Sports Talk Live: Weekend Wrap(06/09/2008) 
11:09
Ian: 
Hey everybody, sorry for the delay. We had some technical issues on this end. Whenever you guys are ready, we'll get started with NBA finals, Belmont, Nats, Euro Cup whatever.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:09 Ian
11:09
[Comment From So PainfulSo Painful: ] 
Do you think that heads will roll over at Nationals Park? If so, whose heads should it be?
Monday June 9, 2008 11:09 So Painful
11:12
Matt: 
I know everybody is feeling the heat the area today, but it might start to get even warmer for Jim Bowden if there isn't some improvement in the second half of the year. That said, I don't expect to see any major shake-up until next year at the earliest.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:12 Matt
11:15
Ian: 
Yeah, I would say yes, but I don't know who they'd can. I suppose Jim Bowden is an option, but will they really get rid of Manny Acta considering what he's had to work with? If they're going to get rid of Bowden, they might as well wait until after the seaosn. So I guess the short answer is no, I don't see it happening right now.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:15 Ian
11:15
Ian: 
That said, a potential sweep by the Giants is pretty awful.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:15 Ian
11:16
[Comment From HaydenHayden: ] 
You guys are seriously answering Nats questions with the NBA Finals and Euro 2008 in full swing? Have your Finals predictions changed after the first two games in Boston?
Monday June 9, 2008 11:16 Hayden
11:18
Matt: 
I am still sticking with the Lakers in 5. Kidding. Obviously I was wrong. I don't necessarilly think the Celtics will win the series after these first two games, though. The Lakers haven't lost at home this postseason and Boston looked pretty terrible on the road until the Pistons series. Either way, I am hoping for a 7-game series now.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:18 Matt
11:22
Ian: 
The Celtics were definitely impressive in the first two games. But before any predictions get changed we have to see how the Lakers play at home. Still, if Ray Allen keeps shooting 50 percent and Rajon Rondo averages 10 assists per game for the whole series, the Celtics might be able to steal one in L.A. (even though they don't have to). After the next two games I'll reevaluate my prediction.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:22 Ian
11:23
[Comment From DustinDustin: ] 
Last week I asked which role player would make an impact on the Finals, and no one mentioned Leon Powe. What gives?
Monday June 9, 2008 11:23 Dustin
11:25
Ian: 
He was incredible. I was wrong. Maybe the Lakers will decide to play defense next game.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:25 Ian
11:26
[Comment From HaydenHayden: ] 
After Big Brown's performance against an extremely weak field in the Belmont, I'm beginning to think that Rafael Nadal will lose in the French Open before we see a Triple Crown-winning horse. I know that's not a question; I just want to make sure you guys have enough material.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:26 Hayden
11:27
Matt: 
It's just a giant conspiracy. Powe has a great game on the same night ABC does a halftime feature on him. Coincidence? I think not.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:27 Matt
11:29
Ian: 
As for Hayden's comment: Nadal is never going to lose in the French Open. Whether we see a triple crown winner in my lifetime is still a possibility.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:29 Ian
11:30
Matt: 
Nadal may lose a set in Paris before we get a Triple Crown winner.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:30 Matt
11:36
Ian: 
Here's the problem with horse racing as I see it: the third leg is so much longer than the other two and trainers are teaching their horses to win the first two because winning the Derby and the Preakness get you fame and money as a stud while winning the Belmont just makes you a spoiler. There is no incentive to making a horse more durable because if they win these first two races as a 3-year-old, they're done. It wasn't that way when Affirmed and Seattle Slew were winning races. They raced more as 4-year-olds.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:36 Ian
11:39
Matt: 
The incentive is the boatload of cash the owner can rake in with a triple crown winner going to stud. As much as they make without the Belmont, the cash prize would so much more, and these horse owners are probably not onces to go for as much cash as possible. There will be another Triple crown winner. We've had 3 or 4 horses lose by less than a lenth in the past 10 years. It'll happen... someday.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:39 Matt
11:41
Ian: 
They make pretty much as much money as the winner of the Derby and Preakness. And if they train their horses to have more endurance and they lose the first two races, then they're done. That's all I'm saying. It's better to just be fast for a mile and an eighth.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:41 Ian
11:42
[Comment From ZZ: ] 
Besides, wasn't Real Quiet destined to win except the jockey messed up? I am sure we'll have one eventually.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:42 Z
11:43
Ian: 
Yeah, and Smarty Jones seemed to have the race won before he gassed. If he had slowed 10 yards later, he would have won. I agree that it's going to happen eventually, but I think the sport is being hurt by the huge cash incentives to win the first two races and worry about the Belmont later.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:43 Ian
11:45
Matt: 
An interesting question is if the jockey was right to let up on Big Brown? It was the humane move, but I heard Andy Beyer equate the let-up to an NBA team leaving the court with 5 minutes to go.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:45 Matt
11:47
Ian: 
Yeah, I sort of agree with Beyer and here's why (other than the fact that you never want to disagree with Beyer): I don't believe for a second that he would have pulled up had his horse been winning. But he asked Big Brown to make a surge and he couldn't. Since he knew he was going to lose, he pulled up. That's how it looked to me.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:47 Ian
11:48
[Comment From a jack of all tradesa jack of all trades: ] 
I am impressed by your knowledge of horse racing. It's not a particularly relevant sport. Let's talk about soccer.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:48 a jack of all trades
11:48
[Comment From HaydenHayden: ] 
The Group of Death kicks off in a couple of minutes here. Which two teams from that group -- Italy, France, Netherlands, and Romania -- do you like to advance to the knockout stage?
Monday June 9, 2008 11:48 Hayden
11:53
Ian: 
I'm not going to pretend to know a lot about who is going to win Euro 2008, but I'm going to take Italy because they won the World Cup and were in the finals of Euro 2000. And a quick look at Wikipedia tells me the Netherlands has made it to the knockout stage every year since 1984. So those are my picks.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:53 Ian
11:55
Matt: 
Just to be different, I'll take the French and go with Italy also. They are the highest ranked teams entering the tournament in the group. One question, have they played each other since Zidane's headbutt?
Monday June 9, 2008 11:55 Matt
11:55
[Comment From HomerHomer: ] 
I know Euro 2008 is important, but how about the US tying Argentina? Not bad, especially since they were down a man for 15 minutes or so.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:55 Homer
11:58
Matt: 
I didn't see the game between work and the NBA finals, but on the surface of the result, that bodes well for the U.S. It would still be nice to finally get a big victory across the pond in Europe.
Monday June 9, 2008 11:58 Matt
12:00
Ian: 
Since the France-Romania game is starting, we're going to wrap this up. Sorry again for the technical difficulties (you can blame Clinton who we usually thank in this spot). Thanks for the questions and we'll do this again next week.
Monday June 9, 2008 12:00 Ian
12:00



 
 
 
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