My client, the Wisconsin Badgers, CONQUERED the streak!

yeah, well...I don't have a dog in that fight and don't really care about any of the teams....well I guess I SORT of root for Duke since I know a couple people who actually went to school there. But I admire perfection, and support excellence and I really, really wanted to see Kentucky win out, for that reason.

Opening day for the New York Mets ended well. Hopefully it will be a good omen for the rest of the season.

Milwaukee got utterly wrecked 10-0 by Colorado.

Most certainly NOT a good sign for the rest of the season.

Wisconsin had it and they gave it away. It's like the Packers-Seahawks game all over again.

This fucking hurts.

Yeah, I'm not really into sports at all. I can honestly say the Wild aren't ever gonna get a Stanley Cup. It's called "Minnesota Sports Syndrome". The Vikings got into the Super Bowl twice, and guess what, they failed both times. The Twins haven't won a single World Series since the year the grunge revolution came into being. The Timberwolves just plain suck, and who's ever heard of the Swarm lacrosse team anyway? The Wild have no chance of ever getting their fifteen minutes of fame.

What an interesting way to enter a sports thread.



They have lost four SB's.



Other than Duke for nonathletic reasons, are people really that familiar with any lacrosse team?

Oops! I guess sports isn't part of my expertise! I don't even know much about a football team from my own state! Thanks for pointing those out, man. Still, Minnesota sports teams are notorious for being very bad.

Well, can't be as bad as the entirety of Scotland We're great at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, generally lose anything we should win when it comes to team sports. Look at this year's Six Nations championship, for example: we could have won three of our five games but instead got whitewashed.

On the plus side, we do win when it comes to cycling and swimming, and no one else plays shinty so I guess we win that by default

From that other hockey thread that drifted to talking about NHL expansion: Las Vegas That is all.

I'd personally love to see the NHL get to 32 teams, but that's mostly because I grew up with football so I'm just used to there being more teams. I mean, that's the entire reason that fucking retarded realignment happened, right? If I had it my way, I'd move Florida and Arizona out of their markets that just do not give one single fuck about them (Tampa Bay can stay because they're good and people care about them), and with a combination of moving those teams and adding two more, I'd give Seattle, Quebec, and uh... I dunno, Ontario and some other Canadian city? Ya know, just places people will care. It'd be easier if Canada had more than like seven major cities in the whole country, three or four of which are all right in spitting distance of one another.

If they needed to add another team in the Western Conference apart of Las Vegas and Seatlle, it should be Saskatoon.

Tuned in to the Mariners game late to see... A 10-10 tie. Wow.

Well I mean for all I care they could put two more teams on the east coast and then just give Detroit and Colombus back to us, just uneven conferences are the bane of my existence and there was absolutely no reason to realign the league like this until the proposed two other teams actually join the league.

I would absolutely love Saskatoon! Seattle is more than welcome too. One question: why is Portland being ignored? They were ready to take the Senators away before Eugene Melnyk saved the day. A team would be much, much better cared for in Portland than in Las Vegas.

As an American with family in Oregon, and who is in tune enough with sports to know of the exploits of the Ducks and Blazers... really we all just forget Portland exists. The west coast is all California and Seattle. The rest is a myth.

Tonight is the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League finals between CF América and Impact de Montréal. I have been a IMFC fan since their debuts in the MLS and regularly attend the games. I went to the Olympic Stadium twice this year to see the incredible quarter finals against CF Pachuca (the equalizing goal that brought IMFC to the semi-finals against LD Alajuelense was scored in the fourth minute of overtime) and the home opener against Orlando City SC (which ended in a draw, too). I will go to a bar with a couple of other fans tonight to watch the game at Estadio Azteca. There are probably 104,000 fans there tonight. I hope this time, people won't behave like psychopaths and throw objects such as lighters towards the players and fans of the away team as it happened in the semi-finals. I have my ticket for the second leg at the Olympic Stadium next week. The stadium sold out in only two weeks (a crowd of 59,020 fans) and they could have sold much more. It's great to see that soccer is getting more and more popular in Canada, too.

Who do you folks think will win the Champions League? I'll be rooting for Juventus but I think Bayern will take the cup.

Anyone into boxing? Any predictions on Pacquiao/Mayweather? I don't think there's a chance we'll see anything other than a decision win for Mayweather, but I'd like to hear what others say about it.

Baltimore Orioles played their latest home game in an empty stadium. Now they know how the Florida Panthers feel.

Well, the Mavs were bounced out in the first round. I don't care for Houston or Memphis, and I can't say that I like any team out east. I don't hate Lebron, but I'm not a fan either. I'd like to see either Curry or Paul get their first ring though I'd also be fine with the Spurs picking up another. I'd really like to see the NBA as a whole take more note of how San Antonio has been winning the last several years, more of a balance rather than top-heavy.

As much as I hate to say it, I think you're right. As much as I'd love Mayweather to get his teeth knocked out, I don't think Pac will be able to touch him (especially in the later rounds), and I don't think he'll be able to knock Pac out either. I hope I'm wrong, though.

That's pretty much it, yeah. If this fight had happened a few years back when Pac still had those quick hands and power, it would have been much closer, but right now I don't think he has a chance. Mayweather doesn't have the power or even initiate with any regularity anymore, so he's not knocking Pac out. Which is sad, because Mayweather will once again bore the world into a decision win and then run his mouth about how he's the best ever. I wouldn't mind him saying that if he performed like the best ever, but that's not the case.


Kind of bummed the Mavs got out early (if only because fellow compatriot Barea plays there and let's not talk about that performance in the last game) but I expected it. Mavs weren't going to be able to handle Harden and a healthy Howard. Houston I don't care for either but I'd like a deep run for Memphis, mainly because I really like the Gasol brothers and I'd like at least one of them to have a ring. Naturally, I support the Bulls for that same reason. As for the Spurs, I wouldn't like them getting another title, I don't like it when a team wins too much and the Spurs have won their fair share these past few years. I like to see new faces in the finals and new champion teams each year, for variety's sake, I guess. I'd like the Warriors to be in the finals (I did say a couple years back that the Warriors would be scary in a few years) but I don't know if they'll make it, something about them makes me think they are not going to perform well in series against more experienced teams in playoffs.

Glad to see at least one other metalhead that enjoys basketball, it's refreshing.

Literally every single person on the planet says the same thing about this fight: "I want Pacquiao to win but I know Mayweather will, and this would have been a much better fight if it happened five years ago like it was supposed to". I say the same thing as well. I'm not much of a boxing fan and I want to not watch it out of protest because Mayweather sickens me as a human being, but my buddy is buying it so it's not like I'd be costing them a sale by not watching, so I might as well go over, have a few drinks and just get sucked into the hype. I mean, this could very well be the last time the country at large ever gives a shit about boxing.

I couldn't care about this fight if it had happened five years ago either. Floyd will predictably win a boring decision while everyone who blew a hundred bucks on a PPV purchase will be wishing they had used that money for a better purpose.

Instead, I'm focused on the Kentucky Derby! American Pharaoh is the favorite but I'm picking Dortmund.

Is this box fight going to start at a certain point or are they talking all night long until I have fallen asleep?

According to reports, I was right. Floyd wins with a mostly lackluster decision.

Hardly a bold prediction, basically everyone was saying that was what was going to happen. That didn't stop countless people from paying for it and be disappointed. Full disclosure, I didn't get to see it either, but initial reports say it wasn't good at all.

Well, that's probably the end of boxing. I'm so glad i didn't spend any money to watch Mayweather defend his way to another win.

I convinced my brother not to drop the 100 bucks on the fight, and I got a text after Mayweather won thanking me. That fight was, as a few here already noted, exactly as everyone expected.

Psst, Pau Gasol already won two rings with Kobe. At his point in his career, I'm expecting him to help Derrick Rose get his ring. Not this season though, Golden State Warriors are gonna take it this year. Curry/Thompson is pretty much the undisputed best front court this season, Bogut and Green are incredibly tough interior defenders with high bball IQ and passing ability, and we finally have a good bench and coach who has an actual playbook.

It was a good fight technically. I think the hype drew a lot of casual fans / non-boxing fans that were disappointed they got a boxing match when they expected a backyard brawl. I personally was on the edge of my seat for every single exchange.

There's no pleasing some people. It was predicted that Manny would lose because he has a tendency to be reckless, a crucial mistake to make against Floyd Mayweather. Now he plays it safe and people criticize for him not being aggressive enough and taking risks. Had he done that he'd certainly have lost and he knew it.



I'm guessing that when people say that this fight has buried boxing when it was meant to resurrect it and that Dana White is the real winner here, they mean to say that boxing is dead to the average sports fan. Otherwise I can't agree with it. Boxing has been more niche than other sports for a while now. Just because people that previously weren't into the sport didn't magically get converted by this overhyped fight, it doesn't mean the sport is decidedly dead. For every John Doe that spent his evening watching NBA instead of boxing, there's a kid in an amateur gym training for the love of the sport and the character it builds. And what does 'dead' even mean, anyway? Every day it's a new reason. Today boxing is dead because Pacquiao - Mayweather wasn't a bloodbath and therefore didn't entertain. Yesterday it was because of corrupt promoters / judges / refs and the tedious 4-organization system. Tomorrow it will be because of how archaic and limited boxing is as a combat form when compared to mixed martial arts, because more effective in a street fight = better sport, right?

In truth, I get the appeal of MMA (as a fan myself). It's the complete package: a display of great technical skill coupled with the brutality that sports fans demand. But it's not that boxing doesn't have aggressive / entertaining fighters. Floyd Mayweather is one man! Outside of the jab-fests that are heavyweight bouts these days, most pro boxing fights are still highly entertaining. Besides, effective defense is a criterion of judging in the UFC, so in theory a style like Floyd's is still capable of winning fights in the octagon. The only reason we haven't seen it yet is because no one is remotely skilled enough to even try and pull it off.

UFC isn't doing much better though. May 23rd was supposed to have the best fight card in a long time (mostly because the cards have generally been shitty the past few years), but Jon Jones decides to be a dumbass and Khabib decides to get injured. It will still be a pretty good card, but the sport has definitely been in decline. All of the outside of the ring dumbassery and drug problems have been increasing and the amount of entertaining fighters has been decreasing. The sport has now been overrun with wrestlers who like to just sit on top of people to win points and not actually finish them.

I'm sure that the UFC will stick around for quite a while, but I know that a lot of fans have been getting a little fed up with it.

Hmm. Never thought about that casual fans bit. That would explain a lot. However (and this is assuming Floyd's performance was similar to previous fights, as I've yet to see this one) I would disagree that he presented a good fight, despite how polished his defensive game is. The only thing he shows on offense is accuracy, but no counter puncher could survive without accurate punching. His defense is basically a Philly shell with counter punches and occasionally holding the opponent's arm under his own to prevent body shots or hooks as they break the clinch. Makes for a difficult opponent, but not a dominating one. He isn't hard to decipher, he is hard to execute against because his style is designed to frustrate. When talking about Bernard Hopkins winning fights way past his prime, I remember someone saying something along the lines of: "He doesn't win. He makes you lose." I believe that statement fits Mayweather. I enjoy defensive fighters, but Mayweather's style I find excruciatingly boring. Different strokes.

Honestly, I would have liked to see reckless, no-holds-barred Manny on that fight, because, if the fights against Cotto and Maidana taught us something, is that Floyd struggles against constant pressure and Manny was the perfect guy for that. If he had focused on throwing 90-100 punches per round, we could have had a more interesting fight. We'll never know.


It's weird because most successful MMA fighters have lots of boxing trainers because turns out boxing has the most efficient and hardest hitting punches in all the disciplines used in MMA. It is still one of the key components.

No one has tried Floyd's style because it lacks "deterrence", so to speak. You can't just play defense there. If you don't have ways to hurt/finish fighters, you are going to get pressured right from the get go. Even Floyd gets in binds when he gets constant pressure and he only has to account for a couple hands. MMA fighters have to be on the lookout for so much more than that.


Don't get me wrong, I'd love it if the Warriors won, but playoffs are a different beast altogether. Many teams can't handle the pressure and many players there have never been in a deep run, so we'll see. It's going to get ugly, especially if you guys meet the (*insert dramatic music*) Clippers. That's going to be a great series. By the way, Steph Curry MVP, well deserved. Congrats!

Man, the Pacquiao - Floyd match was fairly boring, even for a former boxer as me. I get Floyd's style - even if I hate it, it's 'smart' - but Manny wasn't on his best shape at all. In an ideal situation, Manny should have won but he wasn't there really. Floyd was doing what he does and since the opponent didn't want to kill him, he just won via surviving. Luckily the fight was on TV for free.

Cool! Didn't know that. I did boxing for a few years in middle and high school, but always as a hobby since I am such a fan. I have a go at a punching bag every once in a while but I haven't sparred in years. I kind of miss it.

But anyway, don't leave us hanging! Details! Stories! Let's hear them! If you don't mind me asking, of course.

I didn't want to be a champ, kill posers or anything like that, but I think I was fairly decent nonetheless.

What I can say from my experience is Boxing was like any other sport: the aim was to be polish yourself to be/feel the best. I hadn't a 'kill the opponent' mindset but I can understand the ones who have it. I also think the best thing about it was the discipline and the self conciousness of my body and capabilities. I fact, I've been thinking about resuming it, but only to get in shape again.

Were you amateur or pro? I'm an amateur myself, with three exhibition bouts under my belt and a tournament coming up soon. The sport has done nothing but good for me and it's enhanced my life in so many ways. Any tips for a guy with a hard time living with defeat? (I'm 1-2).

1-2 is hardly living in defeat. With 2 wins your balance/resume will be positive.

Take into account most of those 20-0 or 30-0 guys have fixed fights for the longest time in their careers.

Hmm... I guess a simple, obvious yet useful tip I can provide is to know you enough to know what you can do well and where you suck.

For example, I was never the kind of 'fast guy' that hits and run. I knew from the start that I wouldn't do well with that strategy, so I 'hardened' myself to endure some hits before getting into range and connect. So, I basically approached in a more or less slow way trying to cover ground for range and trying to corner the other guy. In the process I was hit (in plenty sometimes) but the trick is to know how to move and cover so the damage is kept in minimum. Then when I was close enough I tried to hit. When I did, I hurt.

I never had a great jab, so I only used it mostly as fluke or to keep distance when it was needed. My right and hook instead were powerful enough. So, basically you should know what style suits you better and work hard.

Also, don't feel like an urban superman or something on the street. Be responsible with yourself and sport. I knew some guys who once trained a bit thought they could pick fights and kick some asses.

I remember a guy whose ass was destroyed by a joe in the street. This guy went to a restaurant and at the door he hit the Joe with the shoulder. Not just he didn't apologized but he was rude to the guy. He ignored him and for a weird reason the wannabe boxer got angry and pushed the Joe. Joe avoided the fight but this guy insisted, so this Joe with 2 hits sent the wannabe to the ground (this is how some people saw the incident and how the wannabe confirmed it happened). Don't wait to be asswhooped to learn this.

Really? I watched their most recent FOX outing and I didn't see a single bad fight, while the winners certainly were more than just solid good. Looking forward to the next FOX card in July (though I'm biased a bit because I want Anthony Pettis to get back in the hunt).

And as far as 187 goes, Cerrone is going to have a deceptively tricky opponent with Makdessi, Weidman is going to obliterate Belfort in entertaining fashion, and Cormier vs. Johnson is so close to call right now but looks to be great. That card is STACKED from prelims to PPV and I wish I had the money and the satellite to buy it.