When June rolls around, the greatest show on Earth is over with. Wigan Athletic upset 2011-2012 Premier League champions Manchester City in the FA Cup Final. The weekend after that, The Premier League concluded a few weekends ago with Manchester United on top. And finally, the weekend after the FA Cup, was the UEFA Champions League final, where the best of Germany fought it out to be the best of Europe.
The Wigan Athletic proved nearly every analyst wrong on the Eleventh of May. Wigan managed to beat the 2011-2012 season champions, Manchester City, 1-0. This took everyone by surprise I think. There's not a lot to analyze on one match. However, the match may be a signal that Wigan may be quick to get back in the Premiership after being relegated this season.
The Premier League itself ended on the Nineteenth of May. Manchester United, unlike last year, finished out on top. The real suspense was within the race for the last UEFA Champions' League spot. Tottenham came up a little bit short of seizing that spot from Arsenal, who've qualified for the Champions' League for the fifteenth straight time. Other news since the end of the Premier League has been largely transfer speculations. According to the Press, Wayne Rooney had a transfer listing request denied. He has been, in a way, replaced by Robin van Persie, and he has had a lack of games in late in the season. The other big transfer headliner is Luis Suarez who feels wronged at the hands of the British media being unfair. Which ironic, coming from a player who has bit someone twice in his career.
The last portion of European soccer news has been the final of the UEFA Champions' League. Two German teams made it after routing their Spanish adversaries. German soccer has always been superior, in an ironic way. There are few German superstars, yet both German clubs and the men's national team have been very strong historically. This was shown in a very close game between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Bayern was able to avenge last year's loss by beating Dortmund 2-1.
The Summer of 2013 marks the final preperations for next year's World Cup in Brazil. Also, the MLS takes place over the next few months. But as far as league play goes. We'll have to wait until August.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
The Derby and the Dying Sport
Today is Derby Day. The first saturday in May is always warm and sunny; it's also the date of one of America's most symbolic sporting events. However, despite the popularity of the Derby, the sport of Horse Racing is dying. Perhaps this is because Horse Racing is glorified for all the wrong reasons. Nonetheless, the path to the triple crown starts now.
Orb and Verrazano are the two definite favourites coming into the Derby. They have 7-2 and 4-1 odds respectively*. Trainer Todd Pletcher has stacked the deck; he has five horses entered in this year's Derby. Orb has won all four have his last four starts including the Florida Derby. Verrazano has won the Wood Memorial, one of the most prestigious pre-Derby races. Another horse to watch is Overanalyze. Overanalyze is a Mike Repole owned horse; horses owned by him have been very good in the past, Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty both come to mind. Anyways, it looks like it will be a very exciting race because of a very talent field.
However, Horse Racing as a sport is dying. It definitely makes for good cinema; stories like Seabiscuit and Secretariat have been very successful in recent years. The excitement displayed in the days of Secretariat, however, don't seem apparent today. I think it's the focus thats done Horse Racing wrong. It's centred mainly around gambling. Thus, the sport doesn't appeal to kids, as well as people who just don't like betting. I think that Horse Racing should focus on the the character and magnificence of the horses, as well as on the people wh around the horses.This would create a much more open environment in Horse Racing.
Can this year's derby show something never seen before in Horse Racing? Can it create a rejuvenation in the popularity of the sport? Well, if this year's derby doesn't do it, I don't know which year in the future could.
*Odds at the time of publication. Odds are frequently changing due to sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs.
Orb and Verrazano are the two definite favourites coming into the Derby. They have 7-2 and 4-1 odds respectively*. Trainer Todd Pletcher has stacked the deck; he has five horses entered in this year's Derby. Orb has won all four have his last four starts including the Florida Derby. Verrazano has won the Wood Memorial, one of the most prestigious pre-Derby races. Another horse to watch is Overanalyze. Overanalyze is a Mike Repole owned horse; horses owned by him have been very good in the past, Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty both come to mind. Anyways, it looks like it will be a very exciting race because of a very talent field.
However, Horse Racing as a sport is dying. It definitely makes for good cinema; stories like Seabiscuit and Secretariat have been very successful in recent years. The excitement displayed in the days of Secretariat, however, don't seem apparent today. I think it's the focus thats done Horse Racing wrong. It's centred mainly around gambling. Thus, the sport doesn't appeal to kids, as well as people who just don't like betting. I think that Horse Racing should focus on the the character and magnificence of the horses, as well as on the people wh around the horses.This would create a much more open environment in Horse Racing.
Can this year's derby show something never seen before in Horse Racing? Can it create a rejuvenation in the popularity of the sport? Well, if this year's derby doesn't do it, I don't know which year in the future could.
*Odds at the time of publication. Odds are frequently changing due to sloppy conditions at Churchill Downs.
NHL Playoffs Preview
The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway. The season was abbreviated, but in a lot of ways it was just as exciting as normal. There are sixteen teams from across two conferences in this year's playoffs. The Canadians made a traditional showing; four northern clubs made this year's playoffs, which is moderately more than previous years. Also, all six Original Six teams made the playoffs this year. I guess you can say the NHL is back to old times.
In my opinion, this season was a lot better than normal. With fewer games, each game had more value. Every game counts more when the season is shorter. Thus, there was a lot more excitement. The shorter season made for a lot better hockey. Every game was a battle, and this season we witnessed things we've never seen before. Teams who are normally locked in the playoffs, such as the Red Wings, had to scramble and bring out their best play to make the playoffs. Other teams, particularly the Chicago Blackhawks, made history by being spectacular.
There are superpowers and underdogs in any playoff action. The teams to watch are definitely the Blackhawks and the Penguins. Both have had immensely strong seasons; their momentum should carry throughout the playoffs. On the other hand, underdogs in these playoffs have either underrated talent, or something to prove. The Ottawa Senators have talent that is consistently overlooked. Similarly, other Canadian teams, such as Toronto and Montreal, have talent and are surfacing as powerful franchises once again. On a different note, the Detroit Red Wings struggled this season with the absence of retired defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. The Wings have a lot to prove that they are still a dominant hockey club. The teams with the best odds to wins the Cup (in no particular order) are Pittsburgh, Montreal, Chicago, and Vancouver. These teams are all strong in talent and coaching; therefore, all four of these teams have what it takes to be champions.
The hockey season all comes down to the Stanley Cup playoffs. There's so much talent in the running this year that these playoffs have the potential to be the one of the most memorable in NHL history.
In my opinion, this season was a lot better than normal. With fewer games, each game had more value. Every game counts more when the season is shorter. Thus, there was a lot more excitement. The shorter season made for a lot better hockey. Every game was a battle, and this season we witnessed things we've never seen before. Teams who are normally locked in the playoffs, such as the Red Wings, had to scramble and bring out their best play to make the playoffs. Other teams, particularly the Chicago Blackhawks, made history by being spectacular.
There are superpowers and underdogs in any playoff action. The teams to watch are definitely the Blackhawks and the Penguins. Both have had immensely strong seasons; their momentum should carry throughout the playoffs. On the other hand, underdogs in these playoffs have either underrated talent, or something to prove. The Ottawa Senators have talent that is consistently overlooked. Similarly, other Canadian teams, such as Toronto and Montreal, have talent and are surfacing as powerful franchises once again. On a different note, the Detroit Red Wings struggled this season with the absence of retired defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. The Wings have a lot to prove that they are still a dominant hockey club. The teams with the best odds to wins the Cup (in no particular order) are Pittsburgh, Montreal, Chicago, and Vancouver. These teams are all strong in talent and coaching; therefore, all four of these teams have what it takes to be champions.
The hockey season all comes down to the Stanley Cup playoffs. There's so much talent in the running this year that these playoffs have the potential to be the one of the most memorable in NHL history.
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