Silva: 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 NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
The United States swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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.
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Can this year's hat parade top last year's? Slideshow: Look back at the some of the fancy and wacky sombreros on display at last year's Kentucky Derby. more photos |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Skip Koepnick knows where his tax rebate is going — to a weekend of fun at Churchill Downs.
Koepnick attended his 32nd straight Kentucky Derby on Saturday, making the annual trip from Grand Rapids, Mich., with his girlfriend. He estimated they’ll spend about $500 on gas, lodging, tickets, wagers, food and drinks, all in the name of the Run for the Roses.
He said his government check was spent even before he received it. But he said it was worth every penny, calling the Derby a must-see event that’s “a piece of Americana.”
“We’re going to stimulize the Derby,” he said.
The payments, which are expected to reach 130 million households, range up to $600 for individuals and $1,200 for married couples, plus $300 per child for eligible parents.
Among the throngs of resplendent Derby hats, Koepnick’s was especially eye-catching. Koepnick, who calls himself “The Hat Man,” was wearing a decorated hard hat featuring two motorized horses that were rotating.
The crowds thronged to the Churchill Downs infield despite heavy rains Friday and early Saturday that turned spots into mire. The morning rain ended, giving way to a mix of white clouds and blue sky.
Cynthia Myers, of Cincinnati, was sipping a mint julep by midmorning on the edge of the third turn in the infield, her beige pants trickled with mud spots and her shoes filthy. She brought an extra pair of shoes, hoping to swap them if conditions improved.
“It’s never too early for a drink at the Derby,” said Myers, who was with her husband, Burt, and a group of friends. “The party starts well before the race.”
Harry Thomas, also from Cincinnati, was among fans waiting for the infield mudders to show.
“Hopefully a mud fight will bust out right here,” said Thomas, who along with his three sisters had staked out a grassy spot close to the mud.
Thomas said he was more interested in watching the people than the horses.
“It’s our own little Mardi Gras,” he said.
Churchill Downs rolled out a red carpet for VIP arrivals, among them Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Clinton and Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton; Playboy founder Hugh Hefner; and celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Flay’s wife, actress Stephanie March, had to hold onto her hat as the wind kicked up.
Around the paddock, where colorful hats and casual horse watchers mixed with serious handicappers, some Derby-goers dressed for the occasion.
Charles Matasich was making his 41st Derby, wearing the latest incarnation of his annual outfit. Matasich, of Proctorville, Ohio, who calls himself “Derby Man,” was wearing a hat covered in roses, with roses painted on his neck and cheeks and a vest covered in Kentucky Derby pins, some dating more than 20 years.
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“The whole outfit was just to protect me from the weather,” Matasich said. “I love everything about the Derby. I love seeing the horses.”
The Derby even produced a truce among some fans. Wes Lower, an Auburn graduate, attended the day of racing with Matthew Monk, a friend who graduated from Alabama.
“We don’t talk about football,” Monk said. “It’s for the horses today. If we start talking about football, there may be a fistfight.”
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.
Horse Racing on NBC |
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May 16: Preakness Stakes |
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Kentucky Derby videos |
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.
