http://www.mrisports.com/ en Copyright 2008 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:46:33 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Say thank you, Ichiro. You too, Fukudome. Without Hideo Nomo, you might not be where you are today. The aging right-hander retired at 39 Thursday, but not before blazing the trail for Japanese players to come play Major League Baseball, most with some success. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/say_thank_you_i.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/say_thank_you_i.html Baseball baseball Hideo Nomo Japan retirement Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:46:33 -0600 All along the wall, gunfire sounds. The men standing on the wall in their helmets are ready to charge when given the signal. The tension mounts as they look down the road leading to their posts. They see their target exit the corner and enter the road. In a flash, they jump to action. This isn’t a battle in some far away war; this is the life of a NASCAR pit crew. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/pit_wars.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/pit_wars.html NASCAR Crown Royal Doug Ingold Jamie McMurray Larry Carter NASCAR pits racing tires Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:34:00 -0600 the announcement that the super-horse will now run Saturday at Belmont in the Man O'War Stakes, a Grade I race. Curlin is apparently running the race drug-free after a tirade by his owner, Jess Jackson, put all trainers on notice that Curlin and other horses in the Jackson stable should not be given any enhancement. The 4-year-old should be the favorite in any race in which Jackson enters him for the rest of the year, including the long-term goal of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in October, in France. Unfortunately, an entry in the Arc will lessen the chance that Curlin will enter the Breeder's Cup Classic, which runs only 20 days later. Big Brown would have been a likely opponent in that race.]]> http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/curlin_now_ster.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/curlin_now_ster.html Horse Racing Arlington Park Belmont Big Brown Curlin horse racing Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:42:21 -0600 “The Arlington Million is one of several possibilities we are now taking under consideration,” trainer Dallas Stewart said Saturday afternoon while speaking over the phone from his Kentucky base of operations. Should Silverfoot win the Million, he would become the third horse eight years or older to take home the prize in the 26 year history of the race. The winner of the Arlington Million also qualifies for an automatic entry in the Breeders' Cup Turf race, held on October 25th.]]> http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/silverfoot_to_r.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/silverfoot_to_r.html Horse Racing Arlington Million horse racing Silverfoot Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:41:48 -0600 It is tough being the old man in the race. But sometimes, experience pays off, especially when you have a jockey with the winning touch on your back. Such was the case Friday afternoon as the 8-year-old Silverfoot came from last place to win the 77th running of the Stars and Stripes Handicap, a Grade III stakes race at Arlington Park. The gelding was ridden to the victory by Rene Douglas who won his sixth stakes race of the season. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/silverfoot_shin.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/silverfoot_shin.html Horse Racing Arlington Park Canela horse racing Lattice Rumor Has It Silverfoot Stars and Stripes Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:00:00 -0600

The French filly Instrumentale was a late scratch from the sixth race when she bucked her rider and took off on her own around the back stretch of the track. The horse was ultimately corralled in a corner of the front stretch where she attempted to jump the rail, but only made it half way over before pulling back onto the track. She was run down by a handler horse without further incident and was reported in good condition.

Jockey Rene Douglas, who took home the win in the Stars and Stripes Handicap, won three of the ten races on the afternoon.

Owner Frank Calabrese scored one win in two starts on Friday. The owner has won nearly 50 percent of his starts this season. Through June 28, he had 35 wins in 72 starts and had finished in the money nearly 80 percent of the time.

In Thursday’s action, Irish jockey James Graham rode winners in both halves of the Daily Double at Arlington. He was joined in a two-win afternoon by Rene Douglas and E. T. Baird.

]]> http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/racing_notebook.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/07/racing_notebook.html Horse Racing Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:59:00 -0600 magazine has arrived in book stores. I purchased mine yesterday and will be using it as an important part of my previes on the season, coming soon. Until then, go get your own.]]> http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/06/its_here.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/06/its_here.html Football Wed, 11 Jun 2008 11:07:55 -0600 So it’s Belmont time, and there’s Triple Crown talk around Big Brown. But in the past decade there have been several trips to Belmont with a chance at such esteemed history on the line, only for it to result in a day that puts history on the shelf. So why will this Saturday be different? http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/06/big_brown_attem.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/06/big_brown_attem.html Horse Racing Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:08:38 -0600 This Saturday, the Preakness Stakes will run in attempt for horse racing to focus on positives and success, rather than the tragedy at the Derby. And those that get my normal Derby updates (posted below in hindsight for that didn’t see it 2 weeks ago), you know I post this for entertainment purposes without any specific wagering recommendations. But with Friday’s scratch of Behindatthebar I’ve adjusted my thoughts and it looks very likely that New York and Belmont Park will soon see a run at Triple Crown history. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/05/big_browns_2nd.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/05/big_browns_2nd.html Horse Racing Fri, 16 May 2008 13:04:36 -0600 As if the happenings of another Presidential Election year couldn’t remind us enough, this past week the sporting world help demonstrate just how much many people in this country can use a loud voice to divide and blame rather than work together to work on real change. Last Saturday, the 2008 Kentucky Derby saw both an amazing and tragic performance – unfortunately from the same horse. While winner Big Brown saw an exceptional performance, his victory was overshadowed by the strong place (2nd) finish of Eight Belles and her subsequent death after breaking both her front ankles on the cooldown. What followed in the national press the following couple days was a barrage of misinformation and hype that misused the opportunity to move the horse racing industry on a continued train of horse safety improvement. The ‘accuse now, find out the reality later’ mentality left innocent people in the crossfire for no legitimate reason. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/05/tragedy_at_the.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/05/tragedy_at_the.html Horse Racing Tue, 13 May 2008 08:00:00 -0600 If you want changes, well, I am sorry to disappoint you. The top five teams are the same five teams as last week. Only this week, they decided they didn't like where they were the week before and shake things up a bit. North Carolina returns to the top spot thanks to a Kansas loss and a big win over Virginia Tech. The Tarheels cross the 200 point MRI threshold, which should have them gunning for a #1 seed in March. Kansas falls to #2 thanks to its loss. Staying in the #3 spot is Memphis. The Tigers briefly moved into the top spot earlier in the week amidst the shuffling, but a couple of close wins have them back in their old familiar location. Moving back into the #4 hole is UCLA, thanks to a Duke loss, only its second of the season. The Dukies are #5 after quietly being the last team other than Memphis to lose its second game. Check out all the rankings in Week 12 of the MRI. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/02/mri_2007_week_1_3.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/02/mri_2007_week_1_3.html Basketball Rankings basketball college basketball Duke Kansas Memphis North Carolina rankings UCLA Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:29:05 -0600 For anyone that thinks being undefeated should get you to the #1 spot in any poll, I contend you are mistaken. Kansas and North Carolina, with three losses between them, currently have a stranglehold on that top spot. This week, Kansas returns to the top after another loss by North Carolina, this one to rival Duke. All this shuffling has allowed undefeated Memphis to close the gap between itself and the leaders, but not overtake them. Behind them, still trails Duke and UCLA, but a fairly large gap remains between the top three and the rest of the pack. Check out all the rankings in Week 11 of the MRI. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/02/mri_2007_week_1_2.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/02/mri_2007_week_1_2.html Basketball Rankings basketball college basketball Duke Kansas Memphis North Carolina UCLA Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:15:14 -0600 Perhaps I was wrong. Kansas State pulls a historic shocking upset of the Kansas Jayhawks to knock the high-flying birds from the top spot in the MRI. In their place, it is North Carolina, who rolled with another two strong wins. However, the story of the week might be UCLA which pounced back into the #4 spot in the MRI, just behind the lone undefeated in Division 1, Memphis. Rounding out the top five, is not Xavier. It is Duke, who is quietly hanging in there without a big man and with only a single loss on the year. The biggest test becomes a game with the #1 North Carolina Tarheels in the coming week. Check out all the rankings in week 10 of the MRI. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/02/mri_2007_week_1_1.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/02/mri_2007_week_1_1.html Basketball Rankings basketball college college basketball Duke Kansas Memphis North Carolina UCLA Mon, 04 Feb 2008 15:55:56 -0600 If you thought that Xavier was out of it, you might have been mistaken. The Musketeers have come through to pass UCLA for the #4 spot once again. But don't think the same thing happened for the #1 spot. Kansas extended its lead on the top spot. With much of the season gone, it will become harder for anyone to catch them, especially when the disadvantage to Kansas for losing a game will not be as harsh as the season rolls on. And Kansas almost had the biggest gain for the second week in a row. North Carolina stays in second place with Memphis still filling in the #3 hole. UCLA slips but stays in the #5 slot. Check out all the rankings in week 9 of the MRI. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/01/mri_2007_week_9.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/01/mri_2007_week_9.html Basketball Rankings basketball college college basketball computer rankings Kansas Memphis North Carolina rankings UCLA Xavier Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:50:33 -0600 Ch-ch-ch-changes! Kansas takes the #1 spot in the MRI because of North Carolina's first loss of the season to Maryland. It shouldn't come as any surprise then that the Jayhawks also had the largest gain of the week to pull into that lead. North Carolina only drops to #2, followed by consistent #3 Memphis. However, look out for UCLA who has now moved into the #4 spot, although a clear fourth behind the leaders as they sit right now. The loser in all this? Xavier. That was to be expected after a shocking loss to Temple. And this wasn't a slim margin, but 19 points to the Owls, who are 118th in the latest MRI. Check out all the rankings in Week 8 of the MRI. http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/01/mri2007_week_8.html http://www.mrisports.com/archives/2008/01/mri2007_week_8.html Basketball Rankings basketball college computer rankings Kansas Memphis North Carolina rankings UCLA Xavier Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:19:33 -0600