Sport and Cinema.com

They are a pack of animals bred to run, thundering down the track, nostrils flaring, hair flying and necks bobbing- and I’m talking about the horses – not the brave young souls hovering over them trying to motivate a half-ton of dynamite on four feet to finish first to the passionate shouts of a frenzied crowd. Yes, the Kentucky Derby is one of the most exciting traditions in sport. Unlike a tennis player at Wimbledon or a heavyweight boxer seeking the crown, this storied event has an age restriction as only 3-year-old thoroughbreds can run in the Derby, thus each only has one chance at it in his lifetime. Many dream of the roses, but only one horse will wear them out of the thousands born each year. With the 135th Run for the Roses taking place Saturday at Churchill Downs, here’s a look at the initial leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Tupac Shakur, Jimmy the Greek Snyder are all subjects in upcoming films from Hollywood directors for ESPN. Noted filmmakers, assorted Oscar nominees and Peabody Award winners among them, will ply their talents to celebrate ESPN’s 30 year history by creating one hour films on sports-related topics which will debut in the fall.
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ESPN Films is announcing 10 additional filmmakers for its ambitious “30 for 30″ film project. The filmmakers include Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights), Academy Award nominee Ron Shelton (Bull Durham), Academy Award nominee Brett Morgen (On the Ropes), and Academy Award nominee Steve James (Hoop Dreams), as well as Academy Award winner Bill Couturié, Peabody Award winner Fritz Mitchell, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Jonathan Hock, Jeff Zimbalist and the duo of Lucas Jansen and Adam Kurland.

Okay, okay so Detroit goes ahead and lays out for a quarterback with its number one overall pick, but after South Carolina kicker Ryan Succop, the last pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, going 256th overall to the Kansas City Chiefs to claim the Mr. Irrelevant Award, which teams did some of the experts feel made out the best?

The actor/comedian has joined the team to play Paul dePodesta, a Harvard grad who’s forte with statistics and probabilities helps Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane (Pitt) develop a methodology to successfully compete against teams with deeper pockets.

Heading from the festival circuit into theaters beginning this weekend, is a documentary film that is more of a peek inside the tortured mind of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson than a pure critical examination of his career…and it scores.

Because their needs range all over the field especially on the defensive side where they ranked dead last in the league for two years running, rumors abound about what the Detroit Lions will do with the top pick of the 2009 NFL Draft tomorrow.

Ever since the Wizard of Westwood brought magic to the hardwoods, UCLA football has had to play in the long shadow of the school’s great basketball tradition. Nevertheless, the Bruins have produced some great gridiron teams and players. For example, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of Bruin quarterback Troy Aikman being selected

Heading into tonight’s pivotal game 4, Calgary is hoping to buck the odds against them.

The Flames have never won a playoff series trailing 0-2 AND teams holding a two-game lead in NHL playoff series have won a whopping 85+ percent of them in league history.

Arizona Diamondbacks Lots of young bats should take advantage of one of the more offense-oriented ballparks, but they won’t go far without cutting down on the k’s. Arizona’s offense was second in the majors in striking out. Five starters from Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds to catcher Chris Snyder each exceeded the century mark in whiffs. Not good.