The Daily Take.

While training for his May 5 bout against Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr. wore a T-shirt that read: God gifted -- the best ever -- a champ that is here to stay -- 43-0.

Like him or not, "Money" Mayweather is one of the best fighters of our generation. His mouth is faster than his hands sometimes and his cocksure attitude often rubs people the wrong way, but you can't argue the simple fact that the man has never lost in 42 professional fights.

Correction. Make that 43 professional fights, if you ask Floyd.

When Mayweather steps into the ring Saturday night at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena against Cotto, a man who has only lost two professional fights, Money May will most likely add another notch to his boxing legacy. Here are three keys to a Mayweather victory:

1) Defense Wins Championships
Nazim Richardson, who trained Shane Mosley for his 2010 bout with Mayweather, describes the pound-for-pound champ as a "talented coward." It sounded like a diss but Richardson was actually paying Floyd a compliment. Richardson was basically pointing out the fact that Mayweather can dominate an opponent without having to put himself in harm's way. It's a credit to his impenetrable style, an approach that has served him well in his career.

2) Timing Is Everything
Mayweather has quick hands, but what makes his punches a lot faster is his incredible timing. His ability to catch his opponents with the perfect counterpunch is the reason why he's such a special athlete. And he can counterpunch with either hand with pin-point accuracy from a defensive stance, making it extremely difficult to mount a consistent attack on him. Cotto tends to dip his head when he moves in, so watch Mayweather slow him down with left hooks and straight rights.

3) Game-changer
In the Mayweather-Mosley bout in 2010, Mosley, knowing Mayweather was going to stay back on his heels, came out fast and furious in the first two rounds and even rocked Floyd with a right hand in round two. What did Floyd do? He flipped the script and became the aggressor. Mayweather repeatedly beat Mosley to the punch and easily won a unanimous decision. Whatever Cotto has planned for Saturday night, expect Mayweather to change on the fly and make the proper adjustment to secure the victory.

-- Related Story: Cotto's Keys Vs. Mayweather full story >>

Tags:

Boxing, Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto

When Miguel Cotto defeated Antonio Margarito five months ago, he not only avenged his first loss as a professional but he also exorcised the demons that have haunted him the past four years.

Any time you lose for the first time, especially in the fashion Cotto did in 2008 to Margarito, your confidence takes a major hit. Cotto was obviously not the same fighter, and it showed in bouts against Joshua Clottey and Manny Pacquiao.

That's why the victory over Margarito last December was so significant because it provided Cotto some closure and much needed momentum heading into his May 5 bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather presents the greatest challenge for Cotto, even more so than Pacquiao. Hey, everyone thought Ivan Drago was a machine until Rocky Balboa exposed his human side. Beating Mayweather will be a tall order, but it is not an impossible task. Here are three keys to a Cotto victory:

1) Body Blows
Cotto is a head-hunter, but against Mayweather he needs to go to the body. Floyd has superb head movement and rolls his shoulders to deflect punches, making it extremely difficult to get a clean shot on him. Cotto has to keep Mayweather's right hand occupied by throwing the left jab and then come back with a right cross to the left side of Mayweather's body.

2) Let Your Hands Go
Almost all of Mayweather's fights become one-sided because Floyd's opponents tend to let up when they get down. Cotto can't allow Floyd to be comfortable in the middle of the ring. He has to stalk Mayweather and force him to come out of his defensive shell. And the way to do that is by unleashing a barrage of punches from all angles and apply constant pressure.

3) Lean And Mean
Cotto is comfortable as a super welterweight. He must be physical with Floyd, but do it within the context of the fight and not pull a Victor Ortiz-type stunt. Cotto needs to lean on Mayweather and make him use up some energy. Cotto has no choice but to junk up the fight to disrupt Mayweather's timing.

-- Related Story: Mayweather's Keys Vs. Cotto full story >>

Tags:

Boxing, Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto

By Joel Huerto
OneManFastBreak.net

For the past 35 years, the New Jersey Nets have been the laughing stock of the NBA. It may sound too harsh, but it’s cold hard fact. The Nets are the Clippers of the East (we're talking about the pre-Blake Griffin era). The history of the Nets franchise is about as ridiculous as the last two seasons of "Jersey Shore." Absolutely nothing funny about it.

The team's official scorer Herb Turetzky summed it up best in a well-written piece by The Associated Press writer Tom Canavan.

"If there is one word that describes this team's time in New Jersey, it's misfortune," Turetzky told AP. He will work his 1,177 consecutive home game on Monday. "Every time we seemed to be building something to get up to respectability some crisis came up."full story >>

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NBA, New Jersey Nets

Last fall, when Donovan McNabb was cut by the Minnesota Vikings, I wrote an article urging him to leave the game for good. I said, in essence, that the longer he stays in the spotlight, the harder it will be for him to make the Hall of Fame. I used his numbers to show that his credentials might be worthy of Canton, but that attempting to prolong his career would only hurt his candidacy.

Although he wisely walked away from the game, McNabb is still finding ways to damage his legacy.

He is doing this by constantly making himself the story. He recently started appearing on ESPN's family of networks, joining their star-studded cast of former player-turn-analysts. In an appearance on First Take, McNabb wasted no time in turning a story about Robert Griffin III into a story about McNabb. McNabb claimed Robert Griffin III would not succeed in Washington because the Shanahans would limit him much like they supposedly limited McNabb in his stint there. Although he tried to remain as separated from the issue as possible, his bitterness was evident when he used the words "ego" and saying, "I was misused. Absolutely."full story >>

Tags:

Donovan McNabb, Jim Kelly, Mike Shanahan, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Robert Griffin III, Troy Aikman, Washington Redskins

Maybe he wasn't thrilled with missing the cut at the tournament he twice won in 1994 and 1999. Or maybe he just felt like he had a good feel for the roads around Augusta. Whatever the reason, Jose Maria Olazabal was hauling tail in his Mercedes, going 97 in a 65 near the South Carolina border on his way to his next tournament.

Olazabal was pulled over by a Georgia sheriff's deputy Monday on his way to Hilton Head, S.C., for the Heritage tournament, and the fine he was saddled with was impressive. The final damage came out to a whopping $621 in penalties. And he even got to pose for this lovely mugshot.full story >>

Tags:

Golf, Jose Maria Olazabal, Masters, The Masters

By Joel Huerto
OneManFastBreak.net

There are five high school All-Americans who have yet to decide on which college to attend in the fall, and one of them is Shabazz Muhammad.

The 6-foot-6 forward from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman was named the MVP of the 35th annual McDonald's High School All-American Game in Chicago, scoring a game-high 21 points in leading his West team to a 106-102 victory. He was easily the best player on the court, and his good friend Kyle Anderson (who is headed to UCLA) was the only player close enough to challenge that claim.

Muhammad put on a show for his three college suitors: Duke, Kentucky and UCLA. He displayed a skill level that is already tailor-made for the NBA and his approach was very business-like. He recently put on an impressive show at the Nike Hoop Summit in Oregon, and one NBA scout said "he's the only one who can play in the NBA tomorrow."

Muhammad will make his decision on April 11, a day that could alter the balance of power in the 2012-13 college basketball season.

Muhammad is the No. 1 rated high school senior by almost all of the prominent recruiting services, with the exception of ESPN. The Worldwide Leader inexplicably has center Noel Nerlens of Everett, Mass. as the top college prospect. Why? Not quite sure, especially after watching Muhammad clearly distance himself from the field with his performance at the McDonald's game. Not too long ago the Worldwide Leader had Xavier Henry as the nation’s No. 1 recruit. Where is Henry now? He's currently struggling to keep a job in the NBA. We'll forgive the Worldwide Leader for putting Muhammad at No. 2 ... for now.

The three schools on Muhammad's wish list are three of the most storied programs in the nation. Under John Calipari, Kentucky has become a landing spot for blue chippers looking to rent space for seven months until they become draft eligible. Duke is in the running because, let's face it, it has living legend Mike Krzyzewski. How can you say "no" when Coach K calls your cell! And then there is UCLA headed by a coach who badly needs a hug after a recent Sports Illustrated article painted his program as an out-of-control institution.full story >>

Tags:

NCAAB, Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA Bruins

The article "South Dakota State Coach Scott Nagy Forces Wife To Choose Him Over Two Sons," written by Ben Maller last month, misrepresents and misinterprets the character of coach Nagy.

The situation was that South Dakota State was playing in the NCAA tournament on the same day Nagy's sons were competing in the state tournament.

The problem in the article may have been a lack of context, which this story aims to provide.

The first conflict occurs with this line: "Nick, a senior, might be taking part in his final high school game."

In South Dakota, all teams in the state tournament play three games, regardless of the outcomes: One Thursday, one Friday and one Saturday. Therefore, Nick Nagy's final game could not have been on Thursday, which was the same night South Dakota State played in the NCAA tournament. Nick's final game was always going to be Saturday, which Coach Nagy and his wife both attended.

The second conflict occurs with this line: "But her husband made the call."full story >>

Tags:

NCAAB, Scott Nagy, South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Try your best to keep up here.

A rumor without Kanye West is only half as fun. On Wednesday, the web was buzzing with news that West launched a website called Whodatbiz.com as part of his tech startup Donda. Whodat.biz was supposed to be "the Facebook of websites" (come on, does that even make sense?) and essentially gives users the ability to find out about the real people behind every website out there.

Upon hearing this news, New Orleans Saints fans, and anyone who pays attention to trademark lawsuits, might have been thinking the same thing. Can West use the "Who Dat?" phrase for his site? The Saints and the NFL are currently involved in a number of trademark lawsuits over this very issue. In January of this year, Sal and Steve Monistere of Who Dat?, Inc. reached a settlement with the NFL to allow merchandise with the catch phrase to be co-branded by both parties. After the Saints' Super Bowl win, New Orleans vendors went on a "Who Dat?" spree, inciting the NFL to send cease and desist letters faster than a tourist can buy a tacky T-shirt on Canal St.full story >>

Tags:

Kanye West, New Orleans Saints

Are you excited about the Final Four, but left out in the cold without a team to root for since your beloved squad got bumped? We went ahead and weighed the benefits and downsides to rooting for each of the teams left.

Kansas (31-6) Midwest No. 2 Seed

Road to the Final Four
Remember how the Jayhawks were supposed to get upset by a double-digit seed before they reached the final four? Somehow, that didn't happen like it always does. Three of those teams had a shot: No. 15 Detroit hung around for a while, No. 10 Purdue had the best shot but bungled it away in the final minute, and No. 11 NC State couldn't make the shots to hang on. Then a neutered No. 1 North Carolina got blown away in the second half of the regional final without Kendall Marshall. There is Dr. Jekyll Kansas and there is Mr. Hyde Kansas. The former has a thing for letting Cinderellas walk all over it, the latter plays with an inherent ownership of the game.

History
Like you don't already know. And if you don't, don't worry, a Jayhawk fan will be happy enlighten you on the virtues of Kansas basketball. Dr. James Naismith, Phog Allen, Wilt Chamberlain -- Jayhawks invented the game, and they believe this is their birthright.

Underdog status/Will they get back to the Final Four soon?
That depends on if Bucknell, Bradley, Northern Iowa or VCU make the tournament. Sorry, that was shameless and too easy. The reality: the Jayhawks always have better than a puncher's chance in March. This won't be their last national semifinal.full story >>

Tags:

Kansas Jayhawks, Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, March Madness, NCAAB, Ohio State Buckeyes

Everyone knows that Tim Duncan is much closer to his retirement than his prime, but the official boxscore from the Spurs-76ers game Sunday night re-iterated this point in an innovative way.

The Spurs were playing their third game in three nights, so coach Gregg Popovich gave the 35-year-old Duncan a rest. The stat crew in San Antonio decided to have some fun with this. Check out the reason why Duncan was listed as a DNP (Did Not Play):

The boxscore was distributed by the Associated Press, and more than one national outlet, including NBA.com, published this creative designation for Duncan's absence.

Despite not playing, Duncan still showed up in another spot within the boxscore. Referee Joey Crawford slapped Duncan, who was sitting on the Spurs bench, with a technical foul late in the game for arguing.

Based on that, it'd be tempting to call Duncan a grumpy old man, but that label might be better suited for Crawford, who was suspended in 2007 after he ejected Duncan from a game for laughing.full story >>

Tags:

NBA, Tim Duncan

There are no real rules on retiring numbers. It’s a formality, a sign of respect; when a number is retired, it shows that the organization views the wearer of that jersey in a dignified, honored manner. In fact, there is only one real rule when it comes to retiring jersey numbers: no one is allowed to wear that number for that team ever again.

Unless your name is Peyton Manning, of course.

During his announcement on Tuesday afternoon, Peyton Manning flashed a big smile as he held up the orange jersey, freshly pressed with “Manning” on the back and the number 18 stretched across it. He spoke with grace and dignity about Frank Tripucka, the original owner of the Broncos No. 18 jersey. He said all the right things.

“I had the privilege of speaking with Frank Tripucka this morning,” Manning said at the press conference. “It really goes against everything I believe in being a guy who appreciates the history of football and I believe when a number is retired it should stay retired; but in talking to Frank Tripucka, I feel he really wants me to wear his number. It was a very humbling conversation and I am honored to wear his number.”

He wasn’t the only one saying the right things on the subject. Tripucka, a man most football fans did not know until this week, is quoted in an article from First-and-Orange, a Denver Broncos fan blog, as saying that he would be “honored” if Manning wore his jersey number. Both Manning and Tripucka are fine with unretiring the number. And if there were a right way to go about this process, they would be successfully doing so.

Unfortunately, there isn’t.full story >>

Tags:

Denver Broncos, Frank Tripucka, Joe Montana, Kansas City Chiefs, Len Dawson, NFL, Peyton Manning