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Thursday, May 17, 2012

This Week in Sports: May 17, 2012

There were certainly a lot of sporting events on the air this week, but this was kind of an in between week in the major sports.  So, I'll keep this post brief.

The Week That Was:

NHL:  On Saturday night, the New York Rangers won their Game 7 showdown against the Washington Capitals.  That set up a Hudson River showdown for the Eastern Conference Finals.  After the first two games in Madison Square Garden, the series is tied at 1-1.  In the West, the Los Angeles Kings have continued their remarkable tear through the playoffs.  They won both games on the Phoenix Coyotes' home ice to take a commanding 2-0 lead heading home to LA.  Then the Kings won Game 3 at home on Thursday to go up 3-0 in the series.

NBA:  In the Eastern Conference, the handwriting was on the wall early for all the first round series.  The Heat advanced past the Knicks in five games.  The Pacers ran through the Magic in five games.  The Sixers eliminated the ailing Bulls in six games.  And, the Celtics finished the Hawks off in six, as well.  The Western Conference was far more dramatic.  The Spurs and the Thunder swept their first round series.  But, the other two series went down to the wire.  The Denver Nuggets pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to the limit.  But, Kobe and company ultimately prevailed in Game 7 at home.  The Lakers advanced to meet the Thunder.  Perhaps the most interesting series of the opening round was played between the Clippers and the Grizzlies.  The Clippers went up 3-1 to start the series.  The Grizzlies won Game 5.  No surprise there.  Then the Grizzlies won Game 6 at LA and came home to Memphis for Game 7.  But, Chris Paul willed the Clippers to victory on the road.  The Clippers advanced to play the Spurs.

Mixed Bag:  In NASCAR news, Jimmie Johnson won at Darlington.  This marked the 200th win for Hendrick Motor Sports.  In golf, Matt Kuchar won the prestigious Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.  


The Week Ahead:  The NHL and the NBA are in the early stages of their series.  NASCAR is holding it's all star race ... a non points event.  So. this week I will focus on horse racing.

Kegasus.  Mascot of the infield at the Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes:  On Saturday, the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes will take place at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD.  The Preakness is the second jewel in the Triple Crown.  If the Kentucky is a tribute to American royalty, the Preakness is a tribute to middle class American excess.  The Preakness prides itself on having an infield atmosphere that rivals that of Talladega.  Thus, Kegasus will be back again this year as the mascot of the event.  But, on the track, I'll Have Another looks to keep his Triple Crown hopes alive after his upset win at the Derby.  But, Pimlico is a shorter circuit than Churchill Downs.  Thus, Wild Banshee predicts that the favored Bodemeister will win the race.  The Preakness will air on NBC on Saturday at 4:30.

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