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Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
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OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
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Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
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Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, May 02, 2008
Apparently in horse racing, inexperience may be an asset. What other sport can you say that about?
As NBC prepares for its annual coverage of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, a horse with only three races under his belt . . . hoof is the favorite.
Big Brown is considered the favorite in the Derby and has drawn the outside position, which could hinder the stallion extending his short but distinguished win streak, NBC Derby co-host Tom Hammond said during a conference call.
''Most of the horses all seem to have significant things that you like about them and significant question marks associated with them with the exception of Big Brown, who is unbeaten in three starts, but only three starts,'' he said. ''It's been since 1915 that a horse that lightly raced has won the Kentucky Derby. He has drawn — or chosen — post 20, the outside post, and no horse has ever won the Kentucky Derby from the 20-post. He did do something similar when he won the Florida Derby — he broke from the 12 outside post at Gulfstream Park.''
Apparently trash talking isn't limited to basketball these days. Big Brown's trainer, Rick Dutrow, said in published reports that he has little problem with his horse's position and expects him to win. NBC analyst Bob Neumeier is willing to give Dutrow a pass on his comments. ''He's been loud, he's been opinionated and some would say a little cocky. It may be a little bit of the New York style,'' he said.
Coverage of the Kentucky Derby begins at 5 p.m. Saturday on NBC (WKYC Channel 3 in the area), with additional programming available on http://www.NBCSports.com and via mobile phones.
Hoops ratings gain
Just one look at Nielsen overnight ratings and you can tell that Cavaliers fans anticipated that the team would close out the Washington Wizards in Wednesday's game that FSN Ohio, WUAB (Channel 43) and TNT all carried. Ooops! The cumulative rating for all three stations was 16.1, meaning approximately 244,000 households tuned in. Take out TNT and FSN, and WUAB had a 10.3 (approximately 154,500 households), meaning that people in Northeast Ohio preferred listening to local angles and voices instead of TNT's talking heads.
Don't weep for Time Warner's sports-centric TV station, however. It is certainly not crying over its hoops scores — at least not this season.
The NBA Playoffs continue to bring it some noteworthy numbers when compared with last season, according to a news release. Overall, ratings are up more than 20 percent nationally and more than 20 percent in households. What's that mean? Next year, the channel will get to charge more for those car and beer ads you see during commercial breaks.
Why, the nerve
This is for you hockey fans out there who might be wondering — and there are a few of you — why Versus blacked out the Tuesday night game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers. It's those pesky, annoying blackout rules that all sports have. But this is strange because others in the area got the game. Something fishy's going on. I'll get back to the hockey fans in the area Tuesday on this one.
More bowling
Get this: the absurdity of the college football bowl season will expand later this year. ESPN Regional Television is partnering with St. Petersburg to bring us a game with the entirely original title — the St. Petersburg Bowl, which will pit a Big East team against a Conference USA squad. Joy. How do I contain my enthusiasm?
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
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