The Weekend in Review

Have you ever wished you made a bet when your gut tells you to, and you don't do it because you think that it is not the wisest thing to do. For those of you who watched the Kentucky Derby yesterday, and thought about picking Mine That Bird, are kicking yourselves today for not following your gut. A two dollar bet yielded just over $103, and the superfecta (picking the first four finishers) yielded a payout of over $555,000 for that same two dollars. There are times I wish I were a betting man. I am happy to report that there were no major injuries or complications as a result of the race this year. It looks like the sport of horse racing is truly trying to clean up the sport and make things safer for the horses. This may be too little too late. There have been far too many injuries and casualties in recent years, which has of course raised many questions and ire from activists that think that the sport inflicts cruel and unusual punishment on the horses. I believe that those that are the strongest opponents think animals deserve more rights than humans do. This is absurd. I have heard some people say that Mike Vick should face the same punishment (death) as some of his dogs did in his illegal dog fighting ring in Virginia. I know that this is old news, but with the recent release date given, it has certainly brought the case back to the thoughts and minds of those that would like to see him taken out. They would even be tempted to carry out the justice, as they would call it, themselves, stating that what he did was absolutely despicable. While I agree that it is despicable, and he certainly got what he deserved, would the vigilant act be any less so. You would only be stooping to the same level as Vick, and that is not a level that I want to be on.

Congratulations to the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks for winning there first round series in the NBA Playoffs. Both teams were able to take their series finales on there home courts this weekend. The Hawks were pretty impressive in there win today, winning be 13 points, and will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in round two. The Celtics pulled out a 10 point win in what may be considered the greatest playoff series ever. The victory was almost anti-climactic, as four of the first six games were overtime contest. I was a little disappointed that game seven did not require overtime, but none the less, the teams certainly put on a show. Thank you Boston and Chicago for such an entertaining two weeks. Boston will take on the Orlando Magic in the second round.

A quick note about the NHL Playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Detroit Red Wings in their second game 4-3 in the third overtime period to even the series 1-1. Saturday saw my Washington Capitals and Alexander the Great defeat Sid the Kid and the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Although Alex scored a goal, he was not much of a factor in the game. Simeon Varlamov was the difference for the Capitals saving 34 of 36 shots. Not bad for a rookie goalie, who took over for Jose Theodore in the Capitals dramatic first round series with the Rangers. Varlamov only gave up 7 goals in the six games he tended the net for in the first round. Jose gave of four in one game.

Here's looking forward to another great week in the world of sports. See you soon.