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Sports Illustrated just recently ranked the top 50 money earning American athletes based on their total on-and-off the field income. Number one, and this should come as no surprise is Tiger Woods. It is estimated that Tiger will earn nearly $112-million this year which makes his sports top money earner for a fourth consecutive year. And his yearly increases in income have ranged from 13% to 15% since this list was first compiled in 2004.
Along with Tiger’s incredible earnings in golf tournaments and appearance fees of $3-million dollars for exhibition events all over the world (a.k.a. Dubai) he is also the king of endorsements with multi-million dollar deals with Nike, General Motors, American Express, etc.,etc.,etc.
Behind Tiger, and this might surprise you given the current state of the sport but it is boxer. Oscar De La Hoya, “The Golden Boy”, is number two on the list at $55-million.
Not only is the Belmont the oldest of the Triple Crown races (Kentucky Derby #134 and Preakness #133) but it is the longest at a mile-and-a-half. It's why they call this race, "The Test of the Champion".
In the history of thoroughbred racing there have been 29 all-time Triple Crown bids at the Belmont. Only 11 have completed the sweep of the three classic races, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont stakes in the five week period.
This will be my ninth attempt to cover a triple crown winner. It began for me in 1987 with Alysheba (finished 4th to Bet Twice); 1989 Sunday Silence (2nd to Easy Goer); 1997 SIlver Charm (2nd to Touch Gold); 1998 Real Quiet (2nd to Victory Gallop); 1999 Charismatic (3rd to Lemon Drop Kid); 2002 War Emblem (8th to Sarava); 2003 Funny Cide (3rd to Empire Maker) and 2004 Smarty Jones (2nd to Birdstone).
Now in 2008 we have Big Brown. He has dominated this class of 3-year-old thoroughbreds winning all five of his starts by a combined 40 lengths plus. In the Kentucky Derby he beat 19 with a winning margin of 4 1/4 lengths and in the Preakness he crushed 11 others winning easily by 5 3/4. Not since Whirlaway, the 1941 triple crown winner, has a horse dominated the first two jewels of the Triple Crown like Big Brown.
Among his expected rivals is our "Tulsa Horse", Denis of Cork. He is owned by Bill and Suzanne Warren and ran a fast closing third in the Kentucky Derby. Now he has an extra quarter-of-a-mile at the Belmont.
The biggest challenge of the new shooters is Casino Drive. This colt from Japan got racing experts attention with his impressive victory at Belmont Park in the Peter Pan stake in his American debut.
All the talk about this Japanese invader drew this comment from Big Brown's always confident trainer, Richard Dutrow, "Number one, he looks like a nice horse. Number two, I believe that he can't beat our horse. So all the Japanese people are going to come over here, they thought Godzilla was dead. They're going to find out he's not dead. He's here!"
Horse racing fans everywhere are cheering for a Triple Crown winner. We haven't had one in 30-years since Affirmed in 1978. That's the longest gap ever between Triple Crown winners.
Do I think Big Brown can become the 12th in history to wear the crown? Absolutely. He is clearly the best of this 3-year-old class in 2008. BUT I've been disappointed eight times and I think back to something the late, great Hall of Fame trainer, Woody Stephens, who won five consecutive Belmont Stakes, once told me "In my over 60-years of training thoroughbred race horses I've only found one way to win a race-- and a thousand ways to lose one!"
The Sports of Kings needs someone to once again wear the crown. This just might be the one!
Be sure to follow my special reports on NewsChannel 8 Sports leading up to the June 7th race and then watch the Belmont "Live" right here on ABC!
TU had 161 student-athletes named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for 2007-2008. Ten TU student-athletes were National Merit Scholars. That's the highest academic recognition among graduating high school students.
Quarterback Paul Smith, now trying to continue his career in the National Football League, earned the Wuerffel Trophy. That's the national award presented to the college football player who best combines exemplary community service with outstanding athletic and academic achievement.
The Golden Hurricane is also justifiably proud of its athletic achievements. In its three years in Conference USA the University of Tulsa has won more league championships than any other conference school, 14 season or tournament titles in nine sports:
There was the triumph of the winning favorite, Big Brown. The horse that proved his very confident trainer Richard Dutrow, Jr. knew what he was talking about when he told all of us earlier in the week that this horse "couldn't lose. I haven't seen any other 3-year-old with my own eyes who can beat him. I guarantee he'll be the favorite."
He was right. Big Brown was the Kentucky Derby favorite. The public believed in him almost as much as his trainer. Although there were some reports that Dutrow himself bet $4,000 to win on his own horse.
Most of us media "experts" were throwing him out for two solid reasons. One - he had only run two races this year, three in his entire life. The last time a thoroughbred won the Kentucky Derby after only three races was 93-years ago, 1915! And there was that #20 post. Only one horse had ever won from the furthest outside post.
What we should have paid more attention to is the fact he won those three races by a combined 29-lengths and had the fastest speed figures of any of the 20 horses in the field. We also should have played more of a hunch bet on his name alone, Big Brown. Named in honor of the United Parcel Service Company "Big Brown" that just happens to have its hub right here in the city of Louisville!
Then, as the race was over and the field was pulling up around the turn, we had the tragedy. The gallant filly, Eight Belles, who finished second to Big Brown by four-and-a-half lengths broke down on the race track. She fractured both front ankles and had to be euthanized on the track. The on-call veterinarian, Dr. Larry Bramlage said, "In all my years of racing, I have never seen this happen."
Before we realized the tragedy we had been celebrating the big effort of Tulsa's horse, Denis of Cork. Suzanne and W.K. Warren, Jr's. thoroughbred came from last to third with a rail skimming ride by last year's Derby winning jockey, Calvin Borel.
Coming into this race we had 20, three-year-old thoroughbreds who had dreams of the Triple Crown. Only twenty from 37,000 registered foals and 450 nominated to the Triple Crown were good enough and lucky enough to make it into the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby. Now there is only one that has a chance at thoroughbred racing's holy grail - sweeping the Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in a five week period. It's only happened 11 times in the history of the sport and not since 1978, 30-years ago.
That one is named Big Brown and what he showed on Derby day has many thinking, wishing that maybe this is the year. Maybe this one is the one that can be the sport's 12th Triple Crown winner and the first since Affirmed.
We'll be in Baltimore in two weeks to see if he can continue on that road to immortality in the Sport of Kings. Right now though we'll have to just appreciate what he did in the Kentucky Derby.
This is my 20th Derby in the last 21 years. I first came here in 1987 as a spectator watching Alysheba win the roses for a friend of mine, Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg. I hadn't missed a Derby until last year when our first grandchild arrive.
But we're back for this 134th running and glad to have a thoroughbred with Tulsa connections in America's most famous race.
Suzanne and W,K. Warren, Jr. have Denis of Cork. He drew the #16 post position in the 20 horse race. He was the bubble horse until Monday of Derby week. He was #21 on the graded stakes earnings money list and only 20 get in the race. At the last minute Behindatthebar decided to pass on the Derby and a spot opened up for the Warren's.
It’s time to salute the ORU Golden Eagles men’s basketball team for 2007-2008. The final numbers show a season record of 25-8 including an incredible 16-2 Summit League championship run.
The Summit title was ORU’s fourth straight league championship putting the school in very select company. Valpariso won or shared five regular-season championships between 1995-1999. Missouri State is the only other school to win more than three straight, capturing four-in-a-row between 1987-1990. This was ORU’s fifth regular season title 1999,2005,2006,2007 and 2008 in 11 seasons in the league (even though the league changed named from Mid-Con to Summit this season).
Scott Sutton finishes his ninth season with his finest coaching performance. When the season began everyone considered it a rebuilding project after the Eagles had said goodbye to its two superstars, Caleb Green and Ken Tutt. But Scott and his staff did a phenomenal job in guiding the team to a fourth straight 20-win season. The 16 wins in conference were the most in league history. They were a perfect 9-0 in league play at the Mabee Center.
Non-conference highlights included the 84-70 blow out of cross-town rival Tulsa for the Mayor’s Cup. Scott then had the bittersweet experience of beating his brother Sean when his team whipped Oklahoma State in the All-College Classic in Oklahoma City, 74-59. ORU lost by just six points at #4 Texas and lost by 11 at SEC tournament runner-up Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Individually newcomer Robert Jarvis, the 5-11 Jr. guard from Humble, Texas by way of Seminole State Junior College, was named first team All-Summit league , Sixth Man of the Year and a member of the league’s All-Newcomer team. Jarvis is ORU’s third Newcomer of the Year joining Ken Tutt (2004) and Reggie Borges (2002). Also named to the All-Newcomer team from ORU was Junior, Marcus Lewis. The 6-8, 245-pound forward from Long Beach, California sat out a year after transferring from Kansas State.
These newcomers will be the nucleus of coach Sutton’s team next season after losing four seniors from this championship team including Yemi Ogunoye, Adam Liberty, Shawn King and the popular team leader, Moses Ehambe.
These seniors were a big part of ORU making its third straight NCAA tournament appearance. They were the players that helped break a 22-year drought when they made it to the tournament in 2006.
“I’ll always be proud of this 2007-2008 team,” Scott Sutton told me in the post game NCAA press conference following the Golden Eagles 82-63 loss to Big East Champion and #4 seed Pittsburgh. “No one gave our team any chance at the start of the season. We had lost two superstars in Green and Tutt but these guys took that as a challenge. To win 24 games including that record 16-2 run in the Summit League was really amazing. Everyone should be proud of what this team accomplished.”
We are coach and we salute the Golden Eagles 2007-2008 men’s basketball team for adding to the legacy of the Oral Roberts University basketball program.
(Denver, Co.) - On the "Road to the Final Four" the media gets overwhelmed with media guides, press releases, transcriptions of press conferences, etc. One of the most interesting sections I've found searching through these volumes of information is appendix 7 of our region NCAA media guide -
NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Tournament History.
It traces the history of America's favorite college sports tournament from the first tournament in 1939 through last year's championship. Here are some of my favorite notes - 1946 - the first telecast of an NCAA Championship game. A local broadcast in New York City by CBS-TV. The team that won the title that year? Oklahoma State beating North Carolina in the finals 43-40. The initial viewing audience was estimated to be about 500,000.
1951 - NCAA tournament field expanded to 16 teams including 10 conference champions that got automatic berths - Big Seven (OSU & OU), Big Ten, Border, Eastern (Ivy), Missouri Valley, Pacific Coast, Skyline, Southeastern, Southern and Southwest.
1953 -bracket extended from 16 to 22 teams and fluctuated between 22 and 25 teams until 1974.
1966 - Net income for the entire NCAA tournament exceeded $500,000 for the first time.
1973 - The Thursday-Saturday format for the Final Four and Championship game was changed to the current Saturday-Monday. And the television rights exceeded one million dollars for the first time.
1975 -First appearance of the term "Final Four" and a 32-team bracket was adopted.
1979 - Bracket expanded to 40 teams and all teams were seeded for the first time.
1980 - Bracket expanded to 48 teams.
1981- The final "third place" game played in the tournament with Virginia defeating LSU. The NCAA registered a trademark for the term "Final Four".
1982 - The "selection show" was televised live for the first time.
1985 - The tournament bracket was expanded to 64 teams, which eliminated all first-round byes. CBS had a record 19.8 million homes watch Villanova's national championship victory over Georgetown.
1991 - CBS signs a $1-BILLION dollar deal to televise seven years of the NCAA tournament.
1992 - Duke wins a second consecutive national championship, becoming the first team to defend its title since UCLA in 1973.
1994 - President Bill Clinton became the first sitting president to attend the NCAA tournament when he attended the Midwest Regional championship game in Dallas and the national semi-finals and finals in Charlotte to cheer on the Arkansas Razorbacks to the championship.
2000- The "play-in" game was added the Tuesday before the first round pitting the teams seeded No. 64 and 65 after 31 conferences became eligible for automatic qualification in 2001.
2003-Minimum Final Four seating capacity set at 40,000. San Antonio for 2008, Detroit 2009, Indianapolis 2010 and Houston 2011.
2007 - The University of Florida became the seventh school to win back-to-back national championships defeating Ohio State 84-75 in the title game. Florida joined Oklahoma State (1945-46); Kentucky (1948-49); San Francisco (1955-56); Cincinnati (1961-62); UCLA (1964-65 and 1967-1973) and Duke (1991-92) as repeat NCAA basketball champions.
Hope you enjoyed this NCAA Basketball Championship history lesson. It should give your some good trivia material for the office or sports bar.
(Denver, Colorado) - Hello again from Denver, Colorado and the start of our News Channel 8 coverage of the 2008 NCAA College Basketball Championship tournament -'The Road to the Final Four".
Rick Pendergraft and I arrived in Denver on Tuesday night and Wednesday covered the ORU press conference and shoot around at the Pepsi Center. This arena will be the site of the first and second round of the
South Regional.
The eight teams here are ORU, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Washington State, Temple, Michigan State, George Mason and Winthrop. The winners play Saturday for the right to move on to Houston next week for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.
ORU, the #13 seed, is making a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Scott Sutton. This is the Golden Eagles highest seed but they have not been able to get past the first round the last two seasons. The opponent, Pittsburgh, earned the #4 seed after winning the Big East tournament.
It's been quite a season for our Big Five men's college teams. All five made it to post season play. ORU, OU and Arkansas into the NCAA field of 65, Oklahoma State got an NIT invitation and Tulsa hosted a game in the very first CBI - College Basketball Invitational tournament.
Three of our women's teams, ORU, OSU and OU also earned NCAA tournament bids.
There's a reason they call this "March Madness"!
It' going to be fun to be on the Road to the Final Four with the championship semi-finals set for Saturday, April 5 in San Antonio and the national championship game, Monday, April 7th in the Alamo Dome. Hopefully one of our teams will take us all the way!
Should the Women's championship split away from the Men's tournament and play at a totally different site and on a different week then the Men's championship?
One of the big supporters of a "divorce" is OSU's women's head coach, Kurt Budke who's team has reached this Saturday's championship finals at 6pm against Texas A & M. The first time the Cowgirls have ever reached the finals at the Big 12 tournament.
Budke feels that Women's basketball is ready to stand on its own and not be overshadowed by the Men's championship.
While the men play in front of sell out crowds in the new 18,500 seat Sprint Center the women are down the street at the old Municipal Auditorium and haven't come close to filling the 10,700 seats.
Most of the other power conferences do separate the women and men's basketball tournaments. The Big 10, for instance, play in the same city but the dates do not overlap.
Arguments for a divorce include having your own event and getting all the media attention and fan support. Arguments to keep the two married come from the Big 12 Conference office and include making it easier for fans to go to one site to support both teams and not taking as much time away from classes for the student athletes. There is also considerable savings in travel and hotels for teams and fans.
At this point only Budke and Texas A & M coach, Gary Blair are for a divorce among Big 12 women's coaches and right now they have a pretty good forum since its their two teams in the championship finals this Saturday at 6pm here in Kansas City.
Blair was quoted this week in the Kansas City newspaper as saying, "We don't need to piggyback off anybody. Why not try something else? You can't be afraid of change. No, we can't fill it up now, but why bust our dream?"
And at least for now it will remain a dream. The Big XII office points out that the ten other schools are not interested in breaking up the marriage of the men's and women's post season tournaments. The Presidents, athletic directors, coaches, players and fans all appreciate that the combined events (same week and same city) are convenient and cost effective.
So there will be no divorce but like any good marriage you still have to be open to new ideas and changes and you have to work at it to keep everyone happy.
- Salute To The ORU Golden EaglesIt’s time to salute the ORU Golden Eagles men’s basketball team for 2007-2008. The final numbers show a season record of 25-8 including an incredible 16-2 Summit League championship run.
- NCAA Tournament HistoryOn the "Road to the Final Four" the media gets overwhelmed with media guides, press releases, transcriptions of press conferences, etc. One of the most interesting sections I've found searching through these volumes of information is appendix 7 of o
- On The Road To The Final FourFrom Denver, Colorado and the start of our News Channel 8 coverage of the 2008 NCAA College Basketball Championship tournament -'The Road to the Final Four".
- Marriage Or Divorce?Should the Women's championship split away from the Men's tournament and play at a totally different site and on a different week then the Men's championship?
- How 'Bout Them Cowboys?It's time for Athletic Director Mike Holder and OSU's biggest booster, T. Boone Pickens, to stand-up for their coach and show support that is crucial now in recruiting. Sean and these Cowboys deserve that.
- Super Bowl TicketsHere's a sample of what you would have to pay to have a seat inside the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona this Sunday.
- Tip It Up! Finally!Now, it's finally time to talk basketball!
- Ford Award ShowAfter that horrible December ice storm wiped out our planned Ford Award announcment of the area's top high school football player, the show will go on Tuesday, January 15th at 7:30pm here on News Channel 8.
- TU's TurnFollowing OSU's 49-33 Insight Bowl triumph and then the major letdown of OU's beating at the hands of underdog West Virginia, we need a TU win to finish off our bowl season.
- We're Going Bowling!Hello again everyone and welcome to the fourth season of college football.
- Ford Award Time!!It's Ford Award Time at News Channel 8!
- Big Football Weekend AheadHow lucky are we? We have not one - not two - but six championship opportunities with local football teams this weekend.
- Bedlam #102How fierce is this rivalry? Well, consider this. The two school's can't even agree on the won-loss record in the series!
- Thanks Paul Smith!A salute to the 15 senior football players at the University of Tulsa and a special thank you to record setting quarterback, Paul Smith.
- Playoffs? Playoffs? Let's Talk About Playoffs!The high school football season may have started more than two months ago, but the games that really matter start this week.
- Cowboys & Sooners Saturday On 88 is your place for college football this Saturday, November 3rd. Both OSU and OU will be featured by ABC and here on NewsChannel 8.
- Tulsa's Big Stake In The World SeriesThe boys of summer have become the boys of fall and may well be playing as the boys in winter before the end of the 2007 World Series.
- Big 12 Basketball Media DaysCan you believe the college football season is at the halfway point? That can mean only one thing -- basketball is fast approaching.
