Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
They call it the Derby trail for a reason. Each early-season 3-year-old stakes sends some horses down a fork leading to tougher competition, while others fall onto a path of lesser resistance. The Lecomte Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds sits far from the glittering final prize, the Kentucky Derby, but it starts sorting out prospects from pretenders.
The Lecomte is the last of six $100,000 stakes on the card, and caps an all-stakes pick six. Nine were entered in the one-mile Grade 3, but Star Guitar is out with an injury.
Of the other eight, Texas Fever and Blackberry Road showed the most at age 2. Texas Fever, winner of the Kentucky Cup Juvenile at Turfway, makes his dirt debut, and hasn't started since a sixth-place finish after an impossible trip in the Oct. 26 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. But Texas Fever has a dirt pedigree, and has turned in a series of sharp workouts for his 2008 debut. Trainer Mike Stidham proclaims Texas Fever fit for a strong effort.
"If he gets beat, it won't be because he isn't ready," Stidham said.
Blackberry Road was third behind Texas Fever over Polytrack in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile, but came back with a better second-place finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club, and appears to be a better horse on dirt. He has breezed steadily at Fair Grounds, while not working as fast as Texas Fever.
"We're hoping he can stay on the road," trainer David Carroll said.
Texas Fever should take up position stalking the pace from the rail. Blackberry Road dropped 14 lengths off the pace in the KJC, but Carroll said he thinks he can stay in touch with the pacesetters.
"I think he can get a little better position," said Carroll.
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"He's not a real fast work horse, but he's been doing well," trainer Dallas Stewart said. "He's very manageable. He'll stretch out."
Z Fortune is unbeaten in two starts, but takes a major class hike, having only beaten New York-breds so far. Z Fortune won at seven furlongs in his debut, but trainer Steve Asmussen, who also starts Star Defender, fears the Lecomte might be too short.
The first of three pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager begins its three-day run on Friday and the bet's opening scenario is very similar to each of its opening pools since the wager was created in 1999.
It's first time that Classic will be broadcast in primetime on Nov. 3.
DAILY RACING FORM |
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 | INTERACTIVE |
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 | Slideshow |
 | Derby celebs Plenty of stars from the entertainment and sports world attend the 136th Kentucky Derby. more photos |
| INTERACTIVE |
 | Triple Crown winners The horses that have won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont in the same year. |
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.
