Barring extreme circumstances, most Major League Baseball teams don't play more than three doubleheaders in a season. The No. 25 Tufts baseball team will soon play three in a span of eight days.
Here are five things, in no particular order, to keep your eye on during what might be the most hyped, star-studded NBA playoff season ever.
In my March 10 column, I tentatively predicted that Arsenal would win the Premier League, although I also said it would be a close race that came down to the last day, with perhaps Chelsea jumping in at the very end. Apparently, I should stop taking those amateur psychic classes, because neither of those things has come true: Manchester United is running away with the title, and the London clubs have nearly given up hope of catching the Red Devils.
The No. 1 men's lacrosse team lost one game by one goal to one of the top teams in the nation on Tuesday night. Really, there's no reason to panic.
Though the two-time defending champions reside in the West, the Eastern Conference playoffs are shaping up to be the marquee event of this postseason. Can Derrick Rose continue to lead the Bulls all the way through to the finals? What about Boston and its veterans, and the Heat's terrific trio? The Daily provides a primer for the first-round matchups set to begin this weekend:
The Celtics are three years removed from their last NBA title and, with a core of stars at the end of their careers, basketball's most storied franchise has a slim window in which to add another title to its mantel. They'll get back to the land where "anything is possible" if these five things happen:
Advancing out of a Western Conference that includes the defending NBA Champions, perennial contenders like the Spurs and Mavericks, and a slew of talented teams that could be primed for an upset will be a marathon. Making it to the finals will take skill, focus and, sometimes, a little luck of the draw.
With the NHL playoffs set to begin tonight, the Daily makes sense of the four Eastern Conference showdowns:
I saw a preview for "The Hangover 2" the other day. Looks really good, by the way. But it got me thinking about Las Vegas, which got me thinking about gambling, which got me thinking about sports and finally about this column. Anyway, I decided it's time for some arbitrary enthusiasm, irrational reasoning and either being horrifically wrong or amazingly right. Basically what Vegas is all about, yeah? Without further ado, here are some over/unders for the rest of the sports year and beyond.
With the Stanley Cup playoffs set to begin, the Boston Bruins will be looking to avenge last season's heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers, who came back after being down 3-0 in a best-of-seven series. This season will be equally as tough, with a first-round showdown against the Montreal Canadiens.
The George Davis Invitational, hosted by UMass Lowell, provided a level of competition for the Jumbos that sparked season and personal bests across the board. The warm, sunny weather brought out some sizzling Tufts performances.
Tonight, the top 16 teams will begin their chase for hockey's ultimate prize — the Stanley Cup. The next two months will be an emotional roller coaster, full of thrilling tension, drama, heartbreak and triumph. Stars will shine and new heroes will emerge amid some of the most compelling, high-flying hockey to be found anywhere in the world.
With the NHL playoffs set to begin tonight, the Daily makes sense of the four Western Conference showdowns:
The No.1 men's lacrosse team suffered its first loss in 19 games last night at Endicott Stadium. The Jumbos (9-1) trailed from midway through the second quarter on, and a furious two-goal rally in the final five minutes was not enough to best the No.18 Gulls, who move to 10-2 with the win. Pictured above, D.J. Hessler on April 2. For more, see The Score and check out our full game story in tomorrow's paper.
The men's track and field team saw a slew of personal bests on Saturday at the George Davis Invitational, hosted by UMass Lowell. Warm weather and optimal conditions aided the athletes in cutting down their times and adding distance to their jumps and throws.
Where will you be when the drought ends? How will you feel when the floodgates open and the rain finally falls? The world will invariably take notice when Tiger finally escapes the zoo, releasing himself from the self−imposed cage at the circus that's become his life. Few, however, will agree on a common emotion.
Playing in a doubleheader for the second consecutive day, the softball team could not go hit for hit with Babson, losing both ends of the doubleheader. The first game was a dominant showing by the Beavers' offense, which exploded for 12 runs in the first four innings against freshman starting pitcher Lauren Giglio. Senior Izzie Santone looked good in three innings of mop−up work, but the damage was already done. Tufts put six runs on the board, but it was not nearly enough.
The women's varsity eight crew team edged out Wesleyan at the finish line this past Saturday, defeating the team on the 2,000−meter course in what became the highlight of an exciting, daylong regatta.
Kate Bayard has coached No. 5 Tufts to its highest ranking in her six years at the helm. And this year she's doing it all while awaiting the birth of her first child.
