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05/19/2008: "Little Ol' Sports Rant"
Yeah, I know - but better late than never!
- I'm not one of those who believes in anthropomorphizing animals, but in watching the Preakness this weekend, there's no doubt in my mind that Big Brown knew - absolutely knew - that he was the better horse ... and the other horses knew it, too. If you watched him reach down and effortlessly find another gear as he rounded the final turn at Pimlico, then you know, too. Many horses have won the first two jewels of the Triple Crown since the trifecta was last achieved by Affirmed in '77, but this looks like the horse who can get it done. His victories in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness looked so effortless, you just can't imagine him not doing the same in two weeks at the Belmont. But it's the longest of the three, and has been the death of many Triple Crown dreams. Should be a great race.
- NASCAR drivers love their fans, but none so much right now as Kasey Kahne. Kahne, who placed fifth in the qualifying race for Saturday night's All Star Race, wouldn't have even transferred to the big event had he not been voted in as the fans' choice. He made the most of it, though, using a risky final pit strategy - taking fuel only while the rest of the field took 2 or 4 tires - to take the victory and the $1 million first prize. Kahne has always been a favorite of the ladies with his pretty boy looks, but stepping into the Budweiser sponsorship abdicated by Dale Earnhardt Jr means being held to a whole new standard. This is his first delivery against that deal - and it won't be the last.
- I know ... I don't understand it either, but the Marlins are still in first place. They're struggling a bit right now, but so are the others in their division, and that's keeping them on top - barely. They signed outfielder Jacque Jones over the weekend, one more sign they're looking to win for a change. Jones had several great years alongside Torii Hunter in Minnesota, but has stunk it up the last year or so, resulting in his release by the Tigers a couple of weeks back. The Marlins are used to having to pay the contracts of players they've shipped out - this is one of those rare cases where they get the player and someone else can pay the salary. Now if he can just remember how to hit ...
Since I'm late in posting this, I can hit on a couple of topics that just went down ...
- A huge MB congratulations to Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, who tonight threw a no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals. It was a dominating performance, with only two baserunners allowed, but the important thing to keep in mind is that it was only a couple of years back that Lester was diagnosed with cancer. Just returning to the mound was inspirational - combine his win in the final game of last year's World Series with tonight's no-no and we're talking legend ...
- We now know who the Lakers will be playing in the NBA Western Conference Finals - the San Antonio Spurs, who followed up their Game 6 win with a clinching victory over the New Orleans Hornets ... and did it in the Big Easy. The Hornets played a solid game, but the Spurs showed once again why they have those 4 rings, and Robert Horry - "Big Shot Bob" - channeled his earlier self and nailed several key three-pointers down the stretch. Chris Paul was an MVP candidate, but showed tonight why Kobe has the trophy - the MVP carries his team when their back is against the wall. A solid season, and a lot to build on, but it'll be the Spurs taking the Staples Center court ...
