Sporting Checkup

It is a great time for the sports world right at the moment.  Here's a quick checkup on all that is happening in the next 10 days.

Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup will be raised in the next week.  Tomorrow night features game 5 in New Jersey with the Kings looking to put away the Devils once and for all.  You still have to like Jonathan Quick between the pipes for the Kings.  He is by far the best goalie in the league right now and will continue to show that as long as this series continues.  The Kings have not lost on the road this season and I do not believe that will start any time soon.  They will continue to pressure the Devils and make it difficult for the them to sustain any of their own pressure in the Kings zone.  Kings 3-1 to win the Cup.

NBA Playoffs

The NBA Finals will be established and begin following what should be an exciting game 7 between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.  I see the Heat finding a way to win this game.  The Celtics are a worthy contender but may have hit the end of their run, especially if Lebron has a say in the deciding game.  Regardless of who wins to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, they will surely be the underdog against the young team on fire.  Durant, Westbrook and the Thunder look comfortable playing at a high level and should dismantle either team they face.  The Thunder have gotten outstanding play from all of their top players and their supporting cast has been excellent.  That will continue in the Finals and the Thunder should win the series.

US Open Golf

The US Open begins next Thursday and there are some awesome pairings for the first two days.  Tiger, Phil Mickelson, and Bubba Watson is quite possibly the best group ever to follow especially considering the stage.  Tiger is coming off a big win last weekend, Bubba is the reigning Masters champion and Phil is of course Phil.  Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, and Rory McIlroy will also be fun to watch.  All three are some of the best players in the world and of course all hail from some part of the British Isles.  Then there is that stage, the legendary Olympic Club in San Francisco.  It is an amazing course that will be in perfect condition and ready to challenge the best field in golf.  It would be great to see Tiger get another major, but likely it will be another first time, young guy that pulls through in the end to continue the current trend of young up and comers putting their stamp on the golfing world.

French Open Tennis

The French Open wraps up over the weekend with an epic men's matchup and hopefully a win one of the best on the women's side.  Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic square off pitting 2 vs. 1 and the best clay player of all time against the best player of right now.  I expect a 5 set thriller with Djokovic cementing his status as the best player in the world and pounding on the door of the elite of all time.  This win would give him all four majors at one time, a tremendous accomplishment, and certainly set him up to go on a run for the next couple years that could be unmatched. 

Euro 2012 Cup Soccer

The Euro 2012 Cup has begun in Poland and Ukraine and will continue through all of June.  Spain looks to repeat and Germany will try and reestablish themselves as the best in Europe.  This tournament is usually ranked as the second best international tournament behind the World Cup.  It is always exciting watching countries face off on the pitch and the high level of play will make this another tournament to remember.  Watch for Germany to breeze through the early rounds and stake their claim as the world's best, defeating Spain in their attempt for the repeat.

The Belmont Stakes

The Belmont is Saturday, but has become a footnote as I'll Have Another has pulled out and another Triple Crown opportunity gone.  It will be a fun race to watch, but has certainly lost its luster.  Let's hope a long shot wins and someone makes millions off a random last minute bet.

There is plenty to hold us over through June as we enter the traditional dog days of summer sports.  Once all of these exciting events are over, we get the Olympics in July.  Here's to a great some of athletics!

mf