When the NBA playoff schedule came out I knew the San Antonio Spurs would be tough to beat, but the way they're playing right now I don't see any team possessing the talent and teamwork to beat them four games out of seven.

The Spurs aren't going to let up anytime soon either, and they will continue to make quick work of the Clippers while they wait for the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder to duke it out in the other Western Conference series.

There is still one game to be won in their current series, but there isn't a chance the Clippers will somehow come back to take this series from them.

Heck, they gave them their best shot at the beginning of Game 3, going up by as many as 24 points. That wasn't enough to garner them a victory, though, and the Spurs ended up winning by 10 points due to a ferocious third quarter in which they outscored the Clippers 26-8. 

The Clippers don't have a single player on their roster at any position better than who the Spurs put out on the floor every night.

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The 2012 WWE Over the Limit event is not going to deliver on every match, but there are few that will be so gut-busting, head-pounding exciting that it will all be worth it. 

There will be the expected unexpected twist and turns and some great wrestling, and at least one appearance by by a big name that is not on the schedule. Here is what I'm looking forward to the most:

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Sheamus vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton 

This match is going to be a blast.

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Game 4 between the Heat and the Pacers will get underway Sunday evening. Unless the Miami Heat make the necessary changes, they will face a two-game deficit when they come back to Miami for Game 5.

The Indiana Pacers have played better defense, have been more physical and just seem to want it more. They are not intimidated by the Heat's star power in the slightest.

Indiana must continue its playing style if the team wants to emerge victorious against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the Heat squad.

Let's take a look at Indiana's physical play and how it is impacting this series.

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I'll Have Another has essentially become the rock star of horses with his back-to-back wins at the 2012 Kentucky Derby and 2012 Preakness Stakes, and he deserves all the hype that comes along with being a Triple Crown contender.

You'll hear it a million times from a million different people in the days and weeks leading up to the 2012 Belmont Stakes—the Triple Crown is one of the rarest, if not the rarest, accomplishments in sports.

Horses have a hard enough time winning two races in a row, let alone three major races, so the fact that we're talking about I'll Have Another as a realistic candidate for the Crown points to how good of a horse he actually is.

It points to a bunch of things, really. It points to the skills the horse possesses, but it also is a testament of how good young jockey Mario Gutierrez is.

Make no mistake, it's the horse that runs the race, but there is no doubting that Gutierrez is connected with I'll Have Another, and he understands exactly what he needs to do to get the best out of him.

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Heading into 2012 there is perhaps no unit within the Cincinnati Bengals with more to prove than the offensive line. 

Back on January 7th the Bengals O-line was outmatched and outclassed by a top Houston Texans defense, in a sobering sack-heavy display that served to expose their mediocrity.

Andre Smith enters the 2012 season with the very real possibility that he will be looking for a new team at its conclusion.

2009's sixth overall pick is in a contract year and needs to put together another solid effort if he wants to get a new contract that looks anything like the $6 million, two-year option he is missing out on in Cincy.

The Bengals have all of the leverage right now with capable Anthony Collins signed up to a new deal behind Smith, through 2013.

Smith started in 14 games in 2011 and proved to be a solid pass-protector for the Bengals.

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John Cena versus John Laurinaitis.

Yee-haw.

Nothing like some good old fashioned skepticism to start off a column, right?  But, be honest, just how many of you are looking forward to this match at WWE Over the Limit on Sunday? 

I have to say, for me, the booking of this match just feels all wrong.  

Yes, Cena has had his issues with Laurinaitis.

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Almost everything that could go against Chelsea was going against Chelsea heading into and during Saturday’s UEFA Champions League Final in Munich.But with all the odds stacked against them, the Blues found a way to rally and win the biggest game in franchise history and make the greatest memory Chelsea fans could ever have dreamed of in winning the European championship.Here’s why it was so hard.

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In the richest football match on earth, West Ham dramatically defeated Blackpool 2-1 on Saturday to win promotion into the Barclays Premier League just one year after relegation.

Carlton Cole struck first for the Hammers at Wembley before Thomas Ince cancelled out his effort just after the break with a fine finish of his own.

As the match began to get cagey in the final minutes, it was Portuguese winger Ricardo Vaz Te who stepped up to the plate and smashed a drive into the roof of the net that sent West Ham back up to the big boys' table.

Vaz Te might never score a bigger goal in his life, and his club will relish the £90 million windfall that the Hammers will get from promotion.

Here are six things we learned from a great prelude to the Champions League Final.

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Here is a look at John Cena's career leading all the way up to him winning his first WWE title and thus becoming the face of the company when he was drafted to Raw afterwards. Also, for those of you that are unaware, John Cena recently filed for divorce from his wife.

The Beginning

John Cena was born on April 23, 1977.

Ultimate Pro Wrestling

Ultimate Pro Wrestling is where John Cena began his wrestling career in southern California. In the year 2000, Cena enrolled himself into the Ultimate University. Cena has a background in bodybuilding, so using his impressive physique as a gimmick, he called himself Prototype.

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Well, to be honest with you wonderful readers on Bleacher Report and the View from Victoria Street, there isn’t really much to say about David Beckham’s performance on Saturday night against Chivas USA in their 1-0 loss at the Home Depot Center.

There isn’t much to say, period, because Beckham was on the pitch for the space of 16 minutes and stoppage time.

But I will say this regarding David Beckham: It was simply a selfish move to take part in the torch relay for London 2012. I can’t believe I am still bringing this up. As I said before, David Beckham deserves no part in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

However, as a frequent user of BigSoccer’s Community Forums, some fellow L.

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Chelsea have won the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever after Didier Drogba scored the decisive final penalty of a shoot-out.

The match had finished 1-1 after extra time with the Ivorian scoring with what could be his last ever kick for the Blues, having equalized with an amazing header just two minutes before full time.

Bayern Munich had dominated proceedings and had taken the lead through a late Thomas Muller goal before Chelsea pegged the German side back and forced the dramatic tie into extra time.

In the end there was nothing to separate the sides and the game moved towards a penalty shoot-out to split the difference with Drogba scoring the decisive spot kick.

In truth, Chelsea deserved their win.

They showed great spirit and temperament and while Munich had three clear chances to win the trophy, first when Muller scored to take the lead then when Robben had a penalty to put his team ahead in extra time and then, again, when they were two goals ahead on penalties, and the German side, quite unnaturally, showed a lack of bottle to force their game over the line.

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Make no mistake about it, this looks like a rebuilding year rather than a reloading year for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy.

And while the race for the top pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft is months away, the Galaxy are making a early case to challege Toronto FC for the top spot with their 1-0 defeat to Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

At this rate, the Galaxy are looking at a Top 5 selection in the draft (currently No. 4). If they keep this losing streak up, we could be looking at a Top 2 selection for Los Angeles.

Subpar performances result in subpar ratings.

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It was an almost surreal experience to see the Lakers blow yet another late-game lead, as they head to Oklahoma City now, down 3-1 with a 103-100 loss to the Thunder. Not only was it embarrassing and dumbfounding to watch, it was a mere heartbreaking experience for Lakers fans to watch. The torch has now officially been passed down from the Lakers to the Thunder.

Say hello to a new generation of basketball, folks.

We will be concluding our presentation of the Lakers and will now be presenting our newest and most entertaining new show, the Oklahoma City Thunder! And let me tell ya', they won't disappoint—especially at the conclusion of every show.

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Arsenal winger Andrei Arshavin has been linked with a transfer to English Premier league side Fulham, Arseblog news reported early Sunday morning.

Arshavin failed to make an impression with the Gunners this season, scoring just one league goal in 19 league appearances through mid-February.

He was loaned out to former employers Zenit St. Petersburg at the end of that month, and enjoyed more consistent first-team football with the team he'd led to the then-UEFA Cup in 2008.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger justified the move by saying Arshavin "simply needed to play."

And play he did.

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The Los Angeles Lakers are cooked.

To their credit, L.A. has been fairly adaptive, and has certainly improved over the course of their four bouts with the Oklahoma City Thunder thus far. But improvement alone doesn't win a series, as the Lakers are now forced to come to terms with the fact that even one of their better performances was trumped by the out-and-out brilliance of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

The Lakers brought the shine, but the Thunder brought the stars; OKC's highly productive creators have overcome their team's occasional lapses and claimed a commanding 3-1 series lead.

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Another night, another defeat marred by gong-show football comedy from Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, who lost 1-0 to Robin Fraser's Chivas USA thanks to a 71st minute penalty kick by Jose Correa.

With the result, the Galaxy drop to 3-6-2 (11 points) and have an uphill battle to climb before they can get into the thick of the MLS Western Conference chase.

Here are six things We Learned from Saturday's 1-0 defeat to the Goats at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

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When WWE NXT first aired, it was a big thing. The winner would be guaranteed a world title opportunity at a pay-per-view event. It seemed like the ultimate opportunity to create new and fresh main-event talent.

I followed the entire first season. When the "rookies" invaded Raw and formed Nexus, it seemed NXT might be the best idea from Vince McMahon's company in a long time.

Then, it went downhill.

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Edmonton Oilers prospects series will be the theme for the next few weeks, with extensive coverage of the prospects in the Edmonton Oilers organization.

Colten Teubert is a hulking defenseman acquired in the trade that sent Dustin Penner to Los Angeles back on February 28, 2011.

The White Rock, BC native was originally drafted 13th overall in 2008 by L.A., and he attracted the attention of Oilers' scouts due to his size and willingness to play a bruising and physical game on defense.

Blessed with 6'4'' height and 195-lb weight, Teubert has the tools to be a defensive defenseman in the NHL.

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After scaring every Oklahoma City Thunder fan at the end of the first half of Game 4, Russell Westbrook rose slowly to his feet and walked off the Staples Center court on his own power.

When he returned in the second half, he continued his dominance that he has displayed throughout this year's playoffs and carried the Thunder on his back for the majority of the final 24 minutes.

And when it was time to put the final nail in the coffin, Kevin Durant waved his teammates away, rose up and fired one of those beautiful trademark jump shots over Metta World Peace to inch the Thunder one step closer to another appearance in the Western Conference Finals.

As for the Los Angeles Lakers, the door on their 2012 season is closely coming to a "thunderous" close.

Despite being doubled in offensive rebounds (18-9) and having a tough time getting to line through the first three quarters, the Thunder fought back from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit for a 103-100 win in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead and push the Lakers one loss away from another second-round exit.

The Lakers seemed to be in complete control.

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The New Jersey Devils lost Game 3 of the crucial Eastern Conference finals to the arch-rival New York Rangers.

Captain Zach Parise and forward Ilya Kovalchuk combined for nine total shots, but could not beat Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist on Sunday.

The Devils outshot the Rangers by a count of 36-21, but Lundqvist was showing his form as a multiple-trophy finalist this year.

Apart from a 3-0 defeat, the Devils could not capitalize on key scoring opportunities.

After this game, the Devils will have to wait until Monday, May 21 to play their rematch at the Prudential Center—home of the Devils.

It is still unknown at this point, but both Jacob Josefson and Henrik Tallinder are gradually recovering from injuries.

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The end of Game 4 might as well have symbolized the beginning of a new era and the official end of another. It showed why the Oklahoma City Thunder are the future of the Western Conference and the Los Angeles Lakers run as a contender is arguably over.

If Game 2 was a sign, Game 4 was undeniable proof. Another well-played game for the Lakers. Another big lead collapsed. Another big moment they couldn't finish.

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The hometown Rochester Knighthawks defeated the Edmonton Rush 9-6 Saturday night at the Blue Cross Arena to win the 2012 Champion's Cup.

This was Rochester's first championship since 2007. 

After staking Edmonton to a 5-1 lead in the first half, Rochester came out of the locker room strong in the second half, going on a 6-0 run in the third quarter and tallying seven straight before the Rush were finally able to get back on the scoreboard.

Forward Cody Jamieson earned game MVP honors, contributing points on eight of the Knighthawks' nine goals, with four goals and four assists.

Ultimately, though, the key to this game was goaltending.

Edmonton's Aaron Bold held Rochester to just a single second period goal on 11 shots in the first half.

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After winning 5-3 against Tampa Bay on Friday, the Braves completed their 40th game of the season, which puts them a quarter of the way through. They are sitting at 25-15, good enough to be in first place in the National League East by themselves.

The pitching staff was expected to be one of the best in baseball because of both the rotation and the bullpen, though the pitching staff has been a little disappointing so far. The rotation has seen two starters (including an All-Star) implode, while two of the three guys at the back end of the bullpen haven't pitched as well as they did in 2011.

This article takes a look at the 13 pitchers that have pitched for the Braves in the first quarter of the season and grades them all based on their contributions.

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Chelsea was a team of destiny throughout the UEFA Champions League. Saturday was the biggest example of that, as the Blues came back to defeat Bayern Munich in the final. 

Just when you thought Chelsea's magic was on fumes, Didier Drogba scored to equalize in the 88th minute leaving Munich to wonder what they had to do to defeat the Blues.

Then, in extra time, Petr Cech stopped a penalty kick from Arjen Robben. That's when you knew Chelsea wasn't going to lose to Bayern Munich.

Penalties came and Drogba sealed the deal for Chelsea, nabbing the first ever European trophy for a London football club.

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There is a saying that good teams don't win close games; they avoid them.

While that statement may be true in some respects, it is also unrealistic. At some point, no matter how good you are, you are going to find yourself in a close game where you will have to execute down the stretch to come away with the win. See: the 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder.

For the sixth time this postseason, the Thunder found themselves locked in a tight game in the fourth quarter. For the fifth time out of those six, they came away with the victory, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 103-100 on Saturday night in Game 4 of their conference semifinal matchup to take a commanding 3-1 series lead back to Oklahoma City for a Game 5 on Monday night.

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While the talk of the English Premier League was the battle between Manchester United and City for the league title, Arsenal finished third and will look to be in that title hunt again next season after upgrading key positions. Here are some positions the Gunners will look to improve through transfers this coming summer.

Defender

Despite finishing third in the Premier League, Arsenal gave up the second-most goals out of the top nine finishing teams.

The Gunners, led by Robin Van Persie, boasted an impressive 74 goals on the year, but they found themselves in multiple high-scoring matches due to their defense giving up a fair amount goals themselves.

Bolton's Gary Cahill and Manchester City's Wayne Bridge could be a few of the names on Arsenal's wishlist this summer.

Defensive Midfielder

Continuing with the defensive theme, the defensive midfield could use a bit of reworking as well.

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Here’s a breakdown of the two-start pitchers for the week of May 21 to May 27.

Five StarsYu Darvish: @SEA (Hernandez), TOR (Drabek)Roy Halladay: WAS (Zimmermann), @STL (Wainwright)Johan Santana: @PIT (Bedard), SD (Richard)C.J. Wilson: @OAK (McCarthy), @SEA (Noesi)

Four StarsBrandon Beachy: @CIN (Latos), WAS (Gonzalez)Matt Cain: @MIL (Marcum), @MIA (Nolasco)Matt Garza: @HOU (Norris), @PIT (Bedard)Gio Gonzalez: @PHI (Kendrick), @ATL (Beachy)Felix Hernandez: TEX (Darvish), LAA (Williams)

Three StarsErik Bedard: NYM (Santana), CHC (Garza)Madison Bumgarner: @MIL (Wolf), @MIA (Buehrle)R.A. Dickey: @PIT (McDonald), SD (Volquez)Jaime Garcia: SD (Richard), PHI (Kendrick)Jeremy Hellickson: TOR (Drabek), @BOS (Buccholz)Hiroki Kuroda: KC (Paulino), @OAK (Milone)Ricky Nolasco: COL (Nicasio), SF (Cain)Edinson Volquez: @STL (Wainwright), @NYM (Dickey)Jerome Williams: @OAK (Milone), @SEA (Hernandez)

Two StarsClay Buchholz: @BAL (Hunter), TB (Hellickson)Mark Buehrle: COL (Moyer), SF (Bumgarner)Chris Capuano: @ARI (Corbin), HOU (Norris)Kyle Drabek: @TB (Hellickson), @TEX (Darvish)Gavin Floyd: MIN (Walters), CLE (Jimenez)Tommy Hunter: BOS (Buchholz), KC (Paulino)Mat Latos: ATL (Beachy), COL (Moyer)Bud Norris: CHC (Garza), @LAD (Capuano)Adam Wainwright: SD (Volquez), PHI (Halladay)

One StarPatrick Corbin: LAD (Capuano), MIL (Wolf)Ubaldo Jimenez: DET (Porcello), @CWS (Floyd)Kyle Kendrick: WAS (Gonzalez), @STL (Garcia)Mike Leake: ATL (Minor), COL (Moyer)Mike Minor: @CIN (Leake), WAS (Strasburg)Felipe Paulino: @NYY (Kuroda), @BAL (Hunter)Rick Porcello: @CLE (Jimenez), @MINTommy Milone: LAA (Williams), NYY (Kuroda)Jamie Moyer: @MIA (Buehrle), @CIN (Latos)Hector Noesi: TEX (Harrison), LAA (Wilson)Clayton Richard: @STL (Garcia), @NYM (Santana)Randy Wolf: SF (Bumgarner), @ARI (Wolf)

Also check out:

Is Elliot Johnson a Short-term Fix?

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OK, so this week's goal is actually a penalty successfully converted during a shootout.

But is anyone really going to argue against this one?

Here we have Chelsea legend (yes, he's a legend now) Didier Drogba converting the decisive penalty during Saturday's Champions League final in Munich. Drogba's spot-kick gave Chelsea a 4-3 victory over Bayern Munich in the shootout, which followed a 1-1 draw.

Fast forward to the 1:40 mark to watch Drogba's goal. Or you can just watch the full shootout for all the drama.

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The Los Angeles Clippers face a must-win situation heading into Game 4, as the San Antonio Spurs have taken a commanding 3-0 lead in this 2012 NBA playoffs second-round series.

As impressive as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the Clippers team has been this postseason, the Spurs have been winning games with ball movement and a championship core that is outright fearless and focused.

After going down 40-16 early in Game 3, the Spurs came back and cut the deficit to 10 points. A 24-0 run in the third quarter was the icing on the cake for San Antonio, as they took over Game 3 and complete control of the series.

This everything you need to know about the Game 4 contest that has every reason to be the most enticing game of the series.

Where: Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ca.

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Win or lose, Sunday's Game 4 in Indiana will define the Miami Heat and their Big Three era.

During the past two years, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have crowned themselves kings, while being characterized as choke artists and villains by outsiders. But whether you're the biggest Heat supporter or one of the few million haters trolling from behind your computer screen, come Sunday, you will find out the true character of this team.

Although it's not an elimination game, the Heat might as well have a guillotine hanging over their heads as they enter Bankers Life Fieldhouse for Game 4.

A devastating 3-1 hole is on the horizon, and beyond that looms not only one of the most embarrassing playoff defeats ever, but perhaps the dismantling of a group that just two summers ago was ready to win "...not five, not six, not seven" championships.

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Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich in what will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable Champions League Finals in history.

It took penalty kicks, a few lucky moments and a few heroes to make it happen, but when all was said and done the Blues are able to call themselves the kings of European soccer, while Bayern Munich can only think of what could have been.

It's truly a fascinating dichotomy, isn't it?

It was an incredible match that saw more than its fair share of epic moments, but which of these moments will be the ones that fans talk about for years to come?

Here are the plays that we will always remember:

Thomas Muller's Goal for Bayern Munich to Break The 0-0 Tie

This was the point in the match where the tide changed for both teams, so it is arguably the most important point. Mueller put in a nice header to break the stalemate and put all the pressure on Chelsea.

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The Los Angeles Lakers seemed to have Game 4 of their conference semifinal matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder well in hand. They would knot the series up at two games apiece and head back to Oklahoma City with a chance to take a 3-2 lead in Game 5. Up 13 with eight minutes to go, this was bound to happen, right?

Wrong.

For the second time in four days, the Lakers blew a humongous opportunity against the Thunder. In Game 2 on Wednesday night, Los Angeles had a seven-point lead with two minutes to go.

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The Miami Heat fell apart in Game 3 on Thursday, falling down 2-1 against the Indiana Pacers, but they can still win the series.

The Pacers have shown that they are not to be taken lightly despite their lack of playoff experience.

There are five keys to Miami rebounding and defeating the Pacers in this series.

If the Heat want to reach the Eastern Conference finals then they will have to turn things around quickly.

Here are the five keys to the Heat’s success against the Pacers.

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The Champions League is over, and Chelsea have claimed European club football's top prize.

Now, here's why Real Madrid will win it all next year.

You probably know some of the reasons already. It's not like Real Madrid's strengths are a big secret. Cristiano Ronaldo is a world-class player, and so are several of his teammates. They also have a world-class manager working with them.

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On Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Kings will have an opportunity to do something they have only done one other time in franchise history: touch the Campbell Bowl.

Incidentally, that was precisely what then-captain Wayne Gretzky did in 1993, right after his hat trick piloted Los Angeles to a Game 7 thriller over Toronto. And before the Kings crumbled in five games and watched the Montreal Canadiens claim the Stanley Cup.

The notion of touching one’s NHL conference championship trophy complicating one’s odds of winning the more renowned trophy in question did not have quite the same traction as it does now. But a report on espn.com from last season noted that, since 2001, teams touching their conference trophy have gone 4-5 in the final round while those who refrained have gone 6-5.

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I'll Have Another did it again Saturday, turning on the jets down the stretch and overtaking Bodemeister at the finish to win the Preakness. The race was almost a replay of the Kentucky Derby, as the colt ridden by Mario Gutierrez came from behind for the victory.

With the first two legs out of the way, I'll Have Another is poised to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

The Preakness appeared to be the toughest test for I'll Have Another, since he strength is a late-race kick that is almost shockingly strong. His late charge at Churchill Downs was a sight to behold, and with that strong finishing speed, it seems that long tracks would fit his style much better. 

But at Pimlico he somehow pulled out another win on the 9.

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The 2012 UEFA Champions League Final was decided in such stunning fashion. Out of over 75 teams in the tournament, only one team stepped up and claimed the glory of being European King. The drama, suspense and excitement in the match showed why this sporting event tops anything that American sports have to offer.

In possibly his last match with the Blues, Didier Drogba was the hero. He forced extra time in the 88th minute, nearly cost Chelsea the match, and then delivered with the game on the line. The English club was able to silence the Bayern Munich crowd in their German home.

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After J’Covan Brown announced his intentions to enter the NBA draft, Texas basketball fans started worrying that they would lose a second piece of the puzzle: Myck Kabongo.

Kabongo took a while to announce his decision, before finally saying, “I think that being at Texas is the best thing for me.”

Kabongo came to the Longhorns as one of the most highly rated recruits of the 2011 class. Hailing from Toronto, Rick Barnes’ residential Canadian signee was considered to be one of, if not the best point guard in the nation. He did have a good season last year, but not the breakout year that most expected of him, averaging 9.6 points per game and 5.

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While many members of the WWE Universe aren’t big fans of Sin Cara and his persistent botching, his return from injury couldn’t have come at a better time for the company.

Especially after watching their RAW ratings fall once again, according to WrestleZone.

Sin Cara is a solid worker that was still learning the WWE style of wrestling when he blew out his knee Nov. 20, 2011 at Survivor Series. The star was getting over well with the younger crowd and was assuming much of the same role Rey Mysterio did with the company.

After surgery and the rehab process, Sin Cara looks to return to the ring and return to relevance just in time to save the slumping product.

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It was one moment, a single solitary instant, too fast for the HD cameras recording at a high frames-per-second rate to catch, too fast for any time-measuring device to record, that Chelsea fans around the world felt something they never felt before from watching the club they love—true happiness.

It did not come to everyone at the same time. Some felt it the moment the ball left Didier Drogba’s foot. Others when they noticed Bayern Munich keeper Manuel Neuer had dove the wrong way. But some, like myself, did not feel it until much later and still may not be feeling it fully.

Let me provide a little back story for you.

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There are a bunch of pitchers who are flying under the radar.

For whatever reason, they aren't receiving much attention. Don't make the same mistake by overlooking these players as well.

Here's a list of 10 players who are quietly having solid seasons. Every pitcher on the list is owned in less than 50 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

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Today marks a special anniversary for Boston Red Sox nation. On this day in 1984, 21-year-old Roger Clemens won his first major league game.

This 6’4,” 220 lb. Dayton Ohio native took the hill for Red Sox against the Minnesota Twins at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. “The Rocket” looked to rebound from a rough outing in his big league debut against the Cleveland Indians just five days prior.

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Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams is going to hear it from his detractors if and when it becomes official that the team has signed veteran second-baseman Orlando Hudson. I don't know why that has to be the case for two reasons.

As of early Sunday morning, Hudson is still a free agent following his release Thursday by the San Diego Padres. Hudson was hitting just .

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Daniel Cormier's expeditious climb up the heavyweight ranks has been the stuff of legend.

Less than a year ago, Cormier was a relative unknown stepping up to fight Jeff Monson. Fast forward a couple of fights later, the American Kickboxing Academy prospect now towers over most of the division.

On Saturday night, Cormier routed MMA legend Josh Barnett in an exciting five-round affair to win the Strikeforce World Heavyweight Grand Prix.

It was a bout that served as Cormier's coming out party as an upper-echelon heavyweight contender and legitimate threat to the UFC title.

With the Grand Prix finale likely serving as Strikeforce's swan song of the heavyweight division, a deal coming together between Cormier and the UFC appears imminent.

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For Chelsea, winning its first Champions League title ever made Saturday the finest day in the club's history.

But moving forward, it could have interesting implications for the team. And frankly, for the rest of the Premier League as well.

Will it affect the transfer window? Will jobs be kept or lost over the result?

Questions, so many questions.

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I'll Have Another wasn't fazed by the pressures of Pimlico and keeping his bid for horse racing's Triple Crown alive on Saturday, as he rallied with a late burst to overcome favorite Bodemeister, once again taking the race in thrilling fashion. 

The colt's epic win at the Preakness Stakes was almost identical to his victory at the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, when he saved his best for the end and blew past a dead-tired Bodemeister. 

Looking back at the race replay, we see that I'll Have Another's jockey Mario Gutierrez gets his racehorse out of the starting post fast and moves him toward the front, but remains patient running with the pack until it's time for I'll Have Another to make his move.

Bodemeister demonstrated his world-class speed once again as he broke to the front and built a decent lead, just as he had done at Churchill Downs in the Triple Crown's first leg. Although Pimlico Race Course presents a slightly shorter track than Churchill Downs, 1/16 of a mile shorter, those watching had to believe Bodemeister would run out of gas just as he did two weeks earlier.

I'll Have Another ran fourth for about two-thirds of the race until making an inevitable surge off the fourth and final turn.

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The offseason for the Arkansas Razorbacks has been filled with a never-ending barrage of bad news.

The latest incident involved the arrest of three players charged with residential burglary (via ESPN). The most notable player involved in this incident is standout wide receiver Marquel Wade. Wade is expected to play a significant role on the offense this season, but after the arrest he was suspended indefinitely by head coach John L. Smith.

The Razorbacks tied a NFL day draft record with three wide receivers selected in the same draft.

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Chelsea are the champions of Europe for the first time.

Roberto Di Matteo's men claimed the club's first European title by beating Bayern Munich 4-3 in a penalty shootout Saturday in Munich.

The Blues' final match in a memorably wacky European campaign largely followed the script they had written all spring. First, Chelsea erased a 1-0 deficit late in regular time. Then, they survived a Bayern Munich penalty in extra time.

Chelsea's fans will point to the heroic performances of Ashley Cole and Didier Drogba.

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The year 2008 was the benchmark for attendance at minor league baseball games, as more than 43 million fans went through the turnstiles.

Through the end of April this year, more than 6.4 million fans have made their way to the park, an increase of more than 11 percent from 2011. 

Pat O'Conner, the president of minor league baseball, was quoted on MiLB.com as to why he thought the fans are showing up in record numbers; 

"Our clubs have kept their prices at a level where our industry is, once again, one of the more affordable family-entertainment options," O'Conner said. "The average cost for a family of four to attend a minor league game this season is $61.

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Orlando Hudson signed with the Chicago White Sox on Saturday, according to ESPNChicago. The signing of Hudson adds a dimension to a White Sox infield that had been short on depth. Also, it may challenge White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham, who has been struggling at the plate since his hot rookie year.

Hudson was released by the San Diego Padres on Thursday after an unimpressive 35-game stint with them. Hudson was a consistent presence on the basepaths, reaching base in 31 of his 35 games with the Padres, but he still ended up with a .211 batting average and a .

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For the Baltimore Orioles this year, a lot is hot. The expectations were that the Orioles would have yet another bad season, and based on recent history, such predictions made sense. But so far, they are wrong.

While it's still only May, the Orioles have finished 25 percent of the season. And more is going right than is going wrong for the birds from Baltimore.

What's hot?

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For the first time since 2008, the winner of the Kentucky Derby has taken home first place at the Preakness Stakes. I'll Have Another once again upset Bodemeister and remains alive for the Triple Crown.

As we know, no horse has won all three legs since 1978 and the victory by I'll Have Another only intensifies the implications at Belmont. That said, along with his momentum, let's see how else the Triple Crown is set up for I'll Have Another to claim.

No Pressure

Entering the Belmont Stakes, the main reason why I'll Have Another and jockey Mario Gutierrez need not feel any pressure is because a loss just puts them in good company.

With no Triple Crown claimed in over 30 years, the duo certainly has an excellent opportunity to make their mark on the sport.

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Who wouldn't want to see I'll Have Another win the Triple Crown?

The feat is extremely uncommon. There are few who don't want to see it happen (competitors), but most would love to watch it take place at the Belmont Stakes in three weeks.

Chances are slim, however.

Affirmed was the last Triple Crown winner and that was way back in 1978. It's been more than three decades since the last horse to complete the trick.

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Petr Cech was Chelsea's biggest hero in Saturday afternoon's UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich. Cech cemented himself as an elite goalkeeper in today's soccer world.

Cech stopped all seven shots on goal in regulation,saved a penalty kick in extra time and another in the penalty kick shootout.

Cech's performance was rivaled only by teammate Didier Drogba, but Cech's takes the cake.

Let's take a look at Cech's performance and his reassured elite status among the world's keepers.Cech's UEFA Champions League Final Performance

Cech's saves in regular time and two epic penalty kick saves were enough to claim victory for the Blues in this contest.

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Moan and groan all you want, but there's no stopping these San Antonio Spurs, maybe not until they've wrapped up another NBA title.

They've ripped off 17 wins in a row since losing to the Kobe Bryant-less Los Angeles Lakers on April 11th, with 14 of those wins coming by double-digit margins.

Their most recent—a 96-86 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals—may have also been their most impressive. A 22-point deficit at the end of the first quarter was no match for the poise and execution of the Spurs, who chipped away at LA's lead in the second before ripping off a 24-0 run of their own to take command of the game for good.

It was the sort of performance of which champions are made—ruthlessly efficient, calmly effective.

You know, Spurs-like.

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World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 3 Rafael Nadal were scheduled to play the championship match of the 2012 Rome Masters on Sunday. However, their match will now be played on Monday due to weather conditions, according to ATPWorldTour.com:

Persistent rain in Rome means the highly anticipated final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will now be played Monday at 12noon CEST/6am EDT.

According to Weathernetwork.

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Mike Wallace appears determined to hold out until he gets a long-term deal from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Todd Haley now on board as the team's new offensive coordinator, Wallace should swallow his pride, sign his restricted free-agent tender and get on the field with his teammates for OTAs.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that Wallace still has not signed the one-year, $2.74 million tender he was offered as a restricted free agent. The paper is also reporting that, while general manager Kevin Colbert would prefer to sign his Pro Bowl receiver to a long-term deal, talks have gone nowhere.

For the first time since 1999 the Steelers will have an offensive coordinator hired from outside the staff.

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There is an old adage that says, "If you have two starting quarterbacks, you really have none."

That truism also applies to the backup quarterback position for the USC Trojans, which finds Cody Kessler and Max Wittek—both redshirt freshmen—neck and neck on the depth chart behind the legendary Matt Barkley.

Going into the fall practice session, both young gunslingers have played beyond expectations yet neither has distanced himself from the other.

Quite a conundrum for Coach Kiffin and quarterbacks Coach Clay Helton...but it's one that has to be figured out soon.

This slideshow will look at why nurturing the second-string quarterback is so critical to the Trojans' success both this year and beyond.

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While only I'll Have Another's connections left the Preakness truly satisfied with the outcome, there remain several other horses who gave promising runs at Pimlico.

Not good enough to compete with I'll Have Another and Bodemeister, of course, but strong enough that those horses should run at the Belmont Stakes and look to improve upon their Preakness results.

I've identified three horses from the Preakness that could surprise folks at the final leg of Triple Crown, with Bodemeister noticeably absent since he won't be making the trip to New York.

Let's take a look.Zetterholm

Realistic expectations are can help change the perspective of how a horse ran—especially when just about everyone predicted the Preakness would be a two-horse race, which it was—and Zetterholm certainly met his, according to his trainer and jockey.

From Bob Fortus of The Times-Picayune:

“We’re happy," trainer Richard Dutrow said.

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There is no doubt the Washington Redskins have found their quarterback in Robert Griffin III.  The whole notion that the team would display any interest in chasing another starter is absurd.

But for the sake of argument, and because somebody asked, Redskins defensive end Adam Carriker tackled the question on the radio show he and I co-host, 4th and Pain.

Like the show itself, the question had a WWE twist put on it. A listener wrote in and asked which WWE talent would Carriker most like to have as the quarterback of the Redskins.

After a bit of thinking, the Nebraska product, who signed a new four-year contract with the team this offseason, came up with his answer.

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Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova will use her unlikely, come-from-behind win at the rain-delayed Italian Open final in Rome on Sunday to propel herself back into Grand Slam form for the upcoming 2012 French Open at Roland Garros.

Sharapova edged Li Na 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) on a final-set tiebreaker after trailing a set and 4-0 in the second set. Li tallied an incredible 24 unforced errors in the second set to let Sharapova, who won six straight games, back into the championship match. 

Sharapova's momentum carried into the third set where she would build a 4-1 lead before opening the door for Li, who took a 5-4 lead after taking four straight games. The narrow win gives Sharapova two straight on Rome's clay, and will give her confidence heading to Paris this May.

The French Open is the only Grand Slam event that has eluded Sharapova throughout her 11-year professional career.

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The WWE only has five matches scheduled for the actual Over the Limit pay-per-view event, so there are bound to be at least two matches added to the card.

With so much of the roster scheduled off, there are tons of possibilities, but I've got three guys that would make excellent additions.

Try these on for size:

Sin Cara

The high-flying Rey Mysterio clone is back from injury, and Over the Limit would be a great place for him to return to major WWE programming. The company needs a high-wire act, and few have the aerial skills that Sin Cara possesses.

A match that sees Heath Slater play jobber for him could be solid. But considering the way the Miz has been going lately, he could end up being Sin Cara's mark.

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I’ll Have Another is on Michael Jordan’s heels.

The thoroughbred with a knack for the comeback is one spectacular finish away from going down in sports history as one of the most clutch competitors of all-time. Jordan, Joe Montana and Jack Nicklaus will potentially have company soon enough.

The Triple Crown hasn't been won since 1978. The longer the drought goes, the more prestigious the accomplishment becomes. And if I’ll Have Another were to pull it off by completing the trifecta with a triumph at the 2012 Belmont Stakes, his name deserves mention amongst the legends.

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Unfortunately, it's not a new scenario.

In fact it seems to becoming more of a common occurrence these days. Over the past several years, WWE has taken numerous promising superstars and buried them on the roster.

One of the most recent examples of someone on the receiving end of this treatment is Dolph Ziggler.

From 2009 to 2011, Ziggler showed a lot of promise. He won the Intercontinental Championship and proceeded to go on a five-month reign.

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The 137th Preakness Stakes saw a race eerily similar to the Kentucky Derby, resulting in I'll Have Another pulling off his second come-from-behind win as he was able to track down odds favorite Bodemeister over the final 200 yards.

I'm not the biggest fan of thoroughbred racing, but the Preakness was the most exciting two minutes of my Saturday (sans the Rangers two goals in two minutes).

Now I'll Have Another has a chance to win the Triple Crown against all odds. On June 9 in Elmont, New York at the Belmont Stakes, the three-year-old chestnut colt will be looking to accomplish a feat that hasn't been seen since 1978.

Jockey Mario Gutierrez seems to know his horse better than any other rider in the field, and it really showed on Saturday under the hot sun in Baltimore. He let I'll Have Another hang back behind Bodemeister and a few others until the stretch, when he made a furious charge.

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After playing just thirteen games, the St. Louis Cardinals lost last year's Comeback Player of the Year once again.

Lance Berkman injured his knee by extending his body to catch an incoming throw at first base.

The play looked simple enough, but Berkman came off with some overly obvious pain. His new stint on the DL is for an unknown amount of time.

The Cardinals, who seemingly creep closer and closer to a .

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Each NBA playoff series is reaching its pivotal point. For every series, except the one-sided Spurs vs. Clippers set, the most important game will be Game 5.

The Celtics and Sixers are tied at two games apiece entering their fifth game, the Thunder are up three-to-one on the Lakers and the Heat trail the Pacers two games to one. The Spurs are the only team making quick work of their opponent, holding a three-to-zero advantage over the Clippers.

Game 5 could determine the victor or create unstoppable momentum in one team's favor.

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Former WWE diva Chyna had to be taken to the hospital after passing out for the third consecutive day on Saturday. The last two instances taking place at the 2012 Exxxotica Porn Expo.

The event was intended to promote Vivid Entertainment's parody of the Avengers.

After having health scares since Thursday, Chyna was finally taken to the hospital on Saturday when TMZ reported, "We're told Chyna made it to the convention center today, but passed out in the lobby and was taken to Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach."

Chyna was able to dispel earlier rumors from the weekend that she had been hospitalized, but this incident appears to have been the final straw in her hectic weekend.

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Edinson Cavani and the attack of Napoli place constant pressure on the Juventus defense and ultimately crack the back line en route a Coppa Italia title in 2012.

When looking at the head-to-head numbers, there is no question that the Bianconeri should have the clear advantage in this match. In two games this season in the Serie A, Juventus and Napoli tied 3-3 in Napoli and Juve destroyed Napoli 3-0 at home.

Yet, as fans of the game know, any team can win on any given night. Momentum is the one key factor that feeds directly into this.

Napoli comes into this match with a strong Coppa showing.

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Zach Parise is typically one of the most personable, talkative members of the New Jersey Devils. As the team's captain, one of its superstars and arguably the face of the franchise, he's typically the most sought-after interview in the dressing room. He's been badgered about his plans following this season, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, as well as every nuance of the Devils team.

For the most part, Parise handles the questioning with the professionalism one would expect from a team captain.

A curious thing happened yesterday, though, as he refused to talk to the media following New Jersey's Game 3 loss to the Rangers.

Speculation why Parise refused to talk spanned from frustration after the Devils loss to him not wanting to answer the myriad of questions concerning his father's recent comments about where his son could fit in next season.

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Whether or not you are a horse enthusiast, there is something downright fun about watching I'll Have Another do his spurt of speed to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes this year.

While I'm already on record as stating that I don't see the one-time $11,000 priced horse winning the Triple Crown, I'll Have Another is generating a great deal of buzz about horse racing.

As soon as the Kentucky Derby winner is announced, the Triple Crown conversation begins every year. With I'll Have Another's last-second style of winning paired with the fact the horse is one win away from completing the first Triple Crown season since 1978, horse racing is staying in the eyes of the common sports fan.

The sport has only seen 11 horses win the Derby and Preakness races since the '78 season. If I'll Have Another can do what no other horse in the modern horse racing era has done, the interest in the sport will certainly elevate.

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I'll Have Another did it again. The colt and his jockey, Mario Gutierrez, were able to put together a scintillating stretch run to win the 2012 Preakness Stakes. With the short track at Pimlico out of the way, I'll Have Another looks poised to win the first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978.

Gutierrez and his horse turned in a time of 1:55.94, but like the Kentucky Derby, they saved their best for the home stretch. In almost a repeat of what happened at Churchill Downs, Bodemeister led the entire way.

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On a shorter track it's reasonable to suspect a more exciting finish.

Well, that's just what the 2012 Preakness Stakes brought us as I'll Have Another managed to edge Bodemeister for the victory.

From the start all the way through each turn, Bodemeister was in control and never ceased to fall back. Even down the final stretch he hit a stride to pull away from the rest of the pack, except I'll Have Another.

There, jockey Mario Gutierrez and the horse seemingly kicked into another gear and stole the win in dramatic fashion. It was arguably a flawless race from I'll Have Another because through the first three turns he was striding ideally by and waiting to make a move.

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The St. Louis Cardinals have had some terrible luck with injuries this season.

Pitcher Chris Carpenter, center fielder Jon Jay and first basemen Lance Berkman and Allen Craig have all spent time on the DL so far. 

With injury-prone players like David Freese and Carlos Beltran on the roster, the Cardinals need to get healthier in case of an injury to one of those stars. So far, Beltran and Freese have been healthy and productive, but they are going to need some help to pull the Redbirds out of their recent slump.

They won’t be getting any help from the players currently on the DL anytime in the near future though, and there’s a chance Berkman might be out the whole season, pending Sunday’s MRI.

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Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs trading for "frustrated" New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees sounds about as outlandish a concept as they come. But how many people would have believed Peyton Manning would be with the Denver Broncos this time last year?

After Brees' record-setting performance last season, it's been all downhill for the Saints. Their head coach, interim head coach and general manager all start the season on suspension. Defensive stalwarts Jonathan Vilma and Will Smith will likewise spend some time on mandatory leave of absence. All-Pro guard Carl Nicks walked in free agency, as did wide receiver Robert Meachem.

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I'll Have Another's epic win at the Preakness showed the world this will be the horse who will end the 34-year run without a Triple Crown winner. 

The results of the Preakness were shockingly similar to the Kentucky Derby, but this was a more impressive win for the champion colt. 

In both races, I'll Have Another used a late charge to overtake Bodemeister just before the finish line. Yet, it was his win in the Preakness that confirmed what the Derby win only hinted at: This is a great horse. 

In the first race, I'll Have Another closed down on a tiring Bodemeister. It was a strong closing kick for I'll Have Another, but Bodemeister was fading.

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Li Na had herself setup very nicely for a win at the 2012 ATP Internazionali BNL d'Italia, but in the end it was Maria Sharapova who overcame her opponent and defended her title.

This was a huge statement win from Sharapova.

Na had an advantage coming into this finals match due to the fact that her semifinals opponent, Serena Williams, had withdrawn because of a back injury. This meant less wear and tear for Na going into the final, while meanwhile, Sharapova had to play her match against Angelique Kerber—which she won 6-3, 6-4.

Na was also able to win the first set 6-4, so it would have seemed that Sharapova was well behind the eight ball, but everything changed as Sharapova was able to roar back to win the next set and the tiebreaker.

The match included swings in momentum and rain delays, but in the end it was Sharapova who came out on top, as Tweeted out by Tennis Connected:

Sharapova completes a topsy turvy, rained delayed final victory over Li Na to defend her @InteBNLdItalia title.

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I'll Have Another used the same script as the Kentucky Derby to win the Preakness and keep Triple Crown hopes alive.

Once again, Bodemeister set the pace only to see I'll Have Another come from behind and catch him at the finish line.

All eyes will be on I'll Have Another in a few weeks at the Belmont Stakes as he goes for the elusive Triple Crown. Affirmed was the last to accomplish this feat in 1978.

There have been horses in the past to win the first two, but cannot get the final race.

The Belmont Stakes offers a very different challenge.

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Chelsea isn’t Chelsea without Didier Drogba.

The striker has been a Blue since 2004, but his tenure with the club is in danger. However, after his heroic performance in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Finals, the football team has no choice but to re-sign him.

Bayern Munich took 43 shots and 20 corner kicks, compared to Chelsea’s nine shots and one corner kick, but the German’s didn’t have Drogba. Not only did the 34-year-old score the equalizer, but he also launched home the game-winning penalty kick, earning the Blues the W.

But it will potentially be the last time he celebrates in a Chelsea uniform, as his contract expires next month.

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The Los Angeles Clippers are looking to avoid getting swept and sending the series back to San Antonio for Game 5.

The Clippers have been living and dying by huge runs in the 2012 postseason. They appeared ready to get back into the series in Game 3 when they jumped out to a 22-point lead after the first quarter.

However, the Spurs used a 24-0 run of their own in the third quarter to devastate the Clippers, and eventually went on to win 96-86.

The Spurs have demonstrated their advantage in this series so far.

Spurs point guard Tony Parker has outplayed superstar Chris Paul in the series.

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Over a year-and-a-half after the opening round of the tournament, the Strkeforce World Grand Prix is finally over.

Now that Daniel Cormier has been crowned the tournament champ, it's time for a little bit of reflection.

Sure, the Strikeforce tournament didn't quite go as planned, but the end result saw the rise of MMA's newest star, and there were a ton of great moments.

Here's five things we learned during the Heavyweight Grand Prix.

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The 137th running of the Preakness had a field of 11 horses, but it only needed to bother with two.

I'll Have Another and Bodemeister were simply that much better than every other horse running at Pimlico.

That means it's unlikely a horse from the Preakness will have what it takes to prevent I'll Have Another from earning the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes, an assertion strengthened by the fact that Bob Baffert has made it known that Bodemeister won't run in New York.

Now, that doesn't mean there aren't horses out there that can't give the Triple Crown hopeful a run for his money. Dullahan finished third at the Derby and has wicked deep-closing ability. Union Rags was a huge disappointment at the Derby, but still has the talent to pull off the upset in New York.

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The Oakland A's sent Brandon McCarthy to the mound on Opening Day this season; now they are sending him to the 15-day disabled list with a strained right shoulder.

McCarthy, who was forced to push back a start earlier this season with shoulder discomfort, was placed on the disabled list Sunday in a move that is retroactive to May 18.

McCarthy's last two starts since his start was pushed back have been pretty solid. He pitched seven innings of shutout ball, striking out 10 and not walking a batter on May 12. In his following start on May 17, he threw 5.1 innings and allowed four earned runs.

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Many fans believe that John Laurinaitis will defeat John Cena at Over the Limit and keep his job. However, those same fans wonder how Laurinaitis will get the job done (considering the fact that if any superstar interferes in the match, he or she will be immediately terminated).

Many fans believe that the recently terminated Big Show will help Laurinaitis defeat John Cena—considering he is already terminated and that helping Laurinaitis win would perhaps help him get his job back from Laurinaitis.

Other fans believe that Brock Lesnar or even Batista will interfere in the match.

Ultimately, no one needs to interfere "in" the match.

The WWE Board of Directors' letter to Laurinaitis only states that the match will be one-on-one, there will be no special guest referee, no one is allowed at ringside, the only way to win is by pinfall or submission, any superstar who interferes in the match will be immediately terminated and should Laurinaitis lose to Cena, he will be officially terminated.

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Jason Dufner’s wound healed a bit more on Sunday.

In the 2011 PGA Championship, Dufner held a five-stroke lead with four holes to play only to choke it all away and eventually lose in a playoff. At the 2012 HP Byron Nelson Championship, he proved he knows how to finish.

Dufner had no room for error. If he wanted to walk away victorious, he had to outplay Dicky Pride, Joe Durant, J.J.

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Down 2-0, the A's used a gritty fourth inning rally against Tim Lincecum to score four runs and defeat the San Francisco Giants 6-2, salvaging the final game of the Bay Bridge series in San Francisco. The rally gave Bartolo Colon his fourth win of the year. Lincecum dropped to 2-4. In defeat, Melky Cabrera went 4-for-4 to raise his batting average to .353 on the season.

The Giants took an early lead on single runs in the second and third on RBIs by Joaquin Arias and Buster Posey.

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If I'll Have Another is kept from his historic Triple Crown bid, it will be by the hoofs of Dullahan. 

After winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Mario Gutierrez will mount I'll Have Another at the Belmont Stakes just 1.5 miles from eternal glory. With a win in that race, the colt would become the first horse in 34 years to win the Triple Crown. 

To accomplish this feat, he will likely do so against many horses he has yet to run against in his previous two Triple Crown wins.

For starters, Bodemeister has been ruled out, and The Sporting News reported that the only horse who ran in the Preakness with I'll Have Another that is likely to run in the Belmont will be Optimizer.

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Ryan Briscoe was the shocking winner of the 2012 Indy 500 qualifying, posting a four-lap average of 226.484 mph. In the closest qualifying in Indy 500 history, Briscoe edged James Hinchcliffe by .0023 seconds in the 10-mile qualification run to claim the first Indy pole victory of his career.

Hinchcliffe had this to say about his narrow loss, per the AP:

"It's a gust of wind, it's a shadow over a part of the track," Hinchcliffe said, before holding up his name card and explaining that was the distance. "I'm going to lose a little bit of sleep at how small the margin was to Ryan.

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LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were historically amazing for the Miami Heat in Sunday's 101-93 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Which, in the big picture, might actually be a bad thing.

The Heat's two standing superstars combined for 70 points, including a stretch in the second half during which they scored 38 straight points for Miami. Wade followed up one of the worst games of his playoff career (five points, five turnovers in Game 3) with one of the best. He scored eight points on just 3-of-10 shooting in the first half but finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists (and no turnovers).

But even that performance paled in comparison to what LeBron did to the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

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Famous athletes and superstars may come across as obnoxious when they spend their earnings on seemingly superfluous items like jewelry and fancy cars, but if you were given several million dollars to spend before you could legally rent a car, even the most reserved would be temped to have a little fun with their money. 

In addition, many of these athletes come from inner cities and low-income families. Earning several million dollars so quickly can be overwhelming and drive players to spend with reckless abandon. 

Here are some of the biggest gaudy purchases in NFL history.

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WWE Over The Limit will feature John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis in the main event.

We are all certain of the outcome—Johnny Ace will win with an interference from a superstar that can avoid the stipulation put down by the board of directors (any superstar that interferes in the match will be fired).

I have come up with five people who could get involved tonight without falling victim to the stipulation and people who might benefit from a firing angle.

Enjoy!

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The Phoenix Coyotes have been out shot by the Los Angeles Kings in each of their four Western Conference playoff games thus far.

If the Coyotes want to win Game 5, and extend the series, they must shoot the puck early an often.

Let's take a look at how Phoenix won Game 4 and how they can win Game 5.

Coyotes' Game 4 Victory

Phoenix won Game 4 despite getting outshot by the Kings in every period.

If the Coyotes can pick up their offensive pace in Game 5, they will continue this series. Without it, the Coyotes will need to rely on their defense and goalie Mike Smith to win the game.

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CM Punk and Daniel Bryan may not be the headliners at WWE Over the Limit 2012, but they will certainly put on a show worth the top billing.

Unfortunately, as much as I like John Cena and as interesting as his matchup with general manager John Laurinaitis will be, there is no way they're going to be able to put on the kind of wrestling match that Bryan and Punk will be able to.

It's not even possible. The real intrigue and entertainment regarding Cena versus Laurinaitis will be in the fact that it's the face of the company going against the general manager, and Big Johnny will get fired if he loses.

Nobody will be watching that match for the wrestling or technique...

On the other hand, Punk versus Bryan will be arguably one of the better matches we've seen in a long time, as both superstars are at their very best as far as technique and skill is concerned.

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Edinson Cavani is the real deal.

Napoli's star scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over Juventus to win the Italian Cup final on Sunday. The victory was the club's first hardware in 22 years and fourth in club history.

Cavani's goal came in the 63rd minute of a scoreless game. His goal allowed Napoli to relax and play their game.

It forced Juventus—who isn't used to being on the losing side of things this season—to be more aggressive, which led to counter-attack options for Napoli when they decided the time was right.

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It's time to face the fact that John Cena vs. John Laurinaitis will be the main event, thanks to all the hype it's gotten, the fact that Cena is the main guy in the WWE right now and that this match has the potential to change a lot of stuff in the WWE (kayfabe, at least).

And I'm 95 percent sure that the match will end with someone interfering (who is already fired, or not even a superstar), helping Laurinaitis get the win.

The WWE is known for being surprising, so there are a lot of potential people who could be that mystery person and help Johnny stay hired.

Let's do it!

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The New York Rangers took Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals 3-0 against the rival New Jersey Devils just like they did in Game 1. 

After two scoreless periods, Dan Girardi opened the scoring in the third, Chris Kreider followed up with a deflection and Ryan Callahan netted an empty-net goal to seal the deal.

The Devils were very aggressive early on in the game and that was illustrated by their shots on goal. However, the Rangers were able to capitalize on the Devils’ inability to capitalize on scoring chances.

With the puck set to drop at 8:00 p.m.

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Since 1977, the Toronto Blue Jays have been an organization known for putting a large emphasis on drafting and development. 

To be clear, the term "homegrown" in at least one writer's mind means a player drafted by that team, developed by the team and then eventually paying dividends in the major leagues. 

We could do a whole other list of the best Canadian Blue Jays but it would be much less interesting.

So here, without further ado, is a look at the best homegrown Blue Jays since the franchise's inception.

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Dwayne Wade summoned up the D-Wade of old and poured in 30 points to assist Lebron James' 40 points, 18 rebound 9 assist performance to lead the Miami Heat to a 100-93 win over the Indiana Pacers and tie the series at 2-2.

The beginning of the game started to look like a repeat of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals when the Pacers came out to a 25-18 first quarter lead. The Pacers then kept that lead going into the half with an 8-point spread.

Then it happened.

In the second half, James and Wade exploded with 38 consecutive points and served notice to everyone that had doubted them:

They were not ready to go away just yet.

Wade stepped up hitting jump shots, slashing layups and some extremely difficult shots.

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We've all heard the narrative by now. When Ryan Broyles, all-time NCAA leader in receptions, went down with a knee explosion (medical term, of course) against Texas A&M last season, Landry Jones didn't throw a touchdown pass in another game the rest of year.

The knee-jerk judgment passed by most of Sooner Nation—including myself—was that Jones just isn't that good of a quarterback. He was all-world with his safety blanket Broyles in the slot, but got exposed as a phony without him. He was labeled a "system" guy, the scarlet letter for college quarterbacks. His Heisman status and draft stock were adjusted accordingly.

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The crowd at Staples Center in Los Angeles was ready for a party, but the Phoenix Coyotes played spoiler on Sunday with a 2-0 shutout victory over the Kings.

Shane Doan had both goals for Phoenix, while goalie Mike Smith was busy—stopping all 36 shots the Kings fired his way.

The game marks L.A.'s second loss of these playoffs, as the series now shifts back to Arizona on Tuesday for Game 5.

With the way the Kings have been rolling in this postseason, it was almost a given that the Clarence Campbell Bowl would be presented after the game.

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Eden Hazard is a big deal.

The 21-year old future superstar recorded a hat-trick on Sunday in his final game in a Lille uniform. It’s no wonder why the bosses of the Premier League want this kid on their club. Chelsea, though, sounds primed to blow its competition for Hazard out of the water with an offer that he can’t refuse.

Simon Mullock of Mirror Football reported that, according to sources, Hazard's agent John Bico traveled to London to get a contract done with the Blues. Hazard wouldn’t just be signing any contract.

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Chelsea have confirmed that Champions League and FA Cup-winning interim manager Roberto Di Matteo will be in the running for the manager's job at the club.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck announced that Di Matteo's success meant he would be seriously considered:

Robbie has done an amazing job. He has enabled the players to get back the confidence they used to have. He's really got them performing. Roberto is certainly in the mix; he's done a great job and has to have serious consideration.

Speaking after the match, Di Matteo declined to comment on the situation, but it's clear that he is as much in the dark as the rest of the footballing world.

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Kevin Durant's game-deciding three-pointer in Game 4 may be this postseason's most defining moment yet—but it was Russell Westbrook's 10-point fourth quarter that made such a shot even thinkable. With the Los Angeles Lakers seemingly on their way to a second consecutive victory, the Oklahoma City Thunder rode a 22-8 fourth-quarter run to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Westbrook and Durant will follow up their combined 68-point masterpiece in Oklahoma City, with a chance to cut short Kobe Bryant's hopes for a sixth title.

It's beginning to look more and more like the Thunder have replaced the Lakers as the Western Conference's other team to beat, joining the streaking San Antonio Spurs. Still, if there's any team that can stay alive when the odds aren't in their favor, it's the team with Kobe Bryant on it.

Bryant has had an up-and-down series, depending in large part on how many times he gets to the free-throw line.

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The Lake Show suffered another gut-wrenching loss at the hands of the Thunder on Saturday. L.A.’s late collapse was frighteningly similar to the Game 2 loss in OKC on Wednesday, which raises questions about their ability to perform in crunch time. The loss leaves the 16-time NBA champions with their back against the wall heading into Monday’s showdown in Oklahoma City. 

Here are some Lakers’ takeaways.

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It's a tricky situation Sheamus finds himself in, having to defend his World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way match where he could unjustly lose if someone else gets pinned, or he happens to get ganged up on at some point.

It's a sticky situation for Sheamus, no two ways about that.

And that is why, if the WWE is serious about putting him over, it makes the most sense to have him overcome the hurdle and simply beat the crap out of his three opponents in the end to ensure he keeps his title and does so in style.

What motivation does the WWE have for giving the title to Chris Jericho, an aging superstar who's done well to put over some of the younger talent in recent memory and may not be with the company much longer? There's another way to give the ole wily vet a glorious send-off, but this isn't it.

Same with Randy Orton.

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The most unfortunate thing ever for a WWE fan would be missing the 2012 version of Over the Limit because you couldn't find a television or pay-per-view available.

OK, so maybe it wouldn't be the most unfortunate thing ever (alligator attacks and getting stuck in an elevator with a rabid gorilla come to mind), but it would be tragic nonetheless. Especially for a die-hard WWE fan...

Thankfully, there are other options available to you if you can't watch Over the Limit via the traditional outlet: the television.

Lucky for you, if you're reading this, there is about a 99.9 percent chance that you're connected to the Internet in some way, shape or form.

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The dust has finally settled on the NFL offseason, and the Miami Dolphins can finally exhale. 

Although Ryan Tannehill's arrival has generated excitement and positive energy, the Dolphins were the laughingstock of the league a few short weeks ago. 

Fans literally rebelled when the Dolphins failed to land Jeff Fisher, Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn, and then, traded Brandon Marshall for a pair of draft picks. 

It seems like an eternity ago, doesn't it?

Thankfully, Jeff Ireland made up for his team's abhorrent offseason with a strong draft and some wise acquisitions. 

Here's a look at the best and the worst of Miami's hectic offseason.

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Even before he single-handedly sculpted a 2-0 advantage that would soon morph into a season-saving victory for the Phoenix Coyotes, Shane Doan set the tone for the day by preventing an early Los Angeles Kings icebreaker.

Sunday’s Game 4 of the Western Conference finals was only 75 seconds old when Doan watched his fellow Phoenix veteran, Ray Whitney, go to the sin bin for roughing.

Not only was the eldest member of the Coyotes taking a penalty in the wee phases of an elimination game, he was doing so by letting a Los Angeles rookie—Slava Voynov, who started this season with AHL Manchester—get the better of his emotions during a routine scrum along the boards.

If the Coyotes wanted any odds-defying shot at reversing the course of this series, they needed a reversal to the course of Sunday’s game without fail.

Enter Captain Doan, who would place fourth on the team with 22 minutes and 35 seconds of ice time on the day. The Kings would manage four attempted shots on their first power play, including two on net, but Doan also managed to get his stick on two traveling pucks before clearing the zone.

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With a win today in Denver, the Mariners finished their 10-game road trip with a record of 4-6. 

Sure, the Mariners handled a nearly 40-year-old Andy Pettitte and swept through the Rockies, but let's not forget they lost by four runs or more at least five times and saw a potential win against Cleveland turn into a loss in extra innings.

On the bright side, the Mariners did manage to save face on the final leg of their journey. Winning the series in Colorado helped salvage the trip, as their once-dormant bats came to life with an offensive explosion over the weekend. 

Before heading out on this trip, I outlined a few key points the M's needed to follow in order to have a successful trip. By the end, they managed to pull through on a few, but it came down to the wire in some cases.

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The Miami Heat's stars played like it in the second half. They scored 34 straight points from the second quarter to the third quarter. Especially big in this sequence was Dwyane Wade's revival. The Heat rode this sequence to a 101-93 victory in Game 4

After playing well beneath his ability for Game 3, and much of Game 4, Wade finally woke up in the third quarter. At that point the Heat took control of the game.

LeBron James was his normal awesome, underappreciated and nearly unstoppable self.

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It's been a pretty busy couple of weeks for Impact Wrestling (or TNA Wrestling, whatever floats your boat).

The company had been fairly stagnant recently, although you could make the argument that the booking has improved since the departure of Vince Russo, and it was hard to see anything happening that would take the company to the next level.

However, with a whirlwind couple of weeks of newsworthy events, Impact Wrestling finds itself in a position to do some things that could lead to some much-needed growth for the company.

Here's a look at what's been happening and what it could mean for the company.

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WWE Over The Limit 2012 only has five matches on the card up to now.

For a three-hour show, that is not many to work with.

Unless the WWE have had a complete change of heart and are going to give each match the time it deserves to shine, we can surely expect some filler matches to enter the fray.

None will be show-stealers, of that I am sure, but they could be a lot of fun and serve as a comedown between big-time matches such as CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan.

I have listed the five most likely spontaneous matches we will see at Over The Limit tonight.

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"Explosive" is the word that aptly describes former Virginia Tech running back and New York Giants first-round draft selection David Wilson, a 5'10", 206-pound blur that can change the game with one play because of his rare blend of speed, balance and power.

Wilson comes to the Giants as a replacement for running back Brandon Jacobs, who left for the San Francisco 49ers. Jacobs was a bulldozing running back that had the size of a linebacker and deceptive speed, an ideal complement to teammate Ahmad Bradshaw.

Bradshaw is a smaller back that has some home-run ability (even though injuries have robbed him of some speed) and quick feet that enable him to bounce from hole to hole in hopes of springing free into the open field. But with Jacobs gone, there are concerns about the team's running back stable, even with recently drafted Wilson at the helm.

When the team selected Wilson in the first round, many questioned the pick.

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