Sports Quote of the Day:
“Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.”
~ Mike Singletary, HOF Chicago Bears Linebacker and NFL CoachHow 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Chicago, do we have a problem? I don't think so. Hawks will win the series, I just don't know if it will be six or seven games. Red Wings top Blackhawks 3-1, take 2-1 series lead.
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Dwyane Wade's rookie season ended with a playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. The next year, the Miami Heat were headed to the Eastern Conference finals and certain that an NBA championship was in their sights.
That's when Wade learned a valuable lesson: Never take playoff chances for granted.
Wade hurt his rib cage on a simple crossover dribble during that 2005 East title series, and the Heat season ended with a Game 7 home loss to Detroit. He's been to the East finals three times since, prevailing in them all, and on Wednesday will look to take a first step toward a fourth conference championship when the Heat play host to the Pacers in Game 1 of their playoff rematch from a year ago.
''I know I'm blessed to be going to the Eastern Conference finals for my fifth time,'' Wade said. ''But I would like a lot more in my career. It's a good thing. We've been very successful in my tenure here. But I want more.''
For Wade and Udonis Haslem, this marks five East finals appearances in nine years.
For LeBron James, it's a fifth trip to this round in the past seven years, now three straight with Miami after a pair of trips to the East finals with Cleveland. For Ray Allen, it's a fourth East title-round trip in six years, the first three of those coming with Boston.
Experience, it all favors Miami.
For the Pacers, this is pretty much uncharted waters. Only one current Pacers player has ever appeared in a conference-final game, and that was backup big man Ian Mahinmi, who played exactly 71 seconds in one game of the 2011 West title series without so much as taking a shot. Nonetheless, the Pacers seem far from bothered by the fact that this stage is a new place for them.
''There's four teams left playing basketball in the NBA and this is something we've been looking forward to all year,'' Pacers forward David West said. ''We lost to this team in the second round last year, so we've already gotten a step farther this season.''
Indiana took Miami to six games last season, leading the series 2-1 at one point, and left an impact on the Heat with words, actions and play. The series was always physical, at times bloody, and it took some superb efforts by Wade and James for Miami - which was without Chris Bosh for 5 1/2 of those six games - to put the Pacers away.
It's not in the nature of either of these teams to back down from physicality, and tough play will almost certainly be a theme in this series. But if there's one thing the Pacers and Heat agree upon, it's that this series will be decided by execution, not intimidation.
''I think this will be about substance,'' Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. ''This series has plenty to offer without hard fouls and trash-talking. It's going to be about basketball.''
The Heat are overwhelming favorites, at least according to the Las Vegas oddsmakers, who apparently aren't putting much stock in that it was the Pacers who prevailed in two of the three meetings between the teams this season.
In turn, the Heat aren't putting much stock in expectations. Even though it's starting to seem like an annual event, getting to the conference final round, Heat players insist that it's still as big a deal now as it ever was.
''It's an opportunity for me to continue my dream and that's to compete for a championship,'' said James, the league's reigning MVP for the second straight year and fourth time overall. ''I'm happy that I'm in the position I'm in, with great teammates and a great organization. I've just got to do my part.''
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was an assistant on that team - Shaquille O'Neal's initial season in Miami - that fully expected to be Finals-bound in 2005.
Then Wade got hurt, and everything changed.
''I let myself get too far ahead,'' Wade said. ''I was thinking, 'Championship, we're on our way.' I was riding the wave. It was awesome. Then it smacked me - Pow! - and it just takes one moment to change. Stupid. All I did was crossover. Did a stupid crossover pullup, I don't know what happened and it changed everything for us.
That's when you learn, you don't know what's going to happen.''
Wade isn't 100 percent this time around either, though has said in recent days that his bruised right knee is good enough for him to play. He doesn't even plan on missing any more practice time this season.
The Pacers have some mild injury concerns as well, with West dealing with an injury to his lower right leg and 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert needing a tape job on his right thumb after a hit in practice earlier this week. They're both expected to play Wednesday.
''I think it will be a good series,'' Pacers forward Paul George said. ''Obviously, we remember what happened last year and it will be on our mind when we face this team. We're not just happy to get to this stage, we want to get past this one, too.''
George has deservedly earned high marks this season for his offensive growth. The Pacers' hopes in this series might hinge upon his defense.
He went from guarding Carmelo Anthony in the second round to knowing that he'll be facing off plenty in this series against James - who Vogel called ''the best player, the best offensive player in the world.''
''He has to do the same kind of thing he did on Carmelo,'' Vogel said of George. ''He has to come out and compete the best he can and do it without fouling.''
James told teammates on Tuesday that he's raring to go, especially so since the Heat haven't played in about a week. He was working after practice on his floating jumpers, something he employed against the massiveness of Hibbert last season and a trick he won't be afraid to pull out and use again in this series.
''It's been go time,'' James said. ''Since the playoffs started, it's been go time. And I love the way we've been playing so far.''
Source: NFL teams implementing medical records system for protection from undisclosed injuries.
By Jason Cole
As the Houston Texans are left to wonder what they were or weren't told by safety Ed Reed about a hip injury that required surgery earlier this offseason, the NFL is taking a huge step toward eliminating such questions.
Eight teams, including the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers, are participating in the first stage of what the league calls "electronic medical records" reporting starting this offseason. EMR will be a comprehensive database for information on player injuries that a league source said will help eliminate troubling disclosures after an acquisition such as the one brought up in the Reed case.
All 32 teams are expected to use the database by 2014.
"What you should have in this system is a way for any team interested in signing a player – with player permission – a chance to access his records so there aren't disclosure issues," the league source said.
However, there are those on the player side who believe this will only cause athletes to be less trustful of teams' medical evaluation systems and less likely to report injuries in the first place.
The NFL Players Association has declined to discuss the EMR system.
At issue is a change in the way player medical history is reported. Under the collective bargaining agreement that began in 2011, the onus is on players to report any and all medical information. If a player doesn't give a full history, teams have grounds to hold a grievance against the player for some or all of the money.
Prior to the latest version of the CBA, the onus was on teams to get the information. If the team discovered after signing a player that there was an unknown problem, that was a problem for the team to deal with and it had to honor the contract.
The Reed case is an example of the difference. Reed, 34, had arthroscopic surgery earlier this month to repair a labral tear in his hip. Reed signed a three-year, $15 million contract, including $5 million guaranteed, with Houston this offseason after playing his entire career with Baltimore. If Reed had problems with that hip and didn't disclose the problem, the Texans could fight for some or all of the $5 million.
The Texans didn't immediately respond with comment, but Reed was the team's biggest acquisition of the offseason. Owner Robert McNair said earlier this month that the surgery wasn't considered serious and Reed is expected to return for training camp.
Currently, the Miami Dolphins and former offensive lineman Artis Hicks are in the midst of a reported $1.2 million injury grievance over this exact issue. The Dolphins maintain that Hicks, who was put on injured reserve in September and never played a game for Miami, failed to disclose information about a neck injury from earlier in his 10-year career.
"He had an MRI on his neck and the result came back negative, there was no damage," agent Peter Schaffer said. "If the result of the test was negative, why should he have to report it?"
More so than deciding responsibility in regards to injury disclosure or discovery, Schaffer said the bigger problem is the time required to settle grievances. He said he expects the Hicks case, like most, to take nearly 18 months to be resolved.
"In most cases, you have a young player who doesn't have any money, he's hurt and the team says, ‘You can take a $100,000 [settlement terms] now or wait for 18 months to see if you get $300,000 or $400,000 [contract money],' " Schaffer said. "In almost every case, the player is going to take the money now. … It's a really bad system where there's no penalty on the team for filing a grievance. They don't have to pay interest on the money. They don't have to pay legal fees. They don't have to pay a penalty if they're wrong. Why should they pay at all?"
As for EMR, Schaffer said it's largely irrelevant.
"It's a system for the lazy teams," he said. "The good teams are going to find out about injuries. The good teams do their homework. They find out what's wrong, they make the phone calls. They know. This is for the teams that don't want to do the work."
As for Hicks, the Dolphins declined to discuss the case. However, Miami has been in this situation before.
In 2001, the team drafted quarterback Josh Heupel in the sixth round out of Oklahoma. Prior to the draft, the team claimed, Heupel did not disclose a wrist injury he had suffered in college. That included Heupel going to a doctor under an assumed name and paying for his visit in cash, the team eventually claimed in the grievance.
Heupel, who never played for the Dolphins and is currently Oklahoma's offensive coordinator, could not be reached for comment.
"Tracking [injury] information is incredibly difficult," a Dolphins source said. "Even if you have permission from the player to get medical information from another team, it can be very hard to get exactly what you need to make a proper evaluation."
EMR is designed to eliminate all of that. The system has been designed with multiple firewalls and different access levels, a league source said.
"For example, you have ways that people can input some information, but not see any other information," the source said. "Say you have a therapist who does some rehabilitative work on a player. He or she will have access to put in the information on what treatment was given. You may have a doctor who saw the player for a shoulder injury. That doctor can get access to a certain amount of information pertaining to the shoulder injury or whatever the players allows them to see, but that's it.
"This has been very thoroughly designed and researched to protect players and teams."
The league also believes this will be a useful tool for players who are seeking post-career treatment or filing for disability claims.
Again, some agents scoff at that.
"The NFL isn't doing anything to help a player with his disability claim. Don't fool yourself," the aforementioned agent said.
Garcia will shake Woods' hand next time feuding pair meet.
By Tony Jimenez | Reuters
Sergio Garcia, Tiger Woods — Getty Images
Sergio Garcia's feud with Tiger Woods will not stop him shaking hands with the world number one the next time they are drawn together in a tournament, the Spaniard said on Tuesday.
Garcia blamed a roar from the crowd watching the 14-times major winner for an errant shot when the two men featured in the same group at the Players Championship in Florida two weeks ago.
The gallery erupted during the Spaniard's backswing upon seeing Woods reach for his five-wood for a daring escape from a tee shot deep into the trees.
Garcia acknowledged the two men were not friends when he spoke to reporters ahead of this week's European Tour flagship event, the PGA Championship at Wentworth.
"You can't like everybody," he explained. "There are people you connect with and people you don't and it's pretty much as simple as that.
"He doesn't need me in his life, I don't need him in my life ... but it doesn't mean I can't play with him."
Asked if there would be a handshake the next time Garcia and Woods played together, he replied: "Of course. It is what it is and that's fine but it doesn't mean I can't play with him.
"There has never really been a true connection like I have with Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Adam Scott or some of the other guys I get along well with.
"When I'm playing with someone who's company I enjoy there is a bit more talking.
When you're playing with someone you don't fancy as much you're just a little bit quiet."
Garcia was rather more forthcoming about their relationship than Woods was 24 hours earlier.
Asked by a reporter on Monday if he planned to take the heat out of the issue by phoning the Spaniard, Woods replied: "No".
Garcia was right in the title hunt at the Players Championship until he sent two tee shots splashing into the water surrounding the island green at the 17th hole in the final round.
The world number 14's victory hopes were sunk by a quadruple-bogey seven but he said he had no regrets.
"Don't get me wrong, there's no doubt I had a great possibility of winning The Players for the second time and I was a little bit disappointed with the actual outcome," he added.
"But, at the same time, I was happy knowing the way I played, the way I kind of handled myself. I didn't hit that bad a first shot - it was just a little bit too soft.
"I was trying to win the tournament and I thought if I had the possibility of birdying a hole, the 17th was easier than the 18th," added Garcia.
"That's why I tried to hit it somewhere close to the pin. Overall though it was a great week and that's what I try to take away from it."
Garcia said he was looking forward to playing in the PGA Championship for the first time in 13 years.
"There is an amazing group of players here this week and I'm very excited about it," he added, referring to the fact that 11 members of Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup team are going to be in action at Wentworth.
"I just wanted to make an extra effort to be sure I could make it and it fits nicely into my schedule."
USGA, R&A announce ban of anchored putters starting in 2016.
By Jay Busbee
Last month, Adam Scott won The Masters with some of the most dramatic putting in golf history. And after Jan. 1, 2016, he won't be able to duplicate the feat.
The USGA and the R&A, golf's two governing bodies, have ruled that anchoring a club, as Scott and many others do in putting, will be illegal as of Jan. 1, 2016. Rule 14-1b now bans the anchoring of long putters and belly putters against the body.
The governing bodies have prepared documentation explaining, in their words, "why freely swinging the entire club is the essence of the traditional method of stroke, and why anchoring is a substantially different form of stroke that may alter and diminish the fundamental challenges of the game." The full report is available right here.
It's worth noting that the rule will not actually ban long putters, but rather the practice of anchoring them against the body. Also worth noting: four of the last six majors have been won by players using a belly putter. In addition to Scott, Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship), Webb Simpson (2012 U.S. Open) and Ernie Els (2012 British Open) also anchored their putters, making for a handy little Anchor Slam.
Those players and others now have nearly three years to figure out a new putting stroke.
Both agencies sought to ensure that there are no asterisks surrounding those wins, however. "This Rule change addresses the future and not the past," said David Rickman, Executive Director of Rules and Equipment Standards at The R&A.
"Everyone who has used an anchored stroke in the past, or who does so between now and January 1, 2016, will have played entirely within the Rules and their achievements will in no way be diminished."
For the detail-minded among you, the new rule is as follows:
14-1b Anchoring the Club
In making a stroke, the player must not anchor the club, either “directly” or by use of an “anchor point.”
Note 1: The club is anchored “directly” when the player intentionally holds the club or a gripping hand in contact with any part of his body, except that the player may hold the club or a gripping hand against a hand or forearm.
Note 2: An “anchor point” exists when the player intentionally holds a forearm in contact with any part of his body to establish a gripping hand as a stable point around which the other hand may swing the club.Danica Patrick's Benefit to NASCAR Proven by Fan Vote.
By Matt Fitzgerald
COMMENTARY | After the Sprint All-Star Race fan vote on Saturday, it is evident that the fans want to see more of Danica Patrick. This is just the most recent example of how Danica is a great thing for NASCAR.
Danica beat out a list of many great drivers with an even longer list of accomplishments between them. Even though her only real accomplishment thus far in the season was earning the pole at the season-opening Daytona 500, the fans seem to want to get as much of her as they can.
Many people have said they don't particularly agree with Danica getting so much attention from the media when she has not even been a factor in the last 10 races this season. This fan vote explains it perfectly -- the fans want to see her race and know where she is running at any given point in the race. The issue has become so big that Mike Joy even made sure to mention it during the All-Star Race coverage, saying that if she won the vote it explains why she gets all the attention she does.
It's clear that it's obviously not going to be Danica's time in NASCAR anytime soon, but she is also clearly bringing a whole new view and life to the sport that wasn't there before her appearance. A new group of fans have surfaced along with a new fire amongst the die-hard fans that have been around for years.
Just looking at what is being said about Danica all over the Internet, shows the great divide that has formed since she came into NASCAR and actually started making some sort of impact. It seems that either you love her or you hate her but no matter what, you have an opinion on her. This is inherently great for the sport as a whole.
The closest comparison to Danica's impact on NASCAR is that of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Everyone either loves him or loves to hates him -- and many of the same things that have been said about Danica have been said about Earnhardt as well.
Many people say that he has just been living off of his father's name with very few good results to show his true belonging until fairly recently when he has started to put together more consistent runs throughout the season. This is the area that Danica may soon find herself in when she begins to get to a point that she can actually race with the big boys week to week.
People may say that Danica does not deserve all the attention she is getting, but they are giving her just as much attention by saying that she doesn't deserve it every chance that they get. This is a perfect example of how she is so great for this sport.
Every week people are tuning in not only to see who wins and where his or her driver finished, but also to see just how good or bad Danica finished, depending on your thoughts about her.
I have previously said that I don't think Danica should be in Sprint Cup this year with how little experience she really has in a stock car and that she is actually holding back Stewart-Haas Racing this season. The fact that she has such a huge backing and history leading up to her time in NASCAR benefits the sport greatly, though.
One thing that is evident thus far this season is that Danica is slowly figuring out the new car and ways of driving since moving into this new environment. As her abilities develop to the levels where she can start competing within races, her benefit to the sport will just become larger and larger. The better she performs, the more that divide with truly grow as people's various opinions of her as a driver will just escalate to astronomical levels.
Manchester City and Yankees launch new MLS team.
By Simon Evans | Reuters
Manchester City and the New York Yankees have formed a new Major League Soccer team to play in New York City from 2015, the organizations said on Tuesday.
English Premier League club Manchester City, owned by Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi, will be the majority partner in New York City Football Club with the Yankees, the biggest name in baseball, an "active member of the ownership group".
"This is another big day for soccer in America," MLS commissioner Don Garber told Reuters.
"We have worked for quite some time on trying to finalize a deal to bring the 20th MLS team to New York City. Two of the biggest, most prestigious and clearly most respected sports organizations in the world are joining together to own this team," he added.
The 'franchise fee' for the new club is around $100 million.
The new club will face a local rival in the New York Red Bulls who play in Harrison, New Jersey and are owned by Austrian energy drink firm Red Bull.
Garber said MLS viewed a new top-flight team in New York City itself as a "transformational" moment for the league.
"This is a big market and represents over 19 million people," he said.
"I think it will be transformational for MLS and for soccer in America. This country is rapidly becoming a very powerful and passionate soccer nation and it is our view that bringing together these two organizations will allow us to continue that tremendous momentum and bring it arguably to the most important city in the entire world," he added.
"VERY, VERY RECENTLY"
Manchester City, who won the Premier League in the 2011/12 season, hope that the Yankees will allow them to tap into expertise in reaching sports fans in New York.
"This is the best of both worlds - we believe we know how to manage a soccer club and the Yankees are a top sports organization in the world and are true New Yorkers," Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano told Reuters.
"We have a long term plan for soccer in New York and there couldn't be a better partner," he said.
While City have been working on the details of an MLS franchise for nine months, Yankees president Randy Levine said his organization only joined the process "very, very recently".
"We are really excited. George Steinbrenner, the boss, and the Steinbrenner family, (owners) Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, have long been soccer fans," Levine told Reuters.
"This is a phenomenal opportunity for us, in our home market, to partner with Manchester City, one of the great organizations in the world," he added.
The new team will play at a temporary home in 2015 while efforts to find and build a new stadium are completed.
MLS has already begun discussions with the City of New York about the possibility of constructing a new stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens but other options will also now be looked at.
"I don't think there have been any setbacks (with Flushing Meadows) and I think clearly that is an option," said Levine.
"We just got into this and we are going to sit down with our partners and the commissioner and get the lay of the land and review and see what is the best alternative. This is just to see what are the best available options," he added.
As well as the Red Bulls in New Jersey, the other professional team in the New York area is the re-formed New York Cosmos who will join the second tier North American Soccer League later this year.
Retired former England midfielder David Beckham, who played for Los Angeles Galaxy, is in talks with MLS regarding an option he has to create a new MLS team but his deal with the league explicitly ruled out New York City as a possible location for such an 'expansion franchise'.
Thunder star Kevin Durant makes $1M tornado pledge.
By
Oklahoma City isn't just a place where Thunder star Kevin Durant lives these days. It's home.
So as he watched the horrifying images Monday as a tornado ripped through suburban Moore, the emotions came bubbling to the surface and so did the need to help. Durant pledged $1 million for tornado relief through his foundation on Tuesday, eager to help a devastated area begin to rebuild.
''As the day went on and I saw the footage and the casualties and the houses being blown away, it was tough to see,'' said Durant, who was in Minneapolis to watch longtime friend Monica Wright play a preseason game for the Minnesota Lynx. ''I call Oklahoma City my home. I go through Moore all the time. It's unfortunate. We're going to come together as a city like we always do and we're going to bounce back.''
Durant has been in Oklahoma City for five years now, ever since the Seattle SuperSonics moved there in 2008. He's become a fixture in the community, in addition to establishing himself as one of the very best players in the NBA. He said he was hoping to return home Wednesday to try and lift the spirits of an area reeling from the deaths of some two dozen people, including children.
''Just to get to the hospital, see some kids,'' Durant said. ''Something. Just something to give some hope. Playing for the Thunder, we mean so much to the state. So many people support us and I just want to go back and support those people.''
The American Red Cross said the gift from Durant's foundation is meant to match other donations and be an incentive for more people to give. The Thunder also announced a $1 million donation, as did the NBA and players' union.
''Our hearts go out to all those affected by the devastation that has occurred within our community this week,'' Thunder chairman Clay Bennett said in a statement issued by the team. ''We are focusing Thunder resources to help where we can in the relief efforts and to support the organizations that are on the ground assisting those affected by this week's storms. Even with so much loss, the strength and resiliency of this community have once again been on display, and we will continue to work together as our community and state recover from this disaster.''
When Durant initially heard reports of a tornado near Oklahoma City, he didn't pay them much mind. A veteran of the area now, he knows twisters can be a regular occurrence this time of year. It quickly became apparent that this one was different, and Durant could barely watch it all unfold.
''It hit so close to home,'' he said. ''It was tough to see.''
And it made the Thunder's early exit from the playoffs sting that much more. With Russell Westbrook out because of a knee injury, the Thunder were beaten by the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference semifinals, a disappointing finish for a team that advanced to the NBA Finals a year ago.
''I wish I could've done a better job for my team to stay in the playoffs because of course basketball and sporting events bring everyone together,'' Durant said. ''It takes your mind off it for a few hours.''
The Thunder boast one of the most loyal and passionate fan bases in the league. Durant averaged 30.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in the playoffs, but the rest of his teammates struggled to step up and fill Westbrook's void.
''There's some part of me wishing I could've played better for my team to stay in the playoffs,'' Durant said. ''Hopefully they get back on their feet. It's so tough. Praying for the families. I'm feeling for them.''
NBA draft order.
By The Sports Xchange
Selection order for the 2013 NBA draft, which will be held at Barclays Center in New York on June 27.
FIRST ROUND
1. Cleveland
2. Orlando
3. Washington
4. Charlotte
5. Phoenix
6. New Orleans
7. Sacramento
8. Detroit
9. Minnesota
10. Portland
11. Philadelphia
12. Toronto (To Oklahoma City via Houston)
13. Dallas
14. Utah
15. Milwaukee
16. Boston
17. Atlanta
18. Houston (To Atlanta via Brooklyn)
19. L.A. Lakers (To Cleveland)
20. Chicago
21. Golden State (To Utah via Brooklyn)
22. Brooklyn
23. Indiana
24. New York
25. L.A. Clippers
26. Memphis (To Minnesota via Houston)
27. Denver
28. San Antonio
29. Oklahoma City
30. Miami (To Phoenix via L.A. Lakers & Cleveland)
SECOND ROUND
31. Orlando (To Cleveland)
32. Charlotte (To Oklahoma City)
33. Cleveland
34. Phoenix (To Houston)
35. New Orleans (To Philadelphia)
36. Sacramento
37. Detroit
38 Washington
39. Minnesota (To Portland via Boston and Cleveland)
40. Portland
41. Toronto (To Memphis)
42. Philadelphia
43. Milwaukee
44. Dallas (a)
45. Boston (To Portland)
46. Utah
47. Atlanta
48. L.A. Lakers(b)
49. Chicago
50. Houston (To Atlanta)
51. Golden State (To Orlando via Denver and New York)
52. Brooklyn (To Minnesota)
53. Indiana
54. New York (To Washington)
55. Memphis
56. L.A. Clippers (To Detroit)
57. Denver (To Phoenix via L.A. Lakers)
58. San Antonio
59. Oklahoma City (To Minnesota)
60. Miami (To Memphis)
(a) This pick may be conveyed to the L.A. Lakers.
(b) This pick may be conveyed to Dallas.
Baseball results, Tuesday, 05/22/2013.
Reuters
Results from the MLB games on Tuesday (home team in CAPS).
BALTIMORE 3 NY Yankees 2 (10 innings)
Detroit 5 CLEVELAND 1
PITTSBURGH 5 Chicago Cubs 4
Tampa Bay 4 TORONTO 3
ATLANTA 5 Minnesota 4 (10 innings)
Cincinnati 4 NY METS 0
Philadelphia 7 MIAMI 3
Oakland 1 TEXAS 0
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 3 Boston 1
MILWAUKEE 5 LA Dodgers 2
Kansas City 7 HOUSTON 3
COLORADO 5 Arizona 4 (10 innings)
LA ANGELS 12 Seattle 0
St. Louis 10 SAN DIEGO 2
SAN FRANCISCO 4 Washington 2 (10 innings)
Field set for 97th running of Indianapolis 500.
By Laurence Master
It’s been six years since an American has claimed victory at the Indianapolis 500. Back in 2006, Team Penske’s Sam Hornish Jr. beat Marco Andretti to the checkered flag by .0635 of a second in the second-closest finish in Indy history. Since then, two Brits (Dario Franchitti – 2007, 2010, 2012; the late Dan Wheldon – 2011), a New Zealander (Scott Dixon – 2008), and a Brazilian (Helio Castroneves – 2009) have drank the milk at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
But in 2013, the Stars and Stripes may be flying high once more. There are 11 American drivers in the field of 33 for this year’s Greatest Spectacle in Racing, and four of them – including pole sitter and Indianapolis native Ed Carpenter (pictured) – are within the first three rows of the grid.
Time to start thinking about golfing in Chicago; a true hidden gem of diverse courses.
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