May 2nd: Sports Extravaganza

Are you ready?  Even before the mega-fight was announced, May 2nd was packed with plenty of sports going-ons.  When that fight was announced, however, it elevated May 2nd to one of the best sports days in recent memory.  There's all sorts of stuff to watch if you're a sports fan, and I'll point out the highlights below.  Get your beer, grab a pizza, and enjoy quite the sports extravaganza.

Barclay's Premier League, Morning

If soccer is your thing, then this will be a nice way to start your ultimate sports day.  All American sports seem to be frustrating themselves with trying to find a way to prevent tanking.  Well, the BPL has a fool proof way to do so, by relegating the bottom three teams to a lower division; think of it like the minors in the US.  All three teams at the bottom of the standings (Burnley FC, Queens Park Rangers, Sunderland) will be in action on Saturday, and will be fighting for their lives with three weeks left in the season.  It might not look pretty, but the passion and effort will be at 100% and sometimes that's all you need to rally your team to a win.

NFL Draft (Rounds 4-7), Noon Eastern

This certainly won't be the most exciting thing to watch, but that doesn't mean it is not important.  It will likely be a lot of analysts talking with player names showing up on a ticker at the bottom when they are drafted.  Keep in mind, however, that difference making players can still be found in these rounds.  The two teams that played in this year's Super Bowl had a number of key players that were drafted in this area.  The Pats had Stephen Gostkowski (4th), Rob Ninkovich (5th), Tom Brady (6th), and Julian Edelman (7th), while the Seahawks had Kam Chancellor (5th), Richard Sherman (5th), Byron Maxwell (6th), and JR Sweezy (7th).  I'm not saying you should watch all the coverage, but certainly check to see who your favorite team has picked up.  He might turn into a franchise player.

Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers (Game 2), 12:30pm Eastern

While I picked, and would have liked to have seen, a New York vs New York series, this Caps/Rangers series has plenty of intrigue.  Prior to last year, these two teams met in the playoffs three straight times from 2011-13.  The Caps breezed to a 4-1 series win in 2011, but the Rangers have taken the last two with each series going seven games.  The Caps took Game One in Madison Square Garden on a last second goal.  A scuffle ensued on the final face-off and I expect that frustration and aggression to carry over into Game 2, and throughout the series.  I picked the Rangers in this series because of King Henrik, but if the Rangers don't find a way to score (scored more than 2 goals only once in six postseason games so far), then Ovechkin and the Caps might pull the upset.

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox, 1:35pm Eastern

Red Sox and Yankees is always worth a watch for any baseball fan, and it certainly helps that the Yankees and Red Sox are playing well at this point in the season.  The Red Sox reloaded after a last place finish in 2014, while the Yankees are playing well with a lot of the same cast from last year.  One of the more intriguing Yankee and MLB story lines early in the season has been Alex Rodriguez.  I thought he was going to struggle having missed all of 2014, but he has been their offensive centerpiece so far.  I also expect him to be the centerpiece of a chorus of boos from the Boston faithful.

141st Kentucky Derby, 5pm Eastern

If horse racing took as long as a baseball or football game, I would never watch it.  Thankfully, it only takes a couple minutes to run the actual race.  That's about all the time I have to watch horses run around in a circle.  When making a prediction for the Derby, I, like 99.99% of people in the world, have no real idea who is going to win.  Instead, I always choose to bet on the horse with the coolest or catchiest name.  The current favorite to win is a horse called American Pharoah.  Not only did the namers of the horse spell pharaoh wrong, but I'm just fine with sticking with a president instead of a pharaoh.  For me, the obvious choice is Ocho Ocho Ocho.

Consider that the number month (5) plus the number day (2) is seven.  The last two digits in the year is 15.  15-7=8 which just so happens to be ocho in Spanish.  Another thing to consider, it takes three wins (Derby, Belmont, and Preakness) to win the Triple Crown.  This horse's name has the same word three times.  Ocho Ocho Ocho's current odds are 50:1, but don't let that scare you off.  All that means is a bigger payout when you win!  I think the stars are aligned for Ocho Ocho Ocho to take the Derby Derby Derby.

San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Clippers, 8pm Eastern

Easily the best series of the first round, these two teams will decide their playoff fates on Saturday at the Staples Center.  This series has the feel of a Western Conference Finals matchup rather than a first round one.  There has been gritty play, unexpected performances, controversial calls, and tight finishes.  Whoever gets the win in this series will have certainly earned it, but you certainly have to wonder how much this series has worn down the team that does advance.  Even though it is back in LA, I think the Spurs find a way to pull out the win.  I see their bench coming through once again, as their depth overcomes the top heavy Clippers' lineup.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs Manny Pacquiao, 9pm Eastern

The Fight of the Century, and certainly the richest fight in boxing history, is finally going to happen.  After years of Floyd ducking Pacquiao, these two great fighters will finally square off.  To be honest, I've yet to watch either of them fight a full fight, and have only seen highlights.  I'm picking Manny simply because he's definitely the more likeable guy out of the ring, and I think it will be better for boxing.  I have a feeling that if Floyd wins, he'll take his ball and go home, and likely won't accept a rematch.  Conversely, if Manny wins, I expect Floyd to demand a rematch so that an unavenged loss doesn't hang on his record.  This fight would have been much better a few years ago, but it's good that it is finally happening.  I do have a bad feeling that it might not live up to the hype, but that's mainly because the hype for this fight has been off the charts!

Matty O