Mayweather vs. Mosley.. Who are you picking?

--Top Celebrities, Athletes, Boxers and Trainers Weigh In--

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 30)...Some of the most recognized boxing fans in the world are weighing in on the match-up between undefeated six-time world champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather and WBA Welterweight Super Champion Sugar Shane Mosley, who are set to meet in Mayweather vs. Mosley: Who R U Picking? on Saturday, May 1 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a mega-bout which will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

From real estate moguls to NFL Pro-Bowlers, NBA All-Stars to Hall of Fame fighters and trainers, we have their opinions on who they believe will emerge victorious this Saturday. Below please find the predictions of these prominent personalities as they lend their thoughts on this historic match-up. 


CELEBRITIES

"I'm picking Mayweather. Although I think they are both champions and I'm really looking forward to the fight!"
- Donald Trump, Chairman and CEO of The Trump Organization, host of NBC reality-series The Apprentice


"Some people fight with their fists, some people fight with their mouths...May 1st FIST meets Mouth. Sugar Shane by knockout!"
- George Lopez, comedian and host of Lopez Tonight!

"I am a fan of BOTH of these amazing fighters, but in boxing, there can only be ONE TRUE winner. So if I had to bet the farm on it..."Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather is going to win. Sorry Sugar, but not this time."
- Tichina Arnold, actress, "Everybody Hates Chris"


BOXERS

"I give the edge to Mayweather. How can I not based on his unblemished record? Mayweather is the man to beat and if there were any fighters that I thought had a chance to beat Floyd Mayweather, one would be Shane Mosley. We will find out on May 1st. One thing I personally know is that Shane has to become "Sugar" again to become victorious. Intriguing fight."
- Sugar Ray Leonard, Seven-Time World Champion

"This fight will be a real welterweight contest. Mosley can win if he is capable of closing Floyd's [Mayweather] exits and using his speed along with his power."
- Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez, WBA, WBO and The Ring Magazine Lightweight World Champion

 "I'm for Shane Mosley...He must do the right preparation. If he does, then he has a very good chance against Mayweather."
- Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao, WBO Welterweight World Champion


TRAINERS

"Shane's my friend and I hope he wins, but he has trouble with speed and movement and likes guys to come to him so it's going to be difficult."
- Freddie Roach, Trainer of Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan

"This is a very interesting fight. Mayweather will have his toughest fight yet against Mosley, who came up the ranks and fought every tough Mexican. When Mayweather covers up and brings his right hand up, Mosley is going to hit him with left hooks to the liver. He'll go under the elbow. This is a tough, tough fight, and a great fight. I'm looking forward to it. Mayweather is going to really have to hustle because Mosley is at the top of this game. Mayweather has to fight his best fight ever, because Mosley's stronger, more mature than anyone Mayweather has ever faced. While Mayweather is truly a one of a kind fighter, I would have to give the edge to Mosley by decision."
- Angelo Dundee, Hall of Fame Trainer of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman


ATHLETES

"Magic votes for Floyd all the way!"
- Magic Johnson, Five-Time NBA Champion, Three-Time NBA MVP, Twelve-Time NBA All-Star, Three-Time NBA Finals MVP

 "Mayweather in a decision. He [Mayweather] is a smaller guy who can dance. Mosley can't let him hit him."
- Charles Barkley, 11-Time NBA All-Star and TNT/NBA TV basketball analyst

 "Mayweather in a unanimous decision. Mayweather will knock down Shane once but Mosley will be his toughest fight to date. Mayweather is the best boxer this world has seen in 20 years so he'll win."
- Chris Webber, Five-Time NBA All-Star and TNT/NBA TV basketball analyst

"Mayweather KO in the 9th. He is in his prime and blazing it right now. I see his strength, speed and endurance being just too much for Mosley. Mayweather is a beast!" 
- Caron Butler, Two-Time NBA All-Star Forward, Dallas Mavericks

"Shane has a great chance. I will predict a victory. He has a great chin, and he's the type of fighter who can give Floyd problems, with the pressure and the discipline, and he still has the quickness. So it's going to be a great fight."
- LaDainian Tomlinson, Five-Time NFL Pro Bowler, 2006 NFL MVP, Running Back, New York Jets

"I need to hold one of them belts and walk in the ring with Money May on May 1st. No way I am missing this one."
- Chad Ochocinco, Six-Time NFL Pro Bowler, Wide Receiver, Cincinnati Bengals

"I want Mosley to win but I really have no clue. Floyd is a badass and will be tough to beat."
- Jared Allen, Three-Time NFL Pro Bowler, Defensive End, Minnesota Vikings

"Money Mayweather is going to get Mosley in the 10th round by TKO. Mayweather's the best fighter around right now, at least until someone can prove otherwise by beating him."
- Shawne Merriman, Three-Time NFL Pro Bowler, 2005 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Linebacker, San Diego Chargers

"I think that Mayweather is going to win in eight rounds. Mayweather is 40-0 for a reason.  He's got youth behind him and he's just too quick for Mosley."
- Patrick Willis, Two-Time NFL Pro-Bowler, 2007 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Linebacker, San Francisco 49ers

"I think Mayweather's going to win versus Mosley. Floyd is way more athletic and technically sound than anyone else in boxing right now."
- Kellen Winslow II, NFL Pro-Bowler, Tight End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

"I'm calling a 7th round knockout and Mayweather wins"
- Shaun Phillips, Defensive End, San Diego Chargers

"Mayweather is the master of not getting hit. His quickness and defense will be too much for Shane to match."
- B.J. Upton, Center Fielder, Tampa Bay Rays

"Shane Mosley will win, because Orlando Hudson picked Mayweather and he also picked Roy Jones in the last fight and was way off!"
- Justin Morneau, Three-Time MLB All-Star, First Baseman, Minnesota Twins

"Mayweather will take it. He's undefeated so he must be doing something right."
- Justin Verlander, Two-Time MLB All-Star, Pitcher, Detroit Tigers

DODGERS DREAM FOUNDATION BOWLING EXTRAVAGANZA HOSTED BY JAMES LONEY TO BE HELD THIS MONDAY, MAY 3

WHAT:   Dodger first baseman James Loney will host the Sixth Annual State Farm Dodgers Dream Foundation Bowling Extravaganza. All proceeds will benefit the Dodgers Dream Foundation, which is committed to providing educational, athletic and recreational opportunities for the youth of the Greater Los Angeles community. This year marks the third consecutive season in which Loney has hosted the event.

Attendees can bid on more than 40 unique items in the silent auction including: a LA Kings team signed jersey, Blake Griffin signed LA Clippers Jersey, and autographed game-used baseball bats from Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Russell Martin. A special “Green Monster” live auction featuring two tickets on the Green Monster at Fenway Park to the Sunday, June 20 Dodgers vs. Red Sox game, airfare for two on JetBlue Airways and a two-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Boston will also be held.

Lanes are still available for purchase by calling (323) 224-1413.

                       
WHO:             Dodgers James Loney, Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, Manny Ramirez, Clayton Kershaw, Blake DeWitt, Reed Johnson, Ramon Troncoso, A.J. Ellis, Charlie Haeger, George Sherrill, Ken Howell, Mariano Duncan and Rick Honeycutt

Celebrity bowlers include: James Denton, Alyssa Milano, Tom Arnold, David Arquette, Paul Wall, Jonathan Silverman, Jennifer Finnigan, Greg Grunberg, James Kyson Lee, Scott Porter, Peter Jacobson, Omar Miller, Rex Lin, Hoobastank, Doug Savant, Justin Hartley and Lindsay Hartley



WHERE:   Lucky Strike Lanes L.A. LIVE
                   800 W. Olympic Blvd.


WHEN:  Monday, May 3, 2010

               6:00 p.m. Registration

               7:00 p.m. Bowling & Dinner

               10:00 p.m. Awards

               10:30 p.m. Event Concludes



MISC:   Loney was the Dodgers’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award in 2008 for his commitment to the Los Angeles community. That year, the first baseman launched his community initiative “Loney’s Lounge” and visited children at UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital and White Memorial Hospital. Loney continued his community work last season with “Loney’s Lounge” where he hosted children from RBI Los Angeles.

The Dodgers and the Dodgers Dream Foundation (DDF) assisted more than 5,000 charitable organizations in 2009. More than 100,000 tickets were donated, yet another Dodgers Dreamfield was built, and former and current players made more than 450 appearances. More information on the Dodgers Dream Foundation and the club’s charitable endeavors can be found at dodgers.com/community.


Visit the Dodgers on the Internet at www.dodgers.com.

For media information, visit www.dodgerspressbox.com.

ANGELS CLAIM INF KEVIN FRANDSEN OFF OUTRIGHT WAIVERS

ANAHEIM, CA – The Angels Thursday claimed second baseman Kevin Frandsen off  outright waivers from the Boston Red Sox and have optioned him to their triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake.  Today’s announcement was made by General Manager Tony Reagins. 

Frandsen, 27, spent parts of four seasons as a utility player with the San Francisco Giants, playing 174 games in the Majors.  He has played in 91 games at second base, 32 at shortstop, 10 in left field, nine at third base and three in right field.  He owns a career average of .240 (98-for-408) with seven home runs and 39 RBIs.

Drafted in the 12th round out of San Jose State in 2004, the San Jose native made his Major League debut with the Giants in 2006.  He batted .367 for the Giants in his final 32 games of the 2007 season, but appeared in only one game of the 2008 season after rupturing his left Achilles tendon in Spring Training.  Frandsen appeared in 23 games in 2009, batting .140 (7/50).

Traded to the Red Sox on March 26, 2010, Frandsen hit .258 (16-for-62) with three doubles, two home runs, four RBI, nine runs and five walks in 17 games with Triple-A Pawtucket in 2010.
                                

--ANGELSBASEBALL.COM--

KINGS DEFENSEMEN MATT GREENE AND JACK JOHNSON TO REPRESENT U.S. AT UPCOMING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

--KINGS HEAD EQUIPMENT MANAGER DARREN GRANGER TO REPRESENT TEAM CANADA--

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Kings defenseman/assistant captain Matt Greene and defenseman Jack Johnson will represent the United States at the 2010 IIHF World Championship tournament, the Kings today announced in conjunction with USA Hockey.  The World Championship tournament is scheduled for May 7-23 in Germany.

Greene, 26, most recently represented the United States during the 2008 World Championship.  He has also represented Team USA during the 2007 World Championship and the 2003 World Junior Championship, and he also skated with Team USA at the 2002 U.S. Junior Select Team at the Viking Cup, the 2001 World U18 Championship, the Under-18 U.S. National Team in its Development Program in 2000-01 and at the 2000 Five Nations Tournament (silver medal).

A 6-3, 237-pound native of Grand Ledge, Michigan, Greene this past season had nine points (2-7=9) and 83 penalty minutes in 75 regular season games with the Kings, while in six postseason games Greene had one point (an assist) and zero penalty minutes.  In 308 career regular season NHL games with the Kings and the Edmonton Oilers, Greene has 36 points (5-31=36) and 399 penalty minutes. 

Johnson, 23, most recently represented the United States during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver where he helped his club earn a silver medal.  He has also represented Team USA during the 2009 World Championship, the 2007 World Championship, the 2007 World Junior Championship (bronze medal), the 2006 World Junior Championship, the 2005 World U18 Championship (gold medal), the 2005 Five Nations Tournament (U.S. Under-18 Team – gold medal), the 2004 Compuware Four Nations Cup (U.S. Under-18 Team) and the 2004 World U18 Championship (silver medal), and he also skated with Team USA at the 2004 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

A 6-0, 218-pound native of Indianapolis, Johnson this past season had 36 points (8-28=36) and 48 penalty minutes in 80 regular season games with the Kings, while in six postseason games Johnson had seven points (all assists) and six penalty minutes.  In 200 career regular season NHL games, all with the Kings, Johnson has 58 points (17-41=58) and 188 penalty minutes. 

Kings Head Equipment Manager Darren Granger will also be apart of Team Canada’s training staff during the World Championship.  Granger, a native of Brandon, Manitoba, also worked for Team Canada at the 2008 (silver medal), 2006 and 1999 World Championships, the 1996 World Cup and the 1992 World Junior Championship.

-- LAKINGS.COM --

LAKERS SECOND ROUND PLAYOFF TICKETS TO GO ON SALE THURSDAY

EL SEGUNDO - Individual game tickets for Lakers 2010 Second Round playoff home games will go on sale this Thursday, April 29 beginning at 10:00 am.
 
Tickets will be sold at Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com and by telephone at 1-800-4-NBA-TIX.  There will be a limit of four tickets per person, per game.  Tickets will not be sold at the STAPLES Center box office.




 

DODGERS TO HOST USC AND UCLA NIGHTS THIS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY

--Back-to-back theme nights are based on rivalry between local universities--


LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers will host USC Night on Thursday, April 29 presented by USC University Hospital and UCLA Night on Friday, April 30 presented by State Farm Insurance. The first 20,000 fans at each game will receive Dodger hats in USC or UCLA colors, respectively, and fans can also buy tickets to sit in the My Town sections dubbed Dodgertown, USC and Dodgertown, UCLA. This will mark the second year that the Dodgers have hosted competing nights based around the cross-town rivalry.

Pregame ceremonies on Thursday will celebrate USC and Women’s Basketball Coach Michael Cooper will throw out a ceremonial first pitch. USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett and Men’s Basketball Coach Kevin O’Neill will also be in attendance.

On Friday, pregame ceremonies will be UCLA-themed and the ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero and Men’s Basketball Coach Ben Howland will join Abdul-Jabbar at the game.

Fans who sit in Dodgertown, USC and Dodgertown, UCLA will receive a free Dodgertown t-shirt featuring their school’s colors and logo. They will also enjoy all-you-can-eat pastrami sandwiches, kettle-style potato chips and kosher-style pickles as well as Dodger Dogs, nachos, popcorn and soft drinks. For more information about the My Town sections, visit www.dodgers.com/mytown.

Notable Trojans who have played for the Dodgers include Ron Fairly, Rod Dedeaux, Len Gabrielson, Ray Lamb and Bobby Mitchell. Garrett, a former Heisman Trophy winner, was drafted by the Dodgers but chose to play professional football instead. Notable Bruins include Eric Karros, Todd Zeile, Jackie Robinson, Tim Leary, Glenn Mickens, Dave Roberts, Ron Roenicke and Matt Young.

Tickets to USC Night and UCLA Night can be purchased by calling 866 DODGERS or logging on to www.dodgers.com or www.losdodgers.com.

If Kobe's Not Panicking, Should You Be?

I realized long ago that it's human nature for fans to panic when their team or favorite star player isn't playing well.  It's not just something they seemingly can't help.  It's actually something they need.  Fans are so emotionally vested in their teams that they need this feeling of panic to validate their emotions.

We are all witnessing another perfect example of that dynamic following the first four games of the Lakers' first-round playoff series with the Thunder.  With each team having won games on its home court, LA fans -- and most of the media -- are for some reason thinking the Lakers have their backs against the proverbial wall.  Game 5 is a do-or-die situation.  It's a must-win game.
 
While you can make strong arguments about the value of a win in Game 5, it's a bit misleading to say the Lakers absolutely, positively have to win this game.  

foxsportswest.com:  If Kobe's Not Panicking, Should You Be?

Kendry Morales Named AL Player Of The Week

KENDRY MORALES OF THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM NAMED THE
BANK OF AMERICA PRESENTS THE AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Kendry Morales has been named Bank of America Presents the American League Player of the Week for the period ending April 25th. Bank of America, the Official Bank of Major League Baseball, is the presenting sponsor of the American League and National League Player of the Week Awards, which reflect Bank of America’s long-standing tradition of promoting and recognizing higher standards of accomplishment.

In seven games last week, Kendry hit a Major League-best .542 (13-24) with seven runs scored, 22 total bases, three home runs and an A.L.-best 10 RBI. Morales also posted a .917 slugging percentage and a .593 on-base percentage. On April 21st against the Detroit Tigers, the Cuban native took a first inning pitch deep for a two-run homer, marking his 50th career home run and making him the fourth fastest in club history to reach that milestone. In the first contest of a three-game series against the New York Yankees on Friday, the switch-hitting slugger delivered a two-run, go-ahead shot from the left side of the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning, helping the Angels to a 6-4 win. On Sunday, the 26-year-old took another ball deep for a three-run shot in the seventh inning to solidify an 8-4 victory over the Yankees. Morales currently leads the Angels with a .329 batting average, six home runs and 16 RBI, in addition to a .372 on-base percentage and .469 slugging percentage. This marks Kendry’s second career weekly award (previous: 8/3/09).

Other noteworthy performances included Chicago White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, who tied for the Major League lead with four home runs and led the A.L. with a 1.150 slugging percentage. Also considered were two young left-handed starters: Tampa Bay Rays third-year man David Price, who posted a 1.93 ERA and notched his first career complete-game shutout, and Chicago White Sox hurler John Danks, who posted a perfect 2-0 record and 14 strikeouts. Another notable performance was turned in by Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who led the Majors with six doubles while also collecting eight RBI.

The Bank of America Presents the American League Player of the Week, Kendry Morales, is awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.

The College Experiment: Oregon Cheerleaders

Ever wonder why the University of Oregon cheerleaders always rank among the hottest in collegiate sports?  Foxsports.com's Bob Oschack wondered the same thing.

Pitching Comes Around and So Does Angels’ Record

What a difference some good pitching can make.
 
When the Angels started the season 2-6, most fans started to get a little restless and were wondering if the Angels knew that spring training had ended the week prior and these games actually counted.
 
The poor play had infected just about every aspect of the team. Starters were giving up too many early runs and not getting deep into games.  Relievers were bringing gasoline cans to the mound instead of water hoses. Hitters couldn't get enough key hits in timely situations.  And the defense and base running -- two staples of the Scioscia era -- were equally lackluster.
 
One person who didn't jump on the panic bandwagon, of course, was manager Mike Scioscia.  He knew the talent he had on his ballclub and had complete confidence that things would turn around sooner rather than later, but he wasn't about to just sit by idly and wait for the Angels to flip the switch and start playing better.  

foxsportswest.com: Pitching Comes Around and So Does Angels’ Record