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This Saturday four time world heavyweight champion Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield (42-8 27 KO’s) finally gets a chance to capture his fifth world championship, the reason he says he is still fighting. When the fight against WBO heavyweight champion Sultan Ibragimov (21-0-1 17 KO’s) was announced, Holyfield was a 6 to 1 underdog. Since then the odds have starting moving in favor of the legendary boxer who defeated Mike Tyson twice. At the time of this writing he is currently down to only a 3 to 1 underdog. Some of that could have to do with Evander Holyfield being the more popular name, but it could also be that the closer this fight comes to happening the more it seems he might be able to pull a rabbit out of his hat one more time.

Since dropping three fights in a row from 2002 and 2004 to Chris Byrd, James Toney and Larry Donald, Holyfield has bounced back with four straight wins. A lot of this might be attributed to a shoulder surgery Holyfield finally had after his loss against Donald, a procedure he says he put off for a long time. Since then he says he feels like a new man, and in the ring he looks it. After returning with a KO victory over overmatched Jeremy Bates in the summer of ‘06, he stepped up against former title challenger Fres Oquendo. After dropping Oquendo in the first round, he would go on to win a unanimous decision. His next match was against the entertaining Vinny Maddalone, who is known for his bloody brawls. There was blood alright, but only on Maddalone, as he was defeated in just three rounds. In his last outing, Evander Holyfield beat another old timer, Lou Savarese, over ten one-sided rounds. When Ruslan Chagaev (WBA Champion), who was originally scheduled to fight Ibragimov, backed out of the fight do to illness Holyfield was more than willing to step in.

Ibragimov is generally considered the bottom of the bunch when compared to the three other champions (Chagaev, WBC Oleg Maskaev, and IBF Wladimir Klitschko) but is no slouch. Despite being considered undersized at 6’2” and 220 pounds, he has beat much larger men. Most recently he defeated the 6’4”, 270 pound Shannon Briggs by unanimous decision. He used a great combination of speed and staying out of the range of the hard hitting Briggs to win the WBO title by unanimous decision. Prior to that fight he defeated Javier Mora in 46 seconds. Mora is not considered a major contender, but Ibragimov sent a message anyhow, because the fight before that he was criticized heavily. Facing Ray Austin, Ibragimov came in about 10 pounds more than he usually fights. Ibragimov was lucky to walk away with a draw in that match. He started off well enough, dropping the overachieving Austin in round four, but in round ten he was floored himself. As noted though, Ibragimov has put this behind him with great performances and of course winning a world title.

The crowd will favor the Russian Ibragimov, being that they are fighting at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow. The experience will obviously favor the 44-year old Holyfield (Ibragimov is 32) but it is very hard to predict what “The Real Deal” has left in the tank. This fight clearly has a historic feeling about it. While almost all of Russia will be rooting for their countryman, nearly all the rest of the world will be tuning in to see if Holyfield can make his dream come true.

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Two of the most exciting days in horse racing will take place on October 26th and October 27th at Monmouth Park, New Jersey. Over the course of two days, the best horses in the world will compete in a series of 11 races, all of them with purses between one million and five million dollars, making it one of the richest days in sports history. What also makes this event unique, besides the fact it’s the first time Monmouth racetrack has held the event, is that it is held over two days instead of one. Three races will be held on October 26th and the final eight will take place on Saturday, ending with the Breeders’ Cup Classic, with a five million dollar purse. This race will feature many of the top horses you’ve probably heard of if you are race fan, most likely from this past years Triple Crown series. What is also unique is that this series isn’t just limited to three year olds, so you get a chance to see some of the best horses in the world that peaked after that three year window. The following will show some in-depth coverage of some of the top contenders to runaway in first place in the Breeders’ Cup final race, the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Before winning the Pacific Classic, Student Council, a 23-1 underdog, had never won a graded stakes race before. Student Council will be considered a huge underdog in the field he’ll face on October 27th. Student Council has six wins in 21 starts, but the Pacific bolstered his career earnings up to 800,000, more than triple what it was before the win.

Another horse that you may not have heard of if you are just getting into racing is Lawyer Ron. Lawyer Ron is considered by many to be the premier older racehorse in the world. The four year old colt has started seven races, winning four, placing in two, and showing in one. Those totals have earned him over one million dollars in winnings. Lawyer Ron’s main weakness has been his inability to relax in big races, but followers of the horse believe these problems may be behind him. As far as underdogs go, he is a very solid horse.

Tiago first made a name for himself when he won the Santa Anita Derby, one of the major prep races for the Triple Crown. He wasn’t able to ride the momentum into the derby, finishing seventh, but bounced back finishing third in the Belmont Stakes. Tiago is also known for being the half brother of 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo. Tiago hasn’t cashed huge yet, but one of his strengths is he is battle tested, and won’t be intimidated by the rest of the field.

Hard Spun gained respectability by finishing second, third, and fourth, and the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, respectively. In three races since the Belmont Stakes he hasn’t finished less than second. This has been good enough to earn him over 1.5 million dollars of winnings, and a 4-2-1 record in 9 starts.

One of the hottest horses in the world heading into the race is Any Given Saturday. Any Given Saturday has won three races in a row, since finishing a disappointing eight at the Kentucky Derby. In seven starts he has been in the money six times, winning four races. This race will be a huge test for Any Given Saturday to show if these past victories have been a fluke, or if he’s ready for the Classic.

Curlin came out of the Triple Crown looking like one of the best horses in the world. He finished third at the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness Stakes, and just missed winning Belmont Stakes, finishing second. In his eight starts, Curlin has never finished outside of the money, winning five races, which is good for just under 2.4 million dollars. Curlin will be one of the favorites to take this race home.

The horse that may be the favorite will is Street Sense. Street Sense has been in seven races, and finished first or second in everyone. The Kentucky Derby winner just missed winning the Preakness, finishing second to the previously mentioned Curlin. As far as rivals go in horseracing, this is one to watch. This will be Street Sense’s first challenge against older horses.

There you have a brief rundown of some of the contenders for the Classic. The excitement should be great for the historic event, featuring the best horses the sport has to offer.

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The defending Super Bowl champions continue to plow through the early part of the new season, defeating the Denver Broncos 38-20 at home.  After finding themselves down 10-0 early, the offense came alive on the shoulders have Peyton Manning to comfortably put the game out of reach.  The surprise of the NFC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1), traveled to Carolina and easily defeated the Panthers 20-7.

Unfortunately, Tampa Bay may have lost one of the leaders of their team, running back, Cadillac Williams, due to a knee injury.  Back up running back Earnest Graham has been a nice surprise up until this point, but it is unclear if he can handle the every day wear and tear of a starter.  On 17 carries against the Panthers tough defense he was only able to muster 2.8 yards per carry.  Jeff Garcia is continuing to enjoy his career resurgence, showing he still has more than a little left in the tank.  Garcia is completing well over 60 percent of his passes, and even ran for a touchdown against Carolina.  But, the goal of the Buccaneers offense isn’t to blow the other team out of the water, but to limit mistakes and let the defense handle the rest.  Since their week one loss, Tampa Bay has only given up 24 points, with some of those coming at the end of the game when the game had already been decided.  They easily have the best defense in the NFC south, giving up only 44 points, while the next closest team, the Panthers have given up 87.

The Colts continue to be the Colts, and Manning continues to be Manning.  While a few of their games have been a bit closer than expected this year (see Titans and Texans) they continue to find ways to win.  The offense has already put up 131 points, far and away the best in their AFC south division.  Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison have each caught 16 balls and have combined for three touchdowns.  Joseph Addai is enjoying his first year as a full-time starter, averaging 4.2 yards per carry, and scoring four times. 

This is a classic match-up between offense and defense.  Last week I took the Bucs on the road against the Panthers, but I don’t think I can do it here due to the explosiveness of the Colts offense.  While the Colts defense is in the middle of the pack, they always seem to step it up when they need to.  Tampa Bay doesn’t have the type of offense that allows them to play catch up, while the Colts, as they prove week after week, clearly do. I like the Colts 27-14.

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First there was Jeffrey Maier, and then there was Bartman, and now Plategate. If you are a baseball fan then you don’t even need me to write the names of the teams involved in all of those scandals, you already know, you already know. Last nights controversy wasn’t even technically the playoffs, so what possibly can the real post season have in store for us?

Starting things off today will be Colorado at Philadelphia, a battle of two teams that waited just about as long as possible to punch their tickets to the dance. Jeff Francis will start the game for the Rockies, and he compiled 17-9 record for the year. Colorado will hope that their offensive leader, Matt Holliday can shake off the effects of sliding face first into home plate (or right by home plate?) in their tiebreaker win against San Diego. The Phillies will start 15-game winner Cole Hamels. It took nearly the entire season, but Jimmy Rollins predictions of his team being the team to beat came true after the historic collapse from the New York Mets. Rollins led his team with 139 runs scored and 41 stolen bases. Also, despite setting the record for strikeouts in a season Philly will still rely on the power of their slugger Ryan Howard (47 home runs, 136 RBI) to take them to the promise land.

Later in the day the series between the LA Angels and Boston Red Sox will begin. Cy Young candidate Josh Beckett will take the mound for the Red Sox against Angels ace John Lackey. Beckett has been in the heat of the playoffs before if you can recall. As a youngster he dominated Yankee hitters as a member of the World Series team Florida Marlins. Red Sox fans would love to see that again, but first they have to get by the tough Angels. Despite an often injured season David Ortiz still led the Red Sox offense with 35 home runs and a .332 batting average. Also battling injuries all year was Angels All-Star Vladimir Guerrero, but a break down the stretch hopes to keep him healthy in the playoffs. Despite the injuries, “Vlad” still led his team with 27 homeruns and 125 RBI.

Finally, everybody’s favorite underdogs, the Chicago Cubs take on this years surprise in the national league, Arizona Diamondbacks. In the beginning of the year, first game starter Carlos Zambrano predicted he would win the CY YOUNG and the Cubs would win the World Series. His first prediction most likely will not come true, but if the second one does, Zambrano would be an honorary Cub for life. Zambrano was having almost a Cy Young type year, but then he dropped six of eight games to end the season. Fans hope this is just a fluke. They also realize that they will need help from their offense, and most of that has came in the form of their superstar Alfonso Soriano. Soriano finished the year with 33 homeruns, not bad for a left fielder that started as a second baseman. The Diamondbacks will start Brandon Webb in the opener. Webb led his team in every pitching category, besides saves. That important statistic went to Jose Valverde. Valverde finished the season with 47 saves. Offensively the team lacked major fire power from most of their positions, but Chris Young led the team with 32 homers.

Opening their series on Thursday will be the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians. If pitching has been the downside for the Yankees this year, then Chien-Ming Wang has been the savior. Wang finished the year 19-7, including winning five of seven starts to end the season. The Yankees are hoping he can continue to ride the hot streak. You can also bet that New York will also rely on the old, but experienced arm of Roger Clemens. Offensively the Yankees are the best team in baseball, and most of it is thanks to Alex Rodriguez. Rodriquez, most likely the AL MVP, led his team with 54 home runs, 156 RBI, 143 runs scored, and a 1.067 on base percentage. Despite these numbers Rodriguez has been known to flounder in the post season, and Yankee fans are hoping this doesn’t happen again. Lacing them up for the first start across the field will be C.C. Sabathia. Sabathia finished this season with a 19-7 record, despite always wearing a crooked hat. Despite the hat, or maybe because of it, he finished the year with 209 strikeouts. The duo of Victor Martinez and Grady Sizemore will be expected to carry the load offensively for the Tribe. This team doesn’t hit for a lot of power, with Martinez being the home run leader at 25, but they always find away to get a base, a very important trait in the playoffs.

There you have it, a preview of what to expect in the playoffs. No matter how many stories you read, or analysis of games, there is no possible way to know what to expect, and that’s what makes baseball fun. Some people claim that baseball is boring, but I’ll be the most exciting part of a baseball game is more exciting, or right up there with any of the other sports climatic endings. Enjoy the playoffs!

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While the NHL tries to reestablish itself as one of the major sports in North America, they opened their season in London, England. The Los Angeles Kings and the defending NHL champions, Anaheim Ducks, split a pair of games. While the NHL may be in decline, it could be in the middle of resurgence, because there are a handful of exciting players making their way into the league. Also, teams that have had a prosperous past, but have failed to live up to expectations recently, may be on the rise, such as the New York Rangers. Here is a brief preview of the Eastern and Western Conferences.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

For what it’s worth, the Ottawa Senators finished the preseason undefeated. Most people in most sports will tell you that really does not mean much, but it is true that the Senators have an explosive offense that can take them far into the playoffs, again. Dany Heatley and Wade Redden are expected to lead this team, and they could perform exceptionally well because they will be free agents at the end of the season. Another major change the East champs from a year ago will have to overcome is the loss of their coach Bryan Murray. Murray was replaced by assistant John Paddock.

The Buffalo Sabers will have to find a way to make up for the loss of their star offensive player, Chris Drury and goaltender Ryan Miller. An added bonus though, sort of like landing a free agent for free, will be the return of their center Tim Connolly, who missed all of last season battling the after effects of a concussion. They will have a lot to overcome, but they are still expected to be among the best in the conference.

One of the original teams in the NHL, the Montreal Canadians, has looked to improved substantially. Saku Koiva and Michael ryder are back, and the defense will be lead by the veteran Andrei Markov. At goaltender they have returning All-Star Cristobal Huet.

The singing of Chris Drury and Scott Gomez has done a lot to spark a return of interest to hockey in New York. Jaromir Jagr is again, but is still among the best players in the game, averaging well over a point a game. Anything less than a run deep into the playoffs would be considered a disappointment for the Rangers and their fans.

Other teams to keep an eye on this year in the east or the young and improving Pittsburg Penguins and the Florida Panthers. They have both done a great job showing that with a little patience you can turn a team around in just a few short years. Fans of teams don’t always like to wait, but the award is usually more than worth it.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Every year it seems that the Detroit Red Wings will be too old to compete on a high level, then they go on to win 50 games. We may call them old, but Red Wing fans call them experienced. This year is no different, as they bring back a slew of players in their mid 30’s and beyond including Nicklas Lindstrom, Chris Chelios, and Dominik Hasek. They’ve complemented the old-timers with some young blood this year, bringing in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

A team that is also always in the mix are the Colorado Avalanche, and this year they have brought is superstar Ryan Smith, previously of Edmonton. It’s hard not to consider them a serious contender, especially when you consider they still have Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny.

A team that everyone expected to perhaps win it last year were the San Jose Sharks. Their biggest off season addition was Jeremy Roenick. He may be a step or two past his prime, but his experience may be just what this team needs to get over the hump. This team is too loaded not to make another run with players Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Michalek, and perhaps the best player in the league, Joe Thorton.

Other teams you can expect to be around at the end of the season are the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, and of course the defending champions Anaheim Ducks. There are too many questions regarding all of these teams to consider them for serious contention now.

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