Sports
Spirit of the Fight
Muay Thai is a combat sport, and when you’re stepping into the ring for a world championship fight, as Kevin Ross will on May 14 in Primm, you’ve probably got plenty on your mind. But before the battle begins, Ross will take a moment to remember his best friend. After all, it was Moe Couillard who pushed Ross into the sport that has made the longtime Las Vegan a world champion. But more importantly, the memory of Couillard—who died from a heart condition in 1999—helped Ross break out of an alcoholic tailspin and return to the ring. Read more »
Place premium on pitching before stepping up to the plate
Which brings me to our national pastime. Of all the subtle nuances that go into determining the outcome of a nine-inning baseball game (and 162-game season), the most important is always pitching. And now that baseball’s leadership has finally banned performance-enhancing drugs—ridding the game of three-dimensional cartoon characters who for years launched balls over the wall at record rates—the guys holding the horsehide and standing 10 inches above everyone else on the field have become more important than ever. Read more »
Subpar field should make for interesting Derby
Twenty horses chasing one crown in a race may be the most exciting two minutes in sports. This is the Kentucky Derby. And on May 7, bettors will try to cash in on the 137th running of the event in what’s shaping up to be a wild, unpredictable first leg of the Triple Crown. Typically, a handful of horses separate themselves as the ones to beat in the annual Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs in Louisville, but that’s not the case this year. Without question, this is one of the weakest fields in recent memory and could produce one of the slowest Derby-winning times in history. Read more »
Exit the Legend
Randy Couture lifted MMA into the mainstream, and helped keep Las Vegas the fight capital when boxing hit the canvas
Every fight fan has a favorite Randy Couture story. It’s hard not to, considering the 14-year veteran and five-time UFC champion has seemingly been chiseled in as one of the faces on mixed martial arts’ Mount Rushmore since his first win, at UFC 13, in May 1997. Read more »
Still banking on common sense prevailing in NFL
I believe there will be a 2011 NFL season, even while those close to the labor dispute continue to predict doom and gloom. Local sports books, which stand to lose millions if the season gets sacked or even truncated, must share my optimism, as they continue to accept futures wagers on teams to win the AFC and NFC as well as the Super Bowl. Read more »
Separating baseball’s wheat from the chaff
The start of the 2011 baseball season hasn’t just been Charlie Sheen-crazy. It’s been Charlie Manson-crazy. Not that this is some kind of aberration; every spring there are early-season surprises. The trick is to identify which of the storylines will sustain through the dog days of summer and into the fall. Read more »
Bulls, Thunder provide profitable look at playoffs
All the Bulls did during a 44-game stretch from Jan. 8 through April 10 was post a 36-8 record, going 26-4 after Feb. 9. You know how many losses they had in their first 40 home games? Five, including just two after Dec. 21. You know what Chicago’s record was against the four other top teams in the Eastern Conference (Miami, Boston, Orlando and Atlanta)? 10-4, including 10-1 after Jan. 1. Read more »
Golf Faster!
You’ve seen that person on the golf course; in fact, you might be that person. The one who lines up each putt like it’s the 18th hole at Augusta. Or the guy who searches for a lost ball like it’s a priceless heirloom. In an attempt to save Las Vegans from five-hour rounds of 18 holes, Angel Park Golf Club is now offering Express Lane tee times on one of its two courses each Saturday morning to golfers who commit to finishing 18 holes within 3 hours and 45 minutes. Read more »
Bankroll hits high-water mark as attention turns back to NBA
If the cliché “it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish” really is true, well, just call me the Mariano Rivera of the handicapping community. Like the great Yankees relief pitcher, I know how to close the deal. Read more »
UConn to finish job behind Walker
Imagine if the NFL’s conference championship games in January had the Steelers and Jets battling for the AFC title while the Panthers and Lions were clashing for the NFC crown. Or picture a bikini contest down to the last four contestants, with Minka Kelly and Brooklyn Decker on one side of the stage … and Susan Boyle and Rosie O’Donnell occupying the other. The reason for such a hypothetical? So you can fully comprehend the improbable reality that is this year’s Final Four, which features two national powers (Connecticut vs. Kentucky) on one side of the bracket opposite two schools that aren’t exactly on the public’s radar (Virginia Commonwealth vs. Butler). Read more »
