http://www.realclearsports.com/ en Copyright 2008 Sat, 26 May 2012 00:47:09 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.33 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 25 May 2012 04:38:00 -0500 Greg Cote, Miami Herald This series was never about the easy storylines and ancillary noise. It wasn't about what team was tougher or which was "soft." Was never about who was flopping or who was more physical. Wasn't even about the flagrant fouls, suspensions, trash talking or dripping blood. Peel away all that static and distill to the essence and this Heat-Pacers second-round playoff series was about what Thursday night's deciding Game"‰6 here was about. Just this: Miami was better. Was all along, and showed it. Miami was the team missing major players Chris Bosh...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/drama_aside_heat_simply_more_talented_102075.html http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/24/2816399/even-without-chris-bosh-or-udonis.html 100102075 AM Update 139276 Fri, 25 May 2012 04:39:06 -0500 Zach Lowe, Point Forward The Boston-Philadelphia second-round series is a battle between two bad offensive teams and two great defensive teams, and so the games have mostly been close and low-scoring. There has been one blowout, in the Celtics' favor, but these teams are so close and the chances of an offensive explosion so low that even a wheezing, limping version of one of them could walk out with a win in Game 7 given a bit of luck and good shooting. That's good news for Boston, which is wheezing and limping home after the double blow of losing Game 6 on Wednesday in Philadelphia and likely...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/injuries_starting_to_catch_up_to_celtics_102067.html http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012/05/24/celtics-76ers/?eref=si_writers 100102067 AM Update 139250 Fri, 25 May 2012 06:34:24 -0500 Adam Kilgore, Washington Post Earlier this month, in Cincinnati, Bryce Harper joined several teammates strolling from the stadium to the team hotel. The group included Ryan Zimmerman, Xavier Nady and Adam LaRoche, all of them in a different stage of life from Harper. On the field, where he has quickly become a star, the Washington Nationals disregard his age. On this walk home, where his 19 years made him something like a little brother, playful conversation turned toward the topic.]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/nats039_harper_fitting_right_in_with_teammates_102088.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/bryce-harper-performing-beyond-his-years-for-the-washington-nationals/2012/05/24/gJQA4JyJoU_story.html 100102088 AM Update 139046 Fri, 25 May 2012 01:21:00 -0500 Pat Leonard, NY Daily News Not every team pushed to the brink of elimination responds with a desperate, spirited defense of its season, and not every team that has everything on the line succeeds. But the Rangers have survived through 19 games and counting this postseason by thriving with their backs against the wall — or, even more bluntly, it could be argued the Blueshirts now play their best hockey only when they absolutely have to.]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/rangers_used_to_having_backs_against_the_wall_102078.html http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/ny-rangers-show-blue-red-article-1.1084372 100102078 AM Update 139280 Fri, 25 May 2012 06:35:55 -0500 Dan Bickley, Arizona Republic First, the ugly: When the Coyotes' captain and teammate Martin Hanzal turned the ceremonial handshake line into confrontational exchanges with Brown, they breached the NHL's code of honor. The handshake line is one of the sacred, quirky traditions that make the NHL special. It demands instant sportsmanship regardless of what just transpired. Circumstances don't matter. That's the whole point. Doan said it wasn't as bad as it looks. He claims Brown wanted to tell his side of the story, which only infuriated Doan even more. "Brownie wanted to explain himself,...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/coyotes039_fine_season_ends_on_sour_note_102083.html http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/2012/05/24/20120524phoenix-coyotes-wrap-year-high-low-notes.html 100102083 AM Update 139292 Fri, 25 May 2012 06:37:35 -0500 Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times The Kings were five points out of a playoff spot and stood a wobbly 11th in the Western Conference on Dec. 22, the day Darryl Sutter made his debut as their coach. The team he took over was flailing. General Manager Dean Lombardi thought he had acquired the final pieces for a contender six months earlier when he traded for center Mike Richards and signed free-agent winger Simon Gagne, but the offense was sputtering. Coach Terry Murray's defense-oriented foundation had become the team's ceiling, leaving no room for skill or creativity. Player confidence sagged.]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/sutter_hiring_key_to_kings039_season_102086.html http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-kings-season-keys-20120525,0,5141734.column 100102086 AM Update 139298 Fri, 25 May 2012 03:55:25 -0500 Darnell Mayberry, Oklahoman According to guard Russell Westbrook, the Thunder was terrible at taking care of the ball when its coach harped on it during the regular season. But when Brooks piped down in the playoffs, Oklahoma City immediately enjoyed better ball security. Which explains why Durant playfully suggested for his coach to put a sock in it. “We'll probably be a better team,” Durant joked. Brooks is on board with his two All-Stars. “Usually, I don't agree with either of those guys much, but they're telling the truth. I haven't mentioned the turnovers at...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/thunder_thriving_by_taking_care_of_the_ball_102087.html http://newsok.com/okc-thunder-kevin-durant-russell-westbrook-want-to-keep-coach-quiet/article/3678319 100102087 AM Update 139301 Fri, 25 May 2012 04:34:43 -0500 Ron Borges, Boston Herald For all the talk about what Rajon Rondo [stats] didn’t do in Game 6 and what he must do in Game 7 for the Celtics [team stats] to move on to the Eastern Conference finals, one could say the same things about Kevin Garnett. Garnett is at least as critical in his own way to the Celtics as Rondo, because not only how he plays but where he plays dictates much of how the night goes for their offense. This has been especially true against the feisty Philadelphia 76ers [team stats], who have no solutions for Garnett when he is squatting on the low block, demanding the ball and creating...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/garnett_must_establish_himself_down_low_102089.html http://bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1061134104&position=0 100102089 AM Update 139127 Fri, 25 May 2012 03:21:10 -0500 Jon Paul Morosi, Fox Sports Three years ago, baseball had a cadre of talented catchers in their primes. Minnesota's Joe Mauer was the American League MVP, after winning his third batting title and establishing a career high with 28 home runs. The hard-working Victor Martinez started 82 games behind the plate, with stellar overall production (.303, 23 homers, 108 RBI) for the Indians and Red Sox. Brian McCann and Miguel Montero checked off three boxes that would satisfy just about any general manager — left-handed, power bat, still in their 20s. Both players set career highs in RBI that season for...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/era_of_great_offensive_catcher_is_gone_102085.html http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/mlb-catchers-no-longer-the-power-hitters-they-once-were-052412 100102085 AM Update 139295 Fri, 25 May 2012 06:37:45 -0500 Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune The ship is sinking, and no one seems to be feeling much urgency to save it. Oh, Dale Sveum and his bosses with the Cubs would like more victories. But management isn't going to throw anyone a lifeline, not with so little to gain with a move toward the middle of the pack.]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/no_help_coming_for_cubs_anytime_soon_102084.html http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-0525-rogers-cubs-chicago--20120525,0,5980817.column 100102084 AM Update 139293 Fri, 25 May 2012 02:35:16 -0500 Drew Sharp, Detroit Free Press Fueled more through adrenaline than annoyance, Justin Verlander rocked the radar gun on his final pitches Thursday. His velocity reached an ungodly 102 m.p.h. -- on what would be his 116th pitch of the afternoon. Verlander hoped the fiery plume of his fastball might ignite the fuse and awaken the Tigers from their offensive slumber. It didn't. But perhaps his postgame call for urgency will snap this team out of its funk. "We've got to find our groove, and we've got to find it quickly," Verlander said following a 2-1 loss to first-place Cleveland. "We're...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/verlander_feeling_urgency_for_tigers_wins_102082.html http://www.freep.com/article/20120525/COL08/205250397/1089/rss18 100102082 AM Update 139291 Fri, 25 May 2012 02:05:00 -0500 Terry Pluto, Cleveland Plain Dealer When Chris Perez stood on the mound in the ninth inning, he felt it. The Tribe closer knew he was three outs away from something special, three outs away from his team sweeping three games from the Detroit Tigers. "I thought about how we were so close to beating Verlander," said Perez after he saved the Tribe's 2-1 victory over Detroit.]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/closer_perez_caps_indians039_amazing_week_102080.html http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/05/indians_perez_puts_exclamation.html 100102080 AM Update 139286 Fri, 25 May 2012 02:01:42 -0500 Scott Cacciola, Wall Street Journal On a warm afternoon in late March, Georges Forgeois, a New York City restaurateur with big dreams for his son in the hypercompetitive world of open-wheel auto racing, stood atop a set of temporary bleachers at a converted airport on Florida's Gulf Coast, trying not to ponder the imponderable.]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/reaching_indy_500_an_expensive_endeavor_102079.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304840904577424282755063466.html 100102079 AM Update 139285 Thu, 24 May 2012 23:18:00 -0500 Paul Newberry, Associated Press James Hinchcliffe can't understand it. In this sports-crazed nation, there are skilled athletes who willingly get behind the wheel of exotic-looking race cars and risk their lives at more than 200 mph, yet the interest level in what they're doing 364 days out of the year can be measured on a scale that starts at Zero, goes up to Negligible and roughly peaks out at Where's Danica. "IndyCar is the best-kept secret in sports," Hinchcliffe moaned Thursday from the infield at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "It's infuriating." For a few hours Sunday, he...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/how_to_make_indycar_relevant_beyond_500_102074.html http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAR_INDYCAR_PAUL_NEWBERRY_052412?SITE=VTBEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT 100102074 AM Update 139261 Fri, 25 May 2012 02:31:49 -0500 Art Spander, RealClearSports On the front sports page of Thursday's USA Today, three headlines: "NBA Suspends Heat's Haslem for Game 6,'' "The Problem of Slow Play'' and "Players Sue NFL, Claim Collusion Over Cap." This is the toy department of life? A rush to the laptop. At ESPN.com, "NFL Players Union Chief Says Group's Claim of Collusion Will Stand Up in Court.'' The story: "Doug O'Neill, the trainer of Triple Crown hopeful I'll Have Another, was suspended 45 days after one of his horses had an excessive level of carbon...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/sports_people_on_court_not_in_court_102081.html http://www.realclearsports.com/articles/2012/05/25/sports_people_on_court_not_in_court_97699.html 200102081 AM Update 139290 Fri, 25 May 2012 04:38:38 -0500 Brian Phillips, Grantland If you take the long view with Chelsea "” the view that starts on the day Roman Abramovich first wrote his name on the club in 2003 "” the amazing thing isn't that they won the Champions League but that they won it the way they did "” as underdogs, riding on luck and drama. Consider: 1. Chelsea became the champions of Europe while finishing in sixth place in their own country, the worst domestic-league finish of any team since the European Champion Clubs' Cup became the Champions League in 1992. If they hadn't won...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/chelsea_from_goliath_to_david_to_cinderella_102072.html http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7967500/fernando-torres-didier-drogba-chelsea-unlikely-champions-league-run 100102072 AM Update 139254 Fri, 25 May 2012 04:44:37 -0500 Grant Wahl, Sports Illustrated Clint Dempsey leans forward in his seat and tells a story. Back in his hometown of Nacogdoches, Texas, during his days in the second grade, an old, crusty gym teacher named Coach Long staged a kickball game one afternoon between the boys and the girls. Dempsey played hard, just like he always does, but then came an unexpected twist. "Coach Long cheated and let the girls win," Dempsey says, "and I jumped up and tried to punch him." There were consequences, of course: Dempsey said he "got pops" at both the principal's office and at home that night, and...]]> http://www.realclearsports.com/2012/05/25/hungry_dempsey_craves_new_challenge_102069.html http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/grant_wahl/05/24/us.scotland.preview/index.html?eref=si_writers 100102069 AM Update 139252