman Abramovich, a great bulk of the supporters will be hoping for at least a few years of stability. However, with a certain Special One destined to return to the dugout at Stamford Bridge, the club is sure to continue as English football's big-top circus. Naturally, if Jose is restored to power, Chelsea will be competing for all the main prizes, but having already left the club under a cloud, will the Portuguese fall foul of Roman again? A great manager he may be, but wherever Mourinho goes, the spotlight deflects from his team, a consequence which ruptured any hopes of a restoration to power at Los Blancos.

With all this change afoot, Arsenal and Tottenham will surely fancy their chances for a major push for silverware in the 2013/14 proceedings, providing that Wenger is given healthy funds by Peter Hill Wood and co., and wonder boy Gareth Bale commits himself to The Lilywhites. This furore is sure to make for a captivating transfer market, with the top five seeking to snare the coveted targets that they believe will help deliver the accolades whilst keeping the supporters happy.

At United, this summer will be crucial in terms of how they respond to the loss of Ferguson, and only time will tell if David Moyes has the mentality to cope with an ample budget after a decade of pinching the pennies. Their noisy neighbours are certain to splash out after last year's prudence brought them no rewards, and players of a higher calibre than the likes of Scott Sinclair and Javier Garcia are expected to pull on the sky blue jersey, no doubt rewarded with mind-boggling contracts. The same is to be expected of Chelsea, with interim manager Rafael Benitez claiming that Abramovich is willing to pump up to 100 million pounds into the club in search of a clean sweep of trophies.

Taking all this into account and much more, the prospects for next season's title race looks to be very tantalising indeed. Even though Financial Fair Play has been implemented to bring some stringency, it is the smaller clubs that will likely suffer and not the herculean giants, so the gulf between the top five and the rest of the pack will only expand; a sad but inescapable fact. Still, there is plenty to be excited about; Swansea look to be coming along leaps and bounds, Southampton are sure to improve, Paolo Di Canio will be stirring things up, and Cardiff, Hull, and either Palace or Watford are on their way. Though a few months of tedium and gossip fodder lay ahead, the drama will be back soon enough, and the weekends will come to life anew.

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Parity abounds so far in NBA conference semifinals

The four current series are all knotted at one game apiece — the first time that's happened in the second round of the NBA playoffs since the league went to its current format more than a quarter-century ago. For favorites like Miami, New York, San Antonio and Oklahoma City, home-court advantage has disappeared, and now it's the underdogs who can control their own fates simply by taking care of business on their home floors.

The Heat, Knicks, Spurs and Thunder are four of the league's top five winningest road teams this season. That probably isn't being received as great news for Chicago, Indiana, Golden State and Memphis, the lower-seeded clubs who will be hosting pivotal Game 3's when NBA playoff action resumes on Friday and Saturday.

"Pretty cool. The NBA's loving it," Heat forward LeBron James said. "When it comes to the playoffs, I always continue to say no matter how many games you win or lose in the regular season, once you get to the playoffs everybody's record is 0-0. So I think it's great. I think it's great for our fans, I think it's great for the competition that every series is tied 1-1."

After a first round with only two sweeps — by Miami and San Antonio, the top seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences — the tone for the second round was set pretty quickly around the league. Miami lost Game 1 at home to a wounded and weary team from Chicago. San Antonio needed a huge comeback to beat Golden State in Game 1 of their series, then saw the Warriors simply come back and take Game 2.

The Knicks lost Game 1 to Indiana before evening up their matchup, and the Thunder are likely feeling lucky that they're not in an 0-2 hole after Memphis had plenty of chances to take the opening game of their series.

"When you get this deep into the playoffs, they're all good teams, they're all very good teams more than capable of winning at home or on the road," Golden State coach Mark Jackson said. "So I'm not surprised at all. Good coaching, good playing, you make adjustments and win games. They've all been great games."

Big fourth-quarter comebacks, first by Oklahoma City and then by Memphis, decided the outcomes of the first two games of that series, where the cumulative score right now is Grizzlies 190, Thunder 186. The first two Spurs-Warriors games were pure theater, with San Antonio winning a double-overtime thriller in Game 1 after rallying from 16 points down late in regulation.

Road teams took Game 1's in the East semifinals, with Indiana and Chicago both winning by seven. And the home teams imposed their wills in Game 2 of both matchups, New York using a huge late run to beat the Pacers by 26, and the Heat outscoring the Bulls by an unbelievable 62-20 margin over a 19-minute stretch on the way to evening that matchup with a 115-78 romp.

"Anybody can beat you on a given night and playoff basketball is no different," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. "I mean, everybody at this particular time is hungry even more. Nobody wants to go home so it becomes crazy basketball. Everybody is pumped up and ready to play."

Then again, if you checked out how these teams fared against each other in the regular season, maybe you could have seen something as uncanny as this coming.

The Bulls and Heat split four games against one another, as did the Knicks and Pacers, and Spurs and Warriors. The only exception was Memphis beating Oklahoma City in two of the three games they played this year — and if they met four times, there would figure to be a chance that it could have been a 2-2 split as well.

"Each team is working hard, trying to get wins," said Memphis guard Tony Allen, who was part of Boston's title-winning team in 2008. "They got the trophy on their mind so I believe that each series is probably going to go all the way to the end. You look at the eight teams that are left, all the teams have a shot."

The Heat entered the playoffs as the overwhelming favorites to win their second straight title, and they remain that way in the eyes of oddsmakers even though they'll need to win one game in Chicago to reclaim the home-court advantage.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's eyes widened a bit Thursday when told that no second round in the NBA playoffs had ever opened quite this way.

"Is that right? First time ever? Really? Wow," Spoelstra said. "Makes for great theater. I know I'm enjoying the other games, probably like other fans are enjoying ours. It shows how much parity there is and how little margin for error with the teams that are left. ... We had always felt there was up to six or seven legitimate, title-contending teams."

AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York, and AP Sports Writers Antonio Gonzalez in Oakland, Calif., and Teresa M. Walker in Memphis, Tenn., contributed to this report.

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New York Yankees: Top 5 Surprises This Season

Only one-of-seven Sports Illustrated writers picked the Yankees to play in the postseason, predicting a wild-card berth.

Of the six writers who voted in the CBS Sports predictions article, the Yankees received two third place votes, two fourth place and two fifth place in the American League East predictions.

There have been many more "expert" predictions that have gone terribly wrong with respect to the Yankees in 2013 and very few can say that they predicted this kind of success for an injured and aging team.

Not only has this aging and debilitated team with no identity heading into the season found success, it currently sits in first place in the AL East. The Yankees are one-and-a-half games behind the best record in the American League (they have the second best) and are two games behind the MLB's best record (they are tied for third best).

The players that the Yankees have had to rely on, such as the ones listed in the preceding slides and others (Vidal Nuno, Jayson Nix, Austin Romine, Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart, Lyle Overbay and many more) comprise what looks like a mediocre Triple-A team on paper. However, everything has come together for the biggest surprise of all:

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Key Adjustments the Memphis Grizzlies Will need to Make to Win.

That Memphis Grizzlies hold many problems in their hands after losing the pioneer two games of a Western Conference finals to your San Antonio Spurs. Whether they adjust around those areas will determine whether they get back to win the series.

A pair of key Grizz players going shakily. Zach Randolph couldn't hit shots within the first game-and-a-half. Mike Conley struggled to regulate the ball in Performance 1.

The Grizzlies had shut the La Clippers and Oklahoma Community Thunder down beyond the arc inside the first two rounds. They held the Clippers to help 30. 4 percent as well as the Thunder to 33. 3 percentage. In Game 4, the Grizz allowed the Thunder to arrive a high of 49 percent. Against Los Angeles, just about the most they allowed was thirty seven. 8 percent in Performance 1.

The Spurs easily put a dent with Memphis' three-point defense. San Antonio proceeded to go 14-of-29 (48. 3 percent) around Game 1. Kawhi Leonard has been 4-of-5 from downtown. He Bonner hit four of six three-point attempts with 16 minutes, triggering this tweet from Josh Coleman in the Three Shades of Red blog.

The Grizz cooled the Spurs' relinquish Game 2, limiting these to 36 percent. However, your Spurs were 9-of-21 (42. 8 percent) just before missing their last four. Mostly, the Spurs looked after their laser aim because of deep. While Bonner together with Tony Parker each journeyed 1-of-4, Danny Green drilled several of four long-range golf swings.

Indeed, the Thunder were other in three-point field-goal percentage with the regular season, one place ahead of the Spurs. However, the Spurs are definitely more disciplined and make more elegant passes than Kevin Durant's crew.

Mike Conley told Matt Moore of CBSSports. com that the Grizzlies "overhelped" on in the garden shots on Game 1. The Memphis Flyer's Chris Herrington explained which it was more complicated as opposed to that, saying that people didn't show good knowledge on pick-and-roll sets.

The difference involving the two teams' three-point aptitudes is actually vast. The Grizz were No. 24 in three-point field-goal portion. Quincy Pondexter is the only real Memphis player to shoot better than 37 percent. San Antonio experienced six.

Randolph's shot was horrifically off in the first six quarters from this series. In that period, he shot 2-of-18 within the field, including 1-of-8 for 2 points in Game 1.

Still, Randolph ought to find his stroke for the entire game. The Grizzlies won eight with the 10 games in of which he's scored 15 elements.

Part of the choice is opening angles for Randolph. The Spurs collapsed on him in Gameplay 1. Thus, they restrained him to 11 bothersome touches, according to ESPN.

Additionally, he should take more powerful attempts. Many of his shots over the first two games had been either weak tosses or the result of a sloppy approach.

The 12-year pro shouldered force for both of the Grizzlies' significant playoff runs in the last three years. If they are to recover, his make contact with form is a will need to.

Conley had played excellent ball through two units. He had three 20-point matches and an assist-to-turnover ratio of five with Clippers. Against the Thunder, he had a 3. 1 assist-to-turnover rate and scored 26 together with 24 in Games two and 4, respectively.

In such a series, Conley has taken time for them to load up. He had 14 items on 5-of-12 shooting while turning it over a playoff-high-tying four times around Game 1.

Conley played hero toward the conclusion of Game 2, impacting a game-tying shot so that you can send it to overtime. Nevertheless, he missed all several shots in overtime. He also had three fouls in the first 19 minutes from action.

Meanwhile, Jerryd Bayless has already established an unimpressive postseason. He averaged 14. 7 points per 36 minutes inside conference semifinals after reviewing 19. 3 per 36 within the opening round. He's aiming 37. 1 percent in the playoffs.

The efficient play that helped the Grizz reach now is due in large part on the guile of Bayless and Conley. That efficiency is imperative so that they can match the well-heeled Spurs.

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Rafael Benitez: Could Liverpool Legend Make Move to Everton from Chelsea?

Here's a thought: You have achieved legendary status at one club after guiding these to an incredible Champions Little league success, but you didn't worked in full-time operations since December 2010.

You were gifted to be able to take over another leading English club in a very temporary move and appeared taking them to some other European trophy, reminding the football world of one's abilities.

However, despite that will success, you are a surplus to requirements, most notably with a lot of the club's supporters, and are looking for a full-time role.

A particular exists, though, and it's with a team you once referred to as "a small club, " incensing the fans there whenever you were managing their nearby rivals. Do you put yourself forward for the position?

Rafael Benitez designed for Everton? On the face of computer, it sounds like a marriage stated in the depths of Dante's saddest nightmares.

Benitez made his level on Merseyside when he guided Liverpool fot it remarkable comeback against AC Milan in Istanbul around 2005.

With the Anfield side facing humiliation staring at the monitor of a global television audience at 3-0 down to the Italian team, Benitez provided something different of tactics and a half-time team talk that prompted a revival not to be forgotten by Liverpool supporters, as The Reflector reported.

That match alone might have been enough for Benitez to seal his devote Anfield folklore, but their feud with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, culminating in his "fact" press conference in 2009, as chronicled in That Guardian, assured him of sustained respect in the vision of Reds fans.

A Spaniard's comment that Everton were "a small club, " from goalless Merseyside derby in Anfield in February 2007, drew the fury of Goodison Meadow officials, players and fans, according to BBC Sport activity.

Benitez left Liverpool within June 2010, as BBC Activity reported, and took in the reins at Inter Milan every week later, but was sacked 6 months later with the Serie A good giants 13 points at the rear of league leaders and opponents, AC Milan.

The final straw meant for Inter president Massimo Moratti and the board came when Benitez wanted money for squad strengthening just after the FIFA Club World Cup enlighten TP Mazembe in December 2010.

Benitez would wear the managerial wilderness for just two years before Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich brought the dog to Stamford Bridge for the reason that interim replacement for Roberto Di Matteo, who was simply sacked in November.

As outlined with the Daily Mail, the former Valencia coach's advent was greeted with jeers and catcalls from your sizeable number of Chelsea supporters, who had been angered by comments he made while using Liverpool.

However, Benitez will finish the summer season for Chelsea on Sunday using a Champions League place assured as well as the Europa League trophy inside Stamford Bridge cabinet.

Benitez has additionally introduced a squad turn system to Chelsea which has not disrupted senior professionals within the club. He has also balanced the phasing because of club legends, such for the reason that John Terry, without illumination fires, as outlined by way of ESPN.

The West London club will finish their campaign with the visit of Everton, with whom David Moyes shall be making his final appearance within the dugout before succeeding Ferguson for Old Trafford.

It must be a ready-made vacancy designed for Benitez. He is some sort of trophy winner, has your dream house on the Wirral and hasn't ruled himself out for ones job, although he concedes perhaps it is "difficult" for either party in order to the job, according with the Liverpool Echo. And, significantly for Everton, no compensation payment are going to be required.

Perhaps the most intriguing comments in the possibility come from Gatwick defender Jamie Carragher, an Everton fan to be a boy but now an Anfield legend, in some Talksport interview.

Everton are looking for some sort of manager and he's looking for a job. He wants to stay in the Premier League and he's stated that a few times, that is his important agenda.

It might ruffle a few feathers with the Gatwick and Everton side than it. I don't know how difficult that type thing is. I know it materialized between Tottenham and System with George Graham and I think eventually it was issues for him.

Everton would love to get someone with her CV, but with the Liverpool situation it causes it to become difficult. If all parties bond and they are willing to give it a go then I'm sure however do a good career.

For a Merseysider just like Carragher, who has had some foot in both camps as a fan and player, to suggest it is a workable appointment must mean there does exist some merit to the concept.

Everton would love to enjoy someone with Benitez's RESUME as their manager to change Moyes. Under any some other circumstances, it would be a tremendous coup for this club.

But the name Rafael Benitez carries some venom for Everton proponents, and chairman Bill Kenwright's vow to get guidance from the proponents, according to the Gatwick Daily Post, may see the former Liverpool boss out of your frame.

However, Everton admirers pride themselves on getting distinct from others, and Benitez's treatment simply by Chelsea supporters could be working as a catalyst for the Spaniard being afforded more respect than he may previously have expected.

Benitez's appointment as Everton manager is a situation that can probably never arise, but it could be remiss of Kenwright don't speak with the man in your house dugout at Stamford Connect on Sunday.

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Why Matt Barkley Could be the Perfect Fit for Chip Kelly's Offense.

A Philadelphia Eagles made the splash within the NFL offseason when people hired Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly.

All things considered, Kelly worked out an alternative deal to bring rear veteran quarterback Michael Vick. They immediately signed his ex- college quarterback, Dennis Dixon. And his 2012 quarterback for Oregon was Marcus Mariota, exactly who ran the ball 106 intervals for 752 yards together with five scores, including some sort of 86-yard touchdown run.

Kelly traded up various spots on Day 3 in the draft to grab Barkley together with his fourth-round pick. And it might be the steal of your draft.

Barkley has all the tools to be Kelly's quarterback for the future. Had Barkley declared for any draft following his jr season, he likely would have been a top-10 overall pick. Barkley was allowed to be a first-round selection the year of 2010 until the weeks leading up to the draft when he slipped, eventually falling to pick No. 98.

There ended up being concerns about Barkley's upper extremity strength. His senior season ended prematurely because of shoulder injury. He lost five games and used a career-worst 15 interceptions. All of contributed to his tumble; Barkley was just the fourth quarterback off the board.

DeSean Jackson along with Jeremy Maclin are playmaking extensive receivers. Brent Celek and Zach Ertz is a fearsome one-two tight terminate punch, while fullback/tight end James Casey is a weapon lining up in multiple spots. Factor with an offensive line that returns three starters from problems, and Barkley is ready to succeed.

Some, like Having News' Vinnie Iyer, believe Barkley is usually this year's Russell Wilson. Naturally, the quarterback position in Philadelphia is available, and Barkley is the sole quarterback on the roster hand-picked by way of Kelly (Dixon won't very likely make the team).

It's not unreasonable at all to expect that Barkley is most likely the starter for the team's opener with the Washington Redskins. Barkley said he expects to contend for the starting spot during a preseason, according to NEW JERSEY. com.

Barkley was a four-year starter in high school and college, tossing 116 touchdown passes in the stellar career at USC. He showed the intelligence to deal with a hurry-up offense predicated at quick decision-making.

Barkley is no threat to run that ball, but his array from weapons in Philadelphia and his savvy football IQ should make him a superb fit for the quarterback job. Barkley even directed a good no-huddle offense while with USC, which is necessary for leading Kelly's offense.

It would be surprising to see the rookie Barkley beat out Michael Vick for ones starting quarterback job in 2013. Vick was cut back on a one-year come to terms, one that should propose he's the starter if he's still in the roster after his $3. 5 thousand thousand bonus in August.

Even if Barkley is buried to the depth chart behind Nick Foles, he will gain valuable experience being an observant of Kelly's offense. Kelly said he had Barkley rated among this top 50 prospects inside the draft class.

Considering Vick has played all 16 games just once in his career, there's a great chance either Foles or Barkley enables substantial time in 2013 as a starter. Bet on Barkley pumping out Foles, and bet on Barkley evolving into the team's full-time starter from the end of the months.

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Thus, Phil Jackson Tweeted A graphic Of His 13 NBA Great Rings.

Phil Jackson is making news concerning Twitter, again. There's just something about a well used, yet smart and legendary man tweeting that fosters amusement.

@sthomas141 here's the best I can do…the 2 Knick rings are typically the front of the picture. twitter. com/PhilJackson11/…

Adam Schefter An oversight on another member of Class of 98 RT: @PatrickMannelly I'm sure I'm just a longsnapper people forgot about me. Class of 98.

Grant Wahl MLS Disciplinary Committee more active than. Retro-bans for Edson Buddle, Mario De Luna, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Arthur Leveron.

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Belmont Stakes 2013: Orb'S Preakness Loss Takes Excitement due to Storied Race.

People planning their weekend associated with June 8 around visiting horse racing history in the 2013 Belmont Stakes must probably consider making 2nd plans.

The nearly four-decades-long Multiply Crown drought continued in Saturday's 138th running in the Preakness Stakes, as 16-1 underdog Oxbow shocked the earth at Pimlico Race Path. Kentucky Derby winner Orb, who arrived to Pimlico as an overwhelming favorite, finished fourth.

And with Belmont residual in three weeks, race officials are wondering how they'll drum up excitement to your Triple Crown capper. Because for right now, Orb's loss feels enjoy one massive pulling with the rug by a sport activity that's continually done which means since 1978.

What makes this current rug-pulling so dejecting is that—for arguably to begin with since Big Brown with 2008—it felt like Orb had the best shot at taking everything. His Triple Crown odds were as a result of plus-225 on Bovada's sportsbook heading into Saturday's race, which can be an astounding number in a horse that had merely takes a simple third of the experience down.

The three-year-old colt had already get to be the first since Big Brown five long ago to win from the favorite at Churchill Downs along with was an overwhelming most desired at Pimlico. At 5-7 odds, Orb was getting wager on heavily by those inside public and those in the know.

Even opposing coaches couldn't help but miracle about Shug McGaughey's ascending colt. Doug O'Neill, machine of Goldencents, said prior to a race that Orb had an amazing shot at capturing a Triple Crown.

"I undoubtedly think it's well inside his range. He's a good Triple Crown threat, beyond doubt, " said O'Neill, a USA Today's Gary Mihoces.

That legendary trainer Bob Baffert travelled one stop further, saying that those possibly not rooting for Orb had "something mentally wrong with each other, " per the Lexington Herald-Leader's mount racing feed:

This is a good time to remind anyone that Baffert had some horse, Govenor Charlie, in such a field. Even those exactly who stood to financially gain from Orb's misfortune had been rooting for Orb, to help you only imagine the public's sentiments heading into this battle.

Of course, we knew there have been plenty of mitigating conditions working against Orb. Starting on the inside post, he was hoping to become the first thoroughbred ever since Tabasco Cat in 1994 to win originating in the No. 1 position. And he also became the fourth straight Derby winner since the turn of the century to forfeit in a field associated with nine or fewer race horses, per Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form.

It didn't matter for some. This was the horse that is going to finally break free together with win all three races because it would have to be.

Horse racing's journey to search for the first Triple Crown receiver since Affirmed in 1978 has become sports' version of going after the proverbial dragon. Yearly casual and hardcore admirers alike desperately cling with the hope that this could function as a year. That competitive fields along with the increased sophistication of coaches and owners hasn't established a parity-driven sport out of one that was once predicated on individual transcendence.

So you'll forgive most whenever they were a bit dejected across Orb's failure on Sunday. Following the race, most took to Twitter to show their feelings—good and bad—about just what just transpired.

Some, like Eric Stangel of the Late Demonstrate to w/ David Letterman, understandably went directly to the humor well:

People, like Chris Brown associated with Smart Football, made astute observations about why items went wrong for Orb:

All others, well, we can't screen-print those. Suffice it to talk about the worst possible side of social networking comes out when folks aren't getting their way.

This entire amalgam involving emotions eventually comes in the expense of the Belmont. With out Triple Crown threat, that five-week span of backgrounds limps to its death—the sport's superficial embodiment of breaking a good leg. Sure, the race will just some people will keep an eye on, but the intrigue has become sucked almost completely free of moisture.

It's ultimately a lttle bit unfair to the people involved at Belmont. Even with out potential Triple Crown, the Stakes are one of the more interesting races in the whole sport. The mile-and-a-half-long track can be described as titillating test of resistence, especially for three-year-olds that are fitted with already hit the starting gate twice in that short span.

Again, regardless of how fancy. Trying to drum up excitement for this purpose year's Belmont is like trying to save a broken marital life. You can try so that you can talk yourselves into the likes of couples counseling or forced date nights, but you're only suffering from the motions before your inevitable, sweet end.

And that is certainly likely what we'll end up doing in these heading weeks. Perhaps we'll be capable to drum up some pseudo-excitement if perhaps Orb and Oxbow both top New York or if Rosie Napravnik again tries to make history.

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Preakness 2013 Weather: Latest Reports and Conditions from Pimlico

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2013 Preakness Stakes is finally here, and while horse-racing fans should be excited about the marquee race, Mother Nature is ensuring she is a part of the Triple Crown festivities once again.

According to Weather.com, Baltimore will be experiencing rain throughout the afternoon that will likely lead into and through the actual 6:20 p.m. ET post time.

The Doppler radar (via Weather.com) shows a huge weather front moving over Maryland at around noon and drenching the area with rain for several hours.

If you are attending the race itself or the Preakness' InfieldFest, be sure to wear rain gear in preparation of the wet conditions.

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Enjoy the Ravens Given Joe Flacco Enough Weapons to protect Their Title?

That Ravens drafted one broad receiver (Aaron Mellette) in addition to retained their top restricted end (Dennis Pitta) although their other key small end (Ed Dickson) will sign his restricted free-agent sensitive soon. Other than that will, their offseason acquisitions have been mostly defensive players.

Does which means that Baltimore doesn't have sufficiently offensive talent to compete to your Super Bowl XLVIII title? No. It means the Ravens believe the skill position players they actually have on their roster.

Ray Rice, Torrey Smith, Bernard Pierce and Jacoby Jones are dynamic playmakers. They possess unique skills that enable these phones beat defenses in various ways. They're also able to get the focal point associated with offensive game plan in case the coaching staff so determines.

Last year Baltimore specify a team record for points scored in a single season (398). That mark was also beneficial to 10th in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

The Ravens attempted 560 gives and rushed 444 intervals in 2012. In other words their pass-to-run ratio was 55. 8 percentage to 44. 2 %.

In terms of league-wide general trends, the median amount associated with pass attempts per team last season was 559. The median degree of rush attempts per power team last season was 437. And, on average, NFL teams passed 56. 1 percent almost daily and ran 43. 9 percent of the time.

As you can find, the Ravens scored a lot of points and withstood a change of offensive controllers while maintaining balanced enjoy calling.

But as clothing, no team is the same each year. How do the Ravens change upon offense from 2012 to 2013? Matt Birk retired in addition to Anquan Boldin was traded for the 49ers.

Subsequent to gaining over 1, 000 accepting yards in three involving his first four changing seasons, Boldin has gained finished 1, 000 receiving yards in mere two of his go on six seasons.

In 2012, Boldin caught four touchdowns within the regular season while averaging 58 receiving yards per online game. In the playoffs, Boldin seen four touchdowns and averaged 95 yards receiving per online game.

Basically Baltimore had to consider if they wanted to cover Boldin $6 million within base salary in 2013. Sure he had an outstanding postseason, nevertheless his regular season is rather average.

As extensive as Flacco has Grain (26), Smith (24), Pitta (27) and a good offensive line, he and also the Ravens offense should become just fine.

Baltimore may well have enough offensive talent and not compete for a Extremely Bowl. Offense is one simple third of a team's cosmetic.

But if offensive talent was the only indication of a team's playoff opportunities, the Ravens are currently a very good position.

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NCAA Lacrosse: Cornell Progress to Final 4; Hits by Ohio State 16-6.

The No. 3 seed Ohio State Buckeyes got all they're able to handle and more within the quarterfinal round today. The Cornell Big Red used an immense first half on a offensive end to strike out OSU 16-6.

Cornell took the lead early but not let up. The Big Red had the ability to maintain possession throughout the main half and had the ability to limit the production in the Buckeye offense. Cornell took an 11-3 lead within the locker room at halftime instead of looked back.

Tewaaraton Trophy finalist Ron Pannell was tremendous upon attack for Cornell, while his roommate Steve Mock had a job high seven goals inside win. Pannell finished using eight points, leaving him just six shy for the single-season NCAA record as he heads for any semifinal round. His two goals and additionally six assists today certainly made a statement as he looks to take home the player with the year award this yr.

Ohio State really struggled in the contest, and its inability to make defensive stops became the difference. The Buckeye defense gave Steve Mock a significant amount of room near the anti-wrinkle, and was unable to help you pack it in small and let its goalie make an attempt to stop shots from further more out. Goaltending was a problem for OSU, but the Cornell attackers were taking quality golf swings from close quarters when down the field.

Cornell was able to score at will, nevertheless Big Red's defense was quite as impressive. Ohio State scored 16 goals just this morning in the first round of golf, but was held so that you can just five by Cornell nowadays. The Cornell defense was aggressive, and was quick to slide and double-team examples of the Buckeye's better players.

This game was a yawner to start the quarterfinal round. We thought Cornell would acquire, but certainly not as a result of 10 goals. Cornell has been relentless today, and seems to be playing its best lacrosse with the right time. With Pannell and Mock running on many cylinders, it will be tough to defeat the Big Red with this year's tournament.

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Bay Harbor Greens Review.

I simply cannot compose my mind about the Bay Harbor Golf iron. I went expecting your links style course sprinting along Michigan's inland ocean, and was rewarded on most the holes. The the rest, while always good, usually interesting and sometimes thoroughly unusual, always fell short assigned the lakeside.

The holes along Lake Michigan are simply just spectacular. On the Links and Quarry nines, a large total of six holes which would consider "on the water" (although to be sure, there are only three in which you are in any kind of danger of actually being within the water). Another five give more distant views. Two are along dunes areas without any view, but retaining the links feel. The remaining seven may additionally be in the state's internal.

The Shortcuts nine I enjoyed exceptionally. With the exception within the ninth hole, each provides a wonderful dunes feel, and you could see the water with six. The par 5 seventh is simply possibly the best holes I have ever played. From the tee, it looks like some ball that drifts with the right will drop inside the lake; it won't nonetheless thought got into your head. Mounding and tall grasses left threaten you eat your ball. Your second shot ought to find fairway that hooks around a large bunker. Finally, the green rises up to and including high (and highly exposed) skill level. The wind was howling up there relating to the day I played.

I am less sure for the Quarry nine, which is basically built around and by having a huge shale quarry. It can be an unusual setting and nearly annually later, I am still which has a mental debate as so that you can whether I liked that. My notes from your day indicate that I failed to. After much consideration, nonetheless, I think that this reaction was merely amongst being let down following Links nine. It was as though I passed from the sublime to your base.

Your Quarry begins in hardwood and marshlands, then opens as much the quarry itself, that offers glimpses of the normal water from afar. The fairways descend slowly for the quarry bottom, then climb out again with the Quarry's seventh. From the midst of the seventh, lake all over again makes its appearance. The eighth is mostly a par three right in the water, then the ninth plays parallel on the lake, finishing with some hole just above this waterline.

There are one or two gripping holes on the Quarry in which the tee shots are made from perches high on this steep shale sides to fairways far below. How it looks, the Quarry is all hard edges, which stands again nothing like the softness of a Links.

Merely were the manager at bay Harbor, I would send visitors to play the Quarry primary, then the Links. The effect is always to build to the a large number of spectacular holes, rather than starting on the high point before sending it to the quarry bottom.

Conditions to the day I played have been immaculate. The greens were like the proverbial pool tables. Even quite possibly the most fastidious golfer could not have found fault.

The Links/Quarry pairing measures 6, 827 in the back tees with some rating of 73/145. Within the middle tees, it's also comes in at 5, 936 yards and plays to a 69. 8/132. It's a difficult course. Bring your "A" game. Bogey golfers must certainly play it forward to have a good time.

Because of the kilometers between holes, and a few very steep climbs, Bay Harbor simply isn't practical to walk. The carts do, however, involve some very nice built-in NAVIGATION units.

Playing Bay Harbor over the summer season is a very expensive prospect. Prime time rounds are $195. Have fun with after five, though, as well as the price drops to $95. If you ever start right at all five, you may be be ready to finish in July and additionally August while there still is sunlight.

From those prices, I am not sure I can entirely highly recommend Bay Harbor. For a similar investment, you could play two or three very good courses with top notch scenary in Up North, Michigan.

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Dallas Cowboys: Why Third Time Might be the Charm for Second-Round Restricted Ends.

In the event the Dallas Cowboys selected Gavin Escobar inside second round of this 2013 NFL Draft, it probably raised more eyebrows than selecting Travis Frederick. A pass-catching tight result in the second-round? Why? Doesn't the brain trust realize there are other needs?

All have grown valid questions, but they all have got one common denominator in regards to the answer, and that's Jerry Jones' vision. Yes, Jones' obsession and perseverance to replicate what the fresh England Patriots have accomplished has become his personal task.

The idea of more 12-personnel formations could be beneficial for this attackers on many levels, but include the Cowboys found that second tight end for making it a reality? In the Bill Parcells era, it was believed that Anthony Fasano is a player capable of stressing defenses to make sure that Terrell Owens and additional offensive weapons would gain more opportunities.

Fasano eventually was dealt on the Dolphins after only some seasons in Dallas, which second-round experiment can effectively be deemed failing. Next, enter Martellus Bennett together with his big 6'7" mode that simply enamored Jones. The Cowboys wasted not enough available time selecting him in cost-free round of the 2008 draft, and I think we all know how his tenure journeyed.

Part of the failure worth mentioning two players might just lie in the point that they were under-utilized, not properly developed and also the coaching staff may get simply botched the choices. I feel strongly relating to this, more in regard to Bennett determined by his sheer size alone and what were a big upside.

But Bennett never show any consistency, failed at any natural progression as a player and was concerning another planet mentally. He should have taken an opportunity to learn the game and how as being a professional from Jason Witten a little more seriously rather than viewing it for an impediment.

So, this brings us so that you can Escobar and his outstanding abilities being pass-catching threat and your partner's unbelievable hands. It's time for them to forget about his condensation status and shift the focus on the results he produced in college and how everyone envision his role with this offense.

Could the third time as the charm regarding the snug end position? Escobar might just be the answer and for excellent reason. On the surface, you have to get started with his 6'6", 255 smack frame. He will have to add some mass to help his build, but precisely what 22-year-old football player doesn't?

When you watch the tape, you see their speed, hands of glue, solid route-running and his capacity to create mismatches. Do you cover him which has a linebacker? A safety? A large part? All of those questions are similar to realities that opposing defensive coordinators will have to face this season.

Ultimately, Escobar's role in this offense figures to be a prominent one, and the Cowboys usually are making no mistakes about this. Maybe, just maybe, the Cowboys have found the appropriate player to make this approach dimension of their offense come to life.

It will take some pressure from Witten, open up going lanes and force defense to play more nickel packages. If Escobar might embrace his role together with his expectations, then this offense is usually headed for great items.

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Roberto Mancini sacked simply by Manchester City as Pellegrini waits with wings - The Guardian.

Roberto Mancini ended up being finally sacked on Monday night as Manchester City manager, a year with the day after he led the club to a first championship in forty four years. The owners said the Italian's failure to satisfy any of his targets regarding who the winner, with the exception of qualifying for the Champions League, had brought about his dismissal.

The dramatic Sergio Agüero attack that won the identify last May secured Mancini a lucrative five-year contract worth around £35m and a mandate to build City into a continuous force. But 12 times on Mancini is unemployed, with the Abu Dhabi-led executive's decision to cut out him coming after they allowed him to limp on when news broke on the eve of Saturday's FA Cup final with Wigan Athletic that they were in advanced chats with Málaga's Manuel Pellegrini, that's almost certain to replace him.

Although on Monday morning Pellegrini denied he previously reached an agreement by means of City, discussions between your club and his broker, Jesús Martínez, regarding financial terms and contractual clauses have the stage where a deal is preparing to be signed. This should now be described as a formality.

The Chilean probably will start his new role for the turn of the week after City said your assistant manager Brian Kidd definitely will "take interim responsibility to your remaining two games with the season and the post-season tour with the United States".

Until the announcement confirming Mancini's taking away, posted on the membership website at 10. 22pm, City hadn't issued any public provide feedback since indications began of the fact that manager's job was around doubt. This had cast the Italian for being an increasingly isolated figure, by it becoming a matter of when not if he would drop his job.

The affirmation said: "It is with feel dissapointed that Manchester City football club announces that Roberto Mancini has become relieved of his projects as Manchester City administrator. This has been a hard decision for the manager, chairman and board to make plus its the outcome of some sort of planned end-of-season review process which is brought forward in lighting of recent speculation and out of respect for Roberto together with his extensive contributions for the football club.

"Despite every person's best efforts, the club has didn't achieve any of its stated targets this year, with the exception from qualification for next season's Uefa Champions League. This, combined through an identified need to construct a holistic approach to all areas of football at the club, has meant that choosing one has been taken to locate a new manager for this 2013-14 season and further than. "

The reference to some "holistic approach" suggests your sea change in philosophy all the way through of the club, driven through the chief executive, Ferran Soriano, and additionally Txiki Begiristain, the overseer of football. This could be playing 4-3-3 throughout the academy and inside the first team. Following the removal of Mancini, who could be a divisive figure, there will also be a hope that the club is often more cohesive.

Khaldoon al-Mubarak, this chairman, said: "Roberto's record speaks for itself and they have the respect and appreciation of Sheikh Mansour [the owner], myself and the board for any of his hard work and commitment over the last three and a half years. He has clearly additionally secured the love and respect your fans. He has done as he promised and delivered silverware and financial success, breaking the club's 35-year trophy drought [winning this 2011 Cup] and securing the title in 2012. I would really prefer to personally and openly thank him for his dedication for the progress that he has overseen and for his support and continued friendly relationship. "

Before the club's pursuit of Pellegrini emerged, the plan was for Mancini to separate the season and have a review in the emirate. This will have been led simply by Mubarak and included Soriano and additionally Begiristain.

Mubarak and his team were adamant that if it were decided to help let Mancini go, there needs to be a candidate in set who had agreed terms and could be ready to take across. This was the approach under which Pellegrini ended up being approached.

With regard to Mancini's position being all but untenable before he ended up being removed, City were in exactly the same position when he became manager last season. Then, it was common knowledge that he would supersede the incumbent, Mark Hughes being the Welshman took charge with the club's match with Sunderland concerning 19 December. Following a good 4-3 win, Hughes was sacked.

City intend for making cuts lower down this club, too, with a wide sacking programme. Soriano and Begiristain made our minds up the faults in the present coaching staff go right to youth level and definately will make their point ruthlessly.

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Mike Krzyzewski Reportedly Considering Coming back again as Team USA Teacher in 2016.

Fight it out head basketball coach Scott Krzyzewski has made a good mark on the USA Basketball team since he assumed the pinnacle coaching position in 2005. Despite remarks with the contrary, it now seems Krzyzewski could remain with the helm through 2016.

Based on Pete Thamel of Activities Illustrated, Coach K has "reversed course" in admitting she's considering a return:

Thamel information that Krzyzewski, 66, and chairman Jerry Colangelo have been discussing the ongoing nature within the former's relationship with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Basketball.

Colangelo commented, "I think it is somewhat close to being sorted. That's all I can say for sure. Give it another week and it must be resolved. "

USA Basketball hasn't for ages been a top priority for ones NBA's brightest stars. From lull in success previous to Krzyzewski's arrival, the team is a huge dominant force in essential play, compiling a 62-1 record in the span. His tenure also includes Olympic gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Video game titles.

While nothing is finalized, the fact that Colangelo didn't find an immediate replacement is telling. As per Thamel, the chairman held off of naming a new coach in the beginning of the year praying of convincing Krzyzewski to help you retain his position to be able to lead the team inside the coming years.

Coach K was that architect of USA Basketball's most current Olympic gold medal in 2012 within the London Games—a run that included a wonderful 8-0 record and a good 107-100 victory over Spain in the gold medal game.

USA Basketball also won gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but that may not have been possible without Krzyzewski for the helm. The year previous to Coach K took around (2004), the team produced some disappointing third-place finish in the Athens Olympics.

Should he agree to remain with the team, Thamel suggests Krzyzewski's finalized run could encompass both 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup plus the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

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Eagles QB Vick Shows Critics “Know Nothing Around Football”.

Ellie Vick is clearly sick and tired with answering questions about how he's not adequate enough at reading NFL safeguarding, Sheil Kapedia of Phillymag. com reports.

The Eagles' veteran quarterback taken to Mike Missanelli in a 97. 5 The Fanatic meet with earlier this week and was asked to pay critics who have pointed out that he doesn't make speedy enough reads and holds on to the football too long.

"I'm really tempted at this moment to just say no comment to the next because like I said a minute ago, you don't last 12 years with the NFL not to be able to read the defense, " Vick talked about.

"Those people who are generally talking and saying which were just ignorant, and they know nothing about football. Unless they turn on the film and watch this game and see how are you affected, then they'll replace those comments together with the right comments. "

When reminded more and more critics have made some of those claims, Vick said, "But it's improper. Without getting sensitive relating to this, it's incorrect. So I'd rather not take a look at it. "

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Arsenal Away Shirt for 2013-14 Season: New Leaked [PHOTOS]

The new set of photos look to be professional ones from Nike (watermark excluded, of course). The images of Arsenal's new away shirt reveal a clean and classy design with a yellow shirt complemented by a blue trim.

The Arsenal away jersey features a buttoned-down blue collar. The embroidered Arsenal crest reveal a lot of attention to detail. Overall, this is a winner. It reminds me of that famous Alan Sunderland goal for Arsenal that helped them win the 1979 FA Cup Final against Manchester United.

For the doubters out there, Arsenal's contract with Puma doesn't start until the 2014-15 season, so this will be the last Arsenal away shirt design from Nike.

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