Down The Stretch They Come

Now for something I know nothing about...horse racing. Bolstered by today's spirited twitter discussion of Derby Horses that could be named after Seinfeld quotes I decided that it would be good to cover the fastest two minutes in sport - Kentucky Derby.

The biggest day in horse racing is this weekend. The Kentucky Derby. It is a sporting event that not many people would put on top of their bucket list as an event to see live, but with 155 000 folks (most with big hats and smashed on mint jullip) it is quite the party at Churchill Downs.

Horse racing is a lot like boxing, you need a heavyweight or in this case a triple crown threat to gain popularity. Without a triple crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 horse racing lives on the "almost". The "almost" is a horse that might have what it takes to win the three biggest races. This year that dream died even before the Derby gates opened as Eskendereya was scratched last week. That means the odds on favourite to win the roses this year is "Looking at Lucky". So if you want to play it safe, that is where you put your money on Saturday.

Like most people who bet on horse racing once a year know, you never bet on the favourite - you can't win enough money. So you choose the horse with the best name!
Here are the Sandwich Shoppe revised best bets (please don't bet on these horses and if you do, you can't blame me);

Super Saver (12-1): Who doesn't like to save especially in these challenging economic times.
Discreetly Mine (25-1): Sure, why not? Mrs. MMMMBLT liked the name.
Homeboykris (40-1): Because I am gangsta
Sidney's Candy (4-1): The other Sidney is going to win a second Stanley Cup and the Olympic title in the same year, so why not go with it.

For the full Kentucky Derby odds you should visit here.

Freedom of Tweet

Most of you who read this blog know that I love the Twitter. When different organizations try to put restrictions on what people can tweet about. This first happened in the NBA last season and then ESPN writers were told they could only write about sports and needed to ensure that they had to file stories with the website before they twittered about breaking news.

Now the freedom to tweet has been taken away from MLB reporters apparently. From now on the rule is in place that MLB beat writers can only tweet about baseball related things. Currently, I only follow one reporter - Jordan Bastian who covers the Blue Jays and of his 7000 tweets you would be hard pressed to find a handful that aren't about baseball. For him this new rule won't be a problem, but for some others I am sure not talking about political events, reality shows or the NFL.

How will they solve this mighty conundrum? I have a suggestion - it's called an alias. Open a different twitter account with a new handle. The perfect example of this is Cabbie from The Score. He has @CabralRichards and @TheRealCabbie. Ta-Da! Problem solved.

Coming soon...a new BLT twitter account...maybe.

What Not To Wear: Sports Edition

Although I don't normally take special requests at the sandwich shoppe, I must mention this next story.

No Sweatshirt For You!

Earlier this week MLB came down on Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon and told him he couldn't wear a hooded sweatshirt in the dugout. He had to wear one of the MLB authorized on field gear provided to him. The sweatshirt has been a staple of Maddon's dugout presence since the Rays post-season run a couple of years ago. Now, conveniently when the Rays are playing in Boston, MLB says he can't wear the hoodie. He took the decision in stride, playing off the edict from the head office with a couple of jokes.

Now, after the story made the rounds on ESPN and other media outlets, MLB is somewhat embarrassed by the position they took and has retracted its statement and is allowing Maddon and other managers, should they please to wear the hoodies.

The crazy thing about this story is that managers in all sports dress poorly for the most part. They often can't decide if they want to be on the field, in a boardroom or just stepped out of the 1970's. Coaches should have one of three options;

1 - dress like a player. This works best in baseball, although George Karl did try it on the court.

2 - dress in a suit. This is good for hockey, basketball and some football coaches if they want that throwback look.

3 - dress in gear provided by the league. This is how the NFL works for the most part. Reebok decides what gear they want to promote and that is what the staff wear. The NHL (also sponsored by Reebok) does this with the training staff, but not the coaching staff. I think this might work well for the NHL seeing as most of their coaches dress poorly.

So how would you like coaches to dress?

NFL Mock Draft v16

Not even Mel Kiper or Todd McShay have done as much homework on the top 10 picks as I have...kidding, I basically looked at McShay's draft board, put my own little spin and snarky comments and voila. The only mock draft you need leading up to Thursday night will be below. I have only done the top 10 because after that, you are either too drunk or don't recognize the names of the players anymore.


1 St. Louis Rams – Sam Bradford – QB – Oklahoma
Although picking a QB at the top of the draft puts lots of pressure on the player, this is the best option for the Rams. A defensive tackle, no matter how dominant doesn’t lead and make the difference a good/great QB can.

2. Detroit Lions – Ndamukong Suh – DT – Nebraska
The Lions can’t really screw this up. They are taking a defensive lineman here who will be a difference maker and shore up the middle of their defense. Suh seems to be the consensus pick here over McCoy.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Gerald McCoy – DT – Oklahoma
The Bucs can’t really screw this up. They will take whichever DT is left on the board whether it is McCoy or Suh. McCoy fits better with their defensive scheme but either player will be a boost to the 3-13 team.

4. Washington Redskins – Bryan Bulaga – OT – Iowa
There was lots of talk of the Redskins taking a QB here, but that has all changed with the trade for Donovan McNabb. The ‘Skins will now protect him with Bulaga. Lots of speculation that he could bust like Robert Gallery, but he is more experienced and will be solid for years to come.

5. Kansas City Chiefs – Russell Okung – OT – Oklahoma State
The Chefs are building the proper way, from the OL out. They have their QB in Matt Cassel but he needs to be protected and Okung will do that for them.

6. Seattle Seahawks – Eric Berry – S – Tennessee
Although the Seahawks have lots of needs on the offensive side of the ball, they will elect to go defense here with a player who dominated at the combine and flashed all world skills while at Tennessee. Many teams in front and behind the Seahawks would love to get Berry, but no one is keen on paying a safety top 5 money.

7. Cleveland Browns – C.J. Spiller – RB - Clemson
The Browns (or whoever they trade down with) take the undisputed number 1 running back in the draft. He slipped past a few teams, but with the shallow pool of RB in the draft he is a wanted man. If the Browns aren’t able to trade the pick they really are intrigued by Texas safety Earl Thomas.

8. Oakland Raiders – Trent Williams – OT – Oklahoma
No one really knows what Al Davis and the Raiders will do with this pick, all everyone knows is that he loves workout warriors and that was Williams at the combine. So we’ll put the OT here and hope for the best.

9. Buffalo Bills – Jimmy Clausen – QB – Notre Dame
Although it isn’t Tim Tebow the Bills do draft a QB to add to the position battle in training camp. Fans will love Clausen once they seem him play. He has the “blue collar” work ethic that goes over so well in Buffalo. He will remind fans of Doug Flutie and although he won’t solve the OL holes, he might make them look less daunting with his mobility.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars – Derrick Morgan – DE – Georgia Tech
The Jags need lots of help and Clausen was definitely on their draft board, but they will go for the pass rushing of Morgan. A great pass rusher is now a requirement to be competitive in the NFL (especially the AFC) and Morgan will give them a great compliment to free agent acquisition Aaron Kampman.

Other Potential Top 10 Picks
Dan Williams – NT – Tennessee
The 3rd best defensive lineman might go higher than expected if one team really wanted help and can’t wait for round 2.
Jason Pierre-Paul – DE – South Florida
Another pass rushing option for teams looking to put pressure on the QB more effectively.
Anthony Davis – OT – Rutgers
Davis might be an option for the Bills who really need to improve the OL and he is a stretch at number 9, but the talent really drops at OT after him.

Names To Know

With the NFL draft now just 4 days away and lots of prospects and mock drafts for everyone to work through, here is one player that might have gotten overlooked but in my opinion will make it work at the next level.

Oregon Running Back LeGarrette Blount

Best known for throwing a punch at a Boise State player during the Thursday night home opener last season, being suspended for the season, and then apologizing enough that Oregon let him back to play for the last couple of games and the bowl game.

In those short opportunities he made quite an impression on fans, and hopefully on scouts. A big running back at 6' feet and 240 lbs. he would be a good second option for teams that feature a smaller scat back (like San Diego). With his size he really hasn't had any injury problems, he just had trouble staying on the field because of attitude issues, both on and off the field.

More was expected of him at the NFL Combine. He ran a very poor 40 yard dash time (4.74 sec.) and finished middle of the running back pack in the other tests.

As mentioned, he is a big back and therefore won't go down on first contact. You might compare him to someone like Giants Brandon Jacobs, the only difference would be the break away speed after knocking over a defensive back. He does everything well, just not excellent, but in the right system and if he is able to mature slightly he could be a great piece to the puzzle of a contender.

Blount is ranked as the 11th running back in a very shallow draft at the position. He has the name recognition some of the other backs don't, mainly for negative reasons, but look for him to be drafted in the 3rd or 4th round, but will have a better chance to contribute than most of the backs drafted ahead of him.

Snack of The Day

One of things that has to be done every weekend is grocery shopping. This is something that Mrs. MMMMBLT and I do every Sunday. During the NFL season we go around 11am to make sure that I am back for the start of the early games, but the rest of the year, it can be anywhere from a 9am shop to the dreaded 5pm shop.

The one thing about shopping that I actually look forward to every Sunday is taking a handful of Jelly Beans from the container and having a quick snack. I just hate when I get the black licorice ones...

Who To Cheer For This Weekend

This weekend seems like a slow sports weekend, with the opening of the major league baseball season done and gone, no masters and the NCAA basketball tourney all finished, but after looking closer there is plenty to cheer for...

Blue Jays - after having record low crowds during the week, they open a series against the LA Angels and hopefully some more wins (and bigger crowds) to pad there lead on top of the AL East. After hitting a home run yesterday, looking for Travis Snider to have a big weekend!

NBA Playoffs Start - couple of big series, especially in the Western Conference. It will be fun to watch the Lakers and Thunder and of course the Nuggets and Jazz series. Just too bad we can't watch the Raptors...

NHL Playoffs Continue - as much as I dislike hockey most of the time, the playoffs are a fun time that produce great games and great moments for fans, I guess...

Any Real Rivalries Left?

After watching the most recent ESPN 30for30 documentary on Reggie Miller and the New York Knicks and seeing the hatred the fans had toward the opposition, seeing how the players didn't get along, the hard fouls and over the top coverage from the local media, it made me think - are there any real rivalries left?

If there are any rivalries, they are few and far between. In that same 30 for 30 documentary, the coach of the Knicks at the time was Pat Riley and he instructed his players not to shake the hands or talk to the Pacers players. That would never happen today. In a recent interview, T'Wolves player Kevin Love talked about how he grew up playing against the other top 10 picks from his rookie class. He can't hate any of them because they are his good friends. He may still be competitive, but I can't see him punching any of them.

Football is the same way. While growing up, the best of the best that eventually make the NFL play on High School All-Star teams, go to combines or visit universities together. Obviously, football is a physical game and players are still going to hit each other, but the friendliness before and after the game takes away from the rivalries.

The real rivalries aren't with the players anymore, they are holding on simply because of the fans.

So according to the fans (or at least this fan) here are some of the best rivalries left;

SOCCER
There are lots of rivalries in Europe, especially those cities that have two teams. My vote is for the North London rivalry between Tottenham and Arsenal. This rivalry has been one sided lately, but the Spurs finally broke through this past weekend, winning for the first time in 10 years! With that win and Tottenham on the verge of qualifying for Europe, just maybe the tides are turning.

BASEBALL
Just watch ESPN Sunday night baseball to see who the rivalries are, because those are the games that are always shown. The obvious choice is Red Sox vs. Yankees, but I think that Cubs vs. Cardinals is about to take over. This rivalry features the best player in the game in Albert Pujols and the longest World Series drought. It is Sox vs. Yankees circa 2004.

HOCKEY
Any of the Canadian teams or original six teams against each could qualify, but I think the hatred runs deepest in the west. The battle of Alberta, no matter how crappy the Oilers are, that rivalry with the Flames brings out the best hockey.

FOOTBALL
I'll let one of the best football writers take this one, from a recent Monday Morning QB article, Peter King broke it down like this...

NFL rivalries. The best before Sunday night (current, not necessarily historical) were Patriots-Colts, Packers-Vikings, Ravens-Steelers, Jets-Patriots. The Eagles-Giants, Eagles-Cowboys, Cowboys-Giants rotated in intensity. Now the Eagles and Redskins will go into that top group for the next three or four years. If I'm Howard Katz, the NFL schedule-maker who has a major headache putting this season's slate together, I'm going back to my drawing board this morning on Philly-Washington to make sure at least one of those two meetings is a national prime-time game.

BASKETBALL
Phil Jackson might have started a rivalry this week, when he named Kevin Durant as a player who gets special treatment from the referee's. Especially, with the Lakers and Thunder set to meet in the first round of the playoffs. This rivalry could continue because as Durant is one of the best young players in the game and Kobe still has some fight left in him. The one rivalry that lives on is New York vs. LA Lakers. No matter the situation in the standings this is always a good game from the two giant franchises and with the Knicks ready to make a splash in free agency this summer, get ready for multiple tv appearances and lots of media coverage of the two teams.

Now that I started the conversation, what are your favourite rivalries in sport?

My Favourite Blue Jay

On Tuesday, I will attend my first Blue Jays game of the season. The last couple of seasons, there was always a reason to attend. Whether it was Doc Halladay on the mound or the chants of “Marco Scutaro” that came from the stands when he strode to the plate.

If I wasn’t going to cheer on Hallady or Scutaro, I was probably there to root against someone. Last year, sitting right behind the Yankees dugout the target was Alex Rodriguez. Every time he came to the plate or had to walk to the dugout we would flash photos of Madonna and author Selena Roberts. Whenever Miguel Tejada comes to town, he gets boo’s rained upon him for deserting Oakland and taking the big money pay day in Baltimore - where he is again this season after playing for Houston for two seasons, and will get booed loudly again when he arrives.

This season though, when attending the Jays game I really want a favourite player to cheer for, not just there to heckle the opposition (by the way, Alex Rios will be the target on Tuesday).So, I am going to choose my favourite Jay player…

Let’s start by eliminating a few of the players to make the choice a little easier.

-Vernon Wells, his contract is too big, he hasn’t performed to a high enough level and I can ignore his 4 home runs to start the season no problems.
-Overbay, Encarnacion and Bautista, all these players are decent, but don’t have long term future with the club. I really don’t want to go through this process every year
-John Buck and Jose Molina, love cheering for catchers, but neither is the future of the club. The Jays have so many catching prospects, just waiting for one of them to break through.
-John McDonald and Randy Ruiz, both will get some playing time this year. McDonald is a great defensive player but I want my favourite player to at least know how to hold a bat. Ruiz probably won’t get enough at bats this year to cheer properly and the games I go to, I want to know my guy is playing.
-Kevin Gregg had a chance, with the glasses and the long hair, but then he lost the closer gig to Jason Frasor. Frasor had a chance but he blew his first save attempt, so they are both out.
-Brian Tallet shaved his mustache, otherwise he would have gotten huge consideration.

So after eliminating half the team from contention, who do I have left to cheer for;
Adam Lind
Aaron Hill
Travis Snider
Shawn Marcum
Ricky Romero
Dana Eveland
Jesse Carlson

Another round of elimination…
-Adam Lind and Aaron Hill are out. Going against the grain is something I pride myself on, so making one of the two best Jays my favourite player just seems wrong.
-Marcum and Romero. Cheering for guys coming back from injury is a great story, and one of them is in line to be the ace for years to come, I just don’t want to choose the wrong guy.
-Jesse Carlson, the tattoos are a huge bonus (cheering for a rebel is cool), but he might have trouble staying with the big club all year even though he is a lefty and Gaston likes him. He won’t get the innings needed to be my favourite unfortunately for him.

THE WINNERS
Travis Snider and Dana Eveland
With the chance to play everyday now, Snider will be considered one of the cornerstones for the Jays. He has a chance to hit 20 home runs this year and he hustles in the field and on the base paths. You can tell by how red his cheeks when he hustles down the line. So when I get my chance to attend games this season, left field is where I will be.

Traded from Oakland for cash considerations in the off-season Dana Eveland had a great spring training to win the 5th starter role ahead of Mark Rzepczynski. His first start for Toronto was a gem and he will give the Jays innings and has a bright future. When I have a chance to see a particular pitcher, I will make sure it is Eveland.

Who do you think I should have picked?

American League Preview - All Rolled Into One

Okay..so I'm cheating a little with my AL preview since the teams got in their first games Sunday and yesterday.

AL WEST

Anaheim Angels - They somehow manage to keep retooling and winning. One of the model franchises that is often overlooked. With perhaps the best 1 thru 5 rotation and it will only get better once Scott Kazmir returns from the DL. The power at the plate replaced one elder with another (Matsui for Guerrero).

Texas Rangers - After that walk-off win in the first game against the Jays could this be there year? Ace Scott Feldman will have to duplicate his 2009 season and Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton and Ian Kinsler will carry the load on offense.

Seattle Mariners - Although they made some power moves in the offseason, they kind of feel like the Washington Redskins. Make a big splash, but get no return for your dollars. Felix Hernandez is the undisputed ace and in my opinion the best pitcher in the AL now that Halladay is gone. Acquiring Cliff Lee was a nice touch. They have both speed and power on the base paths. If Ken Griffey Jr. can keep his weight under control he could have one last hurrah in the city where he started his career.

Oakland A's - The A's have turned into the feeding system for the rest of major league baseball. This year their project is Ben Sheets. If he performs well, just like Matt Holliday last year they will deal him to the highest bidder in September. Other than assigning Jack Cust to the minors, Eric Chavez coming back from injury and, wow...there is nothing else. Welcome to AAA.


AL CENTRAL

Minnesota Twins - The Twinkies have turned the corner. Not even 10 years ago they were tapped by MLB as one of two teams to contract. Now they are an AL power. Led by Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer and supported nicely by the speedy Denard Span in center field and the defensive wizard Orlando Hudson at second, these guys are good. The pitching staff is underated and new closer Jon Rauch has big shoes to fill with the loss of Joe Nathan for the year. If they don't win the division it might not happen as the wild card will probably come from the AL East.

Detroit Tigers - Another team that has spent some money the last couple of seasons, acquiring the likes of Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, Miggy Cabrera and now Johnny Damon. If they can put it together along with rookie CF Austin Jackson, they could do some damage. The pitching staff has been brought along slowly and allowed to develop and the Tigers are finally having it pay off with Verlander, Porcello and Bonderman anchoring the rotation.

Chicago White Sox - Not even Barack Obama can bail these guys out. With the hot headed Ozzie Guillen as manager you never really know what to expect from the South Siders. Some good starting pitching with Jake Peavy and Mark Buehrle and closer Bobby Jenks will be able to close the door in late innings. The line-up is filled
with aging veterans (Andruw Jones, Alex Rios, AJ Pierzynski and Carlos Quentin), but if they can come through, they could challenge the top of the division.

KC Royals - Once an after thought in the division, they now boast one of the top pitchers in the game Zack Greinke. He carried this team last season and will need to repeat his Cy Young performance for the Royals to be contenders. In the field they are nothing special. The player to watch will be Rick Ankiel to see him continue his journey from pitcher to everyday player.

Cleveland Indians - Once the pride of the division, the Indians are now back to playing like they did in Major League the movie. Unfortunately for them ace Jake Westbrook can only start every 5th day. The offense will be carried by Grady Sizemore and DH Travis Hafner. Not much to cheer about.


AL EAST

NY Yankees - A murderer's row of hitters and pitchers await any team that has to face the Yankees this season. Whether you are facing their number 9 hitter or 5th starter it will be a test. I could name you all the players, but just wait for the All-Star game.

Tampa Bay Rays - With a good combination of speed and power, and a chip on their shoulder after missing the playoffs last season, look for a rejuvenated Rays squad. Led by Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and BJ Upton this will be an exciting team to watch. Rafeal Soriano is the new closer coming over from Atlanta and he will need to adjust to the pressures of the AL East quickly. Also, the continued maturation of David Price will be important to their success.

Boston Red Sox - The Sox made the change from power to defense this year and although Baseball Prospectus people might applaud the move it will be interesting to see if the moves will pay off with wins. The signings of Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro won't score runs but they will prevent them. Also preventing runs will be the pitching staff. Like the Yankees, starters 1 thru 5 will provide a tough test for opposition batters.

Baltimore Orioles - If they were in any other division they might be contenders, but playing Yankees, Rays and Red Sox 60+ times will give you more losses than you thought. Building around a young core, similar to what the Rays did just a few years ago look for them to compete day in and out. The outfield is one of the best in baseball with Nolan Reimhold, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. Catcher phenom Matt Wieters is now in his second year and will be able to handle the pitching staff that much better. The pitching staff isn't their strength of the club, but Kevin Millwood is a solid rock at the top of the rotation. Better luck next year.

Toronto Blue Jays - I dread writing this review because they are the home town team. You want them to succeed, make the playoffs and win championships. Unfortunately, the Jays are far from all of those things, especially after trading away their best player in the off-season. Toronto has pitching depth, that is without question, but their starters are no better than a number 3 in most rotations (even with how good Shawn Marcum pitched opening day). The bullpen is stable and with three viable options at closer, manager Cito Gaston should be able to get saves out of one of them. The line-ups lacks real power even though Gaston believes that 6 Jays can hit 20 home runs. Although Gaston isn't known for giving young players much of a chance he needs to try to do that this season. The likes of Travis Snider, Randy Ruiz, Mike McCoy and most of the pitching staff needs to see if they can cut it in the big leagues. GM Alex Anthopolous will win executive of the year if he can find someone to take Vernon Wells of his hands, but this will probably only happen if Wells can repeat his 2006 season. Lyle Overbay, Tony Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion need to be the good veteran presence, while Adam Lind and Aaron Hill continue to play like all-stars. If everything comes together the Jays might be able to avoid 100 losses and 5th place, if not Jays fans will understand the plight of Leafs fans.

What To Watch This Weekend

The AL baseball previews will be coming fast and furious on Sunday/Monday...trust me two games into the season won't change my predictions, unless it is the Jays winning a couple in Texas...kidding, they are still finishing 5th.

If you are stuck inside this beautiful long weekend, don't feel bad, there is plenty for you to watch on the tube.

Saturday and Monday - The Final Four. The semi-final games are Saturday night. Butler vs. Michigan St and then Duke vs. West Virgina. Since my prediction computer hasn't been that good lately, I'll just say that it will be fun to see the underdogs win and that would be Butler and West Virgina. Although the best TV for the Monday night final would probably be Butler and Duke and then hopefully the underdog can come through again. Whatever happens, most fans are just rooting against the Dukies, unless you have them winning the office pool.

Sunday - Major League Baseball opens the regular season. No more fake games, bad uniforms and spring training baseball hats. The rivalry that everyone outside of New York and Boston has started to loathe - Yankees vs. Red Sox kick off the year. One of about 32 match-ups between the teams that will be televised this year.

Of course for those of you who are up early on Saturday and Sunday morning you can tune in to the Malaysian Grand Prix to see if a Red Bull car can actually complete the race, which British driver (Button or Hamilton) will win the race and if Michael Schumacher can regain his form. This should be a fun race to watch because of the longest straight away on the circuit and wide lanes where we might actually get some passing.

Enjoy the show...