Canelo Alvarez proves he’s still boss in the ring
Undisputed world super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez retained his belts with a unanimous decision win over Jaime Munguia in Las Vegas.
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1. Canelo Alvarez proves he’s still boss in the ring
Undisputed world super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez retained his belts with a unanimous decision win over Jaime Munguia in Las Vegas, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp.
Jaime Munguia never did anything to disrespect his opponent. He let his promoter do the talking for him.
But sometimes, the son pays for the sins of the father. And that appeared to be the case Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Whether or not Canelo Alvarez needed an artificial stimulant to get him sufficiently motivated to defend his world super middleweight title belts, only he knows for sure. But his dislike for his former promoter and Munguia’s current hype guy, Oscar De La Hoya, appears genuine.
If Alvarez is going to resort to using profanity in English (I guess he finally learned to speak English after all these years) when he could’ve cussed Oscar out in Spanish (De La Hoya speaks Spanish as well) during Wednesday’s final news conference, maybe he really doesn’t like Oscar. And Oscar, who has been quick to point out that he is responsible for Canelo’s rise to champion and is threatening to sue him for defamation, did his part to put some much-needed juice into the Cinco de Mayo weekend promotion.
2. Dodgers’ Andy Pages: ‘He’s made for big moments’
The Sporting Tribune's Doug Padilla writes about Dodgers rookie outfielder Andy Pagres becoming one of the team's unsung heroes this season.
The Dodgers player with the least amount of major-league experience appears to be an old soul, able to recall something of a bygone era while fully immersed in the current one.
Rookie outfielder Andy Pages had only 14 games of major league experience when he stepped on the field Friday against the Atlanta Braves. While he has not been around long enough to draw from those days of yore, he has evoked a by-any-means-necessary style.
In a time of slugging percentage and runs scored in an efficient manner, Pages offered singles to the cause. A lot of them. The 23-year-old’s first four-hit game of his blossoming career appeared, at first glance, like a pile of sticks, compared to the heavy lumber of today.
Yet, Pages was able to tortoise-and-hare his collection of offerings all the way to the finish line Friday. He closed his night with an eight-pitch at-bat that culminated with the kind of launch angle and velocity more akin to a beach ball or an egg-toss competition.
3. TST’s betting guide to the second round of the NBA playoffs
The Sporting Tribune's Danny Burke explains his betting process throughout the next stage of the NBA postseason.
There will be basketball played at Madison Square Garden in the month of May. New York fans will be able to continue exuding that boisterous energy they not only paraded at home, but in the City of Brotherly Love when they overtook the Wells Fargo Center.
The Pacers are set to face a tougher challenge, having prevailed against the injury-plagued Bucks. Nonetheless, their six-game series victory deserves recognition.
Unsurprisingly, the Knicks are the favorite to advance past this series. What is a tad shocking, though, is just how big of a favorite they are.
Most sportsbooks have New York listed around the price of -265, whereas Indiana can be found in the range of +200 to +225.
4. Golden Knights fall to Stars in Game 7 of opening round
The Golden Knights’ title defense ends with a 2-1 Game 7 loss at Dallas., writes The Sporting Tribune’s Will Despart.
The Stanley Cup’s stay in Las Vegas will be coming to a close.
The Golden Knights bowed out of the postseason Sunday afternoon, losing 2-1 to the Stars in Dallas in a cardiac inducing Game 7. The Knights went down a goal early, pulled back even midway and then got outpaced to the finish line.
“I think if you look at the whole series, the margins were slim. Game three, we didn’t like our game, we’ve acknowledged that. After that, we lost some games,” said Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy after the game.
“We to our game at times and so did they. I don’t think either team could sit here and say they dominated the series. I thought certainly, Game 6 was our best game,” Cassidy continued. “I would hope that would bleed into today and it didn’t.”
The loss brings a forgettable season for the team to a close. The top highlights from the season will likely be chalked up to their trade deadline acquisitions of cornerstones Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl, but the season was mostly defined by the amount of injuries the team battled throughout the year.
5. Reflections on Kentucky Derby: Photo finish, star jockey, risk-taking trainer
The Sporting Tribune's Louie Rabaut was at Churchill Downs and offers his reflections on Kentucky Derby 150.
The sports media world is full of hyperbole. This is especially true in 2024.
On a recent episode of ESPN’s First Take, they asked a simple question: “Did LeBron save his legacy by not getting swept by the Nuggets?”
This is, of course, a silly question. I host a two hour weekday radio program here at the ESPN affiliate in Louisville, and we have a schtick on the show of making fun of these types of segments.
We ask silly questions like “How does a three-way finish in the Kentucky Derby affect Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys? We talk about it NEXT.” Not everything is about the NFL, not everything is about the Cowboys, not everything is about LeBron’s status as one of the greatest athletes in our nation’s history.
But I’ll get the hyperbole out of the way immediately: Given all the factors, the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby is the best race I’ve ever seen.
The race itself was near-perfect. The early pace was fast, but expected; the pack was tight enough that everyone had a chance; and that finish – the first photo finish involving three horses in the Kentucky Derby since 1947. It was incredible to watch.
6. Los Angeles Sparks look optimistic in new chapter
The Los Angeles Sparks start their season against the Atlanta Dream on May 15 and look to start a new era, writes The Sporting Tribune’s Rey Moralde.
The Los Angeles Sparks will start a new era.
The departure of Nneka Ogwumike closed a chapter. But the draft brought in two new potential superstars in Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson. They also picked McKenzie Forbes in the third round. The Sparks have a lot of optimism going into this season. It is the start of the season but the vibes are good.
On Media Day, head coach Curt Miller talked about how talented their rookies are.
“(Brink) has the unique way of making people smile and making people lead with her already. She is an elite athlete for her size,” said second-year Sparks head coach Curt Miller. “Obviously, what we liked going into the draft was (Jackson’s) versatility to play multiple spots and find her opportunities to score.”
7. Video of the Day
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8. Ticket Time
Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:
7:00 p.m. – Marlins at Dodgers – $23
9. On the Air
Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region today:
3:30 p.m. – Angels at Pirates – Bally Sports West
7:00 p.m. – Marlins at Dodgers – SportsNet LA
10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune
Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Bet in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher. You can also watch every Friday on BLEAV on FuboTV.
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