SB Nation St. Louis: All Posts by Peter Berkes

Indy 500 2013 qualifying: Full results from Bump Day

2013-05-19T23:11:04Z

The 33-car field is in place for the Indianapolis 500 after Bump Day on Sunday, and Michel Jourdain Jr. is the only driver who failed to qualify.

More: Complete Indy 500 coverage Pole Day results

The top 24 cars from Pole Day on Saturday are slotted into the field in the top 24 spots. The final nine spots in the field are determined the next day on Bump Day, when cars can run again and take another shot at qualifying for the field. If a car that qualifies on Bump Day is faster than one in the top 24, they still start behind them in order. However, once the field reaches 33 cars, the slowest drivers are then "bumped" out of the field.

Ten drivers attempted to qualify on Bump Day, and Jourdain was the only one who could not.

Here are the nine drivers that qualified on Bump Day:

25. Josef Newgarden - 225.731
26. Graham Rahal - 225.007
27. Sebastian Saavedra - 224.929
28. Tristan Vautier - 224.873
29. Ana Beatriz - 224.184
30. Pippa Mann - 224.005
31. Conor Daly - 223.582
32. Buddy Lazier - 223.442
33. Katherine Legge - 223.176

2013 Preakness picks and predictions: Experts sticking with Orb

2013-05-18T15:41:12Z

With the Preakness Stakes just a few hours away, experts from across the horse racing world are beginning to make their picks for the race. Orb, the Kentucky Derby winner, is a strong favorite according to the oddsmakers, and the experts are seeing it the same way.

SB Nation's horse racing blog, And Down The Stretch They Come, posted their staff picks, and four of the five went with Orb. Itsmyluckyday was the only other horse to get a nod. On the New York Times horse racing blog, seven of the eight pickers went with Orb to win, with Goldencents being the only different choice. The media poll at the Baltimore Sun also had Orb winning on some ballots, but Itsmyluckyday, Mylute and Goldencents also received some picks.

Orb is currently at even odds to win the Preakness, which gets underway at 6:20 p.m. ET on NBC. Weather may be an issue, however, as rain is in the forecast.

More Triple Crown coverage:

• Preakness preview and picks

• Preakness Stakes betting guide | Orb remains favorite

• Longform: Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens returns

• Complete 2013 Preakness Stakes coverage | How to watch

• SB Nation's horse racing blog: And Down The Stretch They Come

Mike Gundy will stalk Wes Lunt to the end of this Earth

2013-05-18T15:11:07Z

"I'm just glad all that nonsense is finally in the past," Wes Lunt said as he settled into his new dorm room at his new school. "All I ever wanted to do was play ball, and that's what I plan on doing. But first, I'm gonna relax and watch some TV."

Lunt grabbed the remote control and jumped on his bed while letting out a contented sigh. The past few months had been difficult for him. His old coach at Oklahoma State, Mike Gundy, made his transfer a much bigger deal than it had to be, but it finally seemed that all that was behind him. He turned on the TV, and his eyes went wide in panic.

Staring back at Lunt from the TV was the cold, unblinking gaze of Mike Gundy. He was in a brightly lit yet featureless white room, and was wearing an orange polo and white visor. He said nothing, but he didn't need to speak.

Lunt screamed and changed the channel. Gundy was still there. He turned off the TV in a panic and sat alone with his thoughts for a few minutes. "Maybe I just imagined it. Maybe I'm seeing things. Stress can do weird things to your brain, I just need to get a grip. Maybe I should email my parents."

He walked over to his laptop and turned it on, but was horrified once again to see Gundy's gruesome visage in the same white room.

"Wes."

"Why around you running, Wes?"

Lunt sat there frozen, unsure of what to do.

"This isn't the way real men handle themselves, Wes."

Finally, Lunt worked up the courage to respond.

"It just didn't work out, Coach. It's not the end of the world. Why are you following me like this? Also, uhhh, how are you appearing in my electronic devices and speaking without moving your lips?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know. That's the problem with you, Wes, you want everything right away and you're not willing to work for it."

"Coach, what the hell are you talking about? I just wanted to play football somewhere else. This isn't the end of the world."

"Oh, but it is," Gundy said, as the computer screen quickly faded to black.

Silence.

***

Lunt didn't sleep well that night, as he was worried that the spectral version of Mike Gundy would emerge and take him while he slumbered. However, it didn't happen, so he got up the next day and prepared to go work out and watch film.

"Maybe I really did imagine the whole thing," Lunt thought. "There's no way Coach is haunting me. I know winning the Heart of Dallas Bowl can give you powers, but not powers like this. Anyway, time to get to work."

Lunt finished his lift and was alone in the film room, breaking down tape. He was on edge about seeing Gundy again, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He began to relax, but suddenly when he looked back up at the screen, there he was, dressed as the umpire.

"WATCH THE SAFETY, WES! WES! ARE YOU LISTENING?! CALL OUT THE BLITZ! YOUR TEAMMATES ARE DEPENDING ON YOU! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME, BOY?!"

"Coach, why can't you just leave me alone! I don't go to Oklahoma State anymore, and I don't play for you anymore!"

"I'LL LEAVE YOU ALONE WHEN I'M GOOD AND READY, BUT FIRST YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN TO ME AND ALL YOUR TEAMMATES WHY YOU CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THE BALL! THAT'S MY BALL, AND YOU NEED TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF IT, Y'HEAR? TURNOVERS ARE PERSONAL INSULTS TO ME AND MY FAMILY!"

Lunt got up quickly and ran back to his dorm, where he took a cold shower and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

Lunt had only been at his new school for a few days, but he already had a date lined up with a cute girl he met at the union. He didn't really know her at all, so he figured he should take her to the one place everyone loves: Buffalo Wild Wings.

He picked her up from her apartment, and they made pleasant small talk on the ride to the restaurant. They were seated quickly, and the two began talking about their class schedule and home life over a couple ice-cold diet colas. "Things are going pretty well, I think she really likes me," Lunt thought, as the waiter approached to take their order. "Yeah, I'll get the OH DAMN IT!"

It was him. He was still wearing his visor with a Buffalo Wild Wings uniform. The room fell quiet.

"Oh, what can I get you Wes? Let me just wait on you hand and foot, Wes. Sounds like a great gig, huh, Wes? How about you grow up and take some responsibility for yourself, Wes? Here, how about you just eat a bunch of wings and get FAT!"

Lunt had heard enough, and he grabbed his date and quickly left the restaurant. She never called him back.

***

Lunt walked out of his dorm and onto the sprawling, sun-drenched quad at his new school, which was verdant and lush with greenery. He joined the student foot traffic, and noted how much everyone was smiling and seemed to be having fun. "You know, I think I like it here. Look how friendly everyone looks. Aww shoot, my shoes."

He bent down to tie his shoelaces, which had come undone. As he was on one knee, Lunt noticed someone walk up next to him and stop. He looked up, and there he was.

Gundy began to say something, but before he could finish, Lunt popped up from his knees and punched him square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. He was very much there in physical form.

"Coach, what the hell are you doing following me around like this?"

"Dammit, Wes, it was just a goof!"

"But why are you here? And seriously, how did you do that thing with the TV and my computer?"

"Just being a jerk, I guess. I mean, look at me. What did you expect? And yeah, that's an old trick Mack Brown taught me. Been using it on Chris Simms for years."

"But don't you have better things to do than make my transfer a living hell, then torment me after I leave?"

"You know, you would think that, but here I am. Anyway, I gotta jet. I'm going back to Oklahoma to put some ketchup packets and a fake finger underneath Bob Stoops' doormat. It'll drive him crazy."

"You're a weird guy, Coach."

"I know," Gundy said, as he turned and walked away. It was the same direction that Lunt was walking, though, so the two walked awkwardly next to each other for about 15 seconds before Gundy swatted the drink out of Lunt's hand and sprinted away.

More from SB Nation:

Follow @SBNationCFB Follow @SBNRecruiting

• The program with the country’s strangest recruiting Photoshops

• Bill Connelly: Yep, Notre Dame’s going to be really good again

• SB Nation interviews Mike the Tiger’s handler

• Penn State players support trainer after SI story

• National recruiting coverage

• Today’s college football news headlines

Dwight Freeney close to signing with Chargers, per report

2013-05-18T14:50:48Z

The San Diego Chargers are close to signing free agent pass rusher Dwight Freeney, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Freeney was released by the Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason after 11 seasons and 107.5 sacks with the team.

More: Chargers blog Bolts From The Blue

The Chargers were already in the market for another pass rusher, but the need became even greater after they lost Melvin Ingram for the 2013 season due to a torn ACL suffered in OTAs. The team will also be without linebacker Sean Phillips, who left via free agency.

Freeney definitely would address that need, but he may not be the greatest fit for San Diego's base 3-4 defense. He played as a 4-3 defensive end for the first ten years of his career before switching to a more stand-up 3-4 outside linebacker in 2012, and the five sacks he had represents the second-lowest total of his career. The only year in which Freeney had fewer than five sacks was 2007 when he had 3.5, but he only played in nine games because of injury.

The Chargers may limit him to passing situations at first, but if their depth issues at the position persist, he may be forced into more regular action.

More from SB Nation:

• Geno Smith: 'I play smart. I play above my neck'

• Charles Woodson to visit Raiders

• Coming: A reality TV show featuring Packers fans

• Titus Young's mugshot is Hall of Fame-worthy | #Lookit

• Tim Tebow's (fake) CFL chronicles

• The rise of "Generation Jaguar"

2013 Preakness odds: Orb remains heavy favorite entering race day

2013-05-18T12:51:18Z

Orb has been the favorite to win the Preakness Stakes ever since he won the Kentucky Derby, and things are no different the morning of the race. Orb is coming off at even money, far ahead of any of the other contenders in the nine horse field.

More: Full coverage of the 2013 Preakness Stakes

Mylute remains the horse with the next-best odds at 5/1, with Departing and Goldencents close behind at 6/1 and 8/1, respectively. The longest shot in the field remains Titletown Five, who is at 30/1 odds to take home the win on Saturday.

Post time at Pimlico is set for 6:20 p.m. ET, and the race can be seen on NBC. The weather in Baltimore should be better than it was in Kentucky, with only clouds expected in the afternoon. Here are the full odds for the field:

Orb - Even
Mylute - 5/1
Departing - 6/1
Goldencents - 8/1
Itsmyluckyday - 10/1
Will Take Charge - 12/1
Govenor Charlie - 12/1
Oxbow - 15/1
Titletown Five - 30/1

More Triple Crown coverage:

• Oxbow shocks at 15/1 | Video replay

• Longform: Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens returns

• 2013 Belmont Stakes info

• Complete 2013 Preakness Stakes coverage

• SB Nation's horse racing blog: And Down The Stretch They Come

Manti Te'o takes Maxim girlfriend joke in stride

2013-05-18T12:27:40Z

Maxim hosted a party earlier this week in honor of their latest 100 Hottest Women in the World list, which is apparently a thing they still do. Since Maxim remains a publication that stands on the bleeding edge, they named Manti Te'o's hoaxed girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, the 69th hottest women in the world (ahahaha get it?!).

Instead of ignoring this like most people probably would have, Te'o took it in stride and even went to the party. It's probably a good thing that he can show up in public and put a good face on things, and hopefully it will accelerate the process of these stupid jokes going away. I have yet to hear a genuinely funny joke about this, although Maxim putting Kekua at 69 (ahahahaha yeah they did, bro!) on the list is probably as good as any I've heard.

Te'o was picked in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.

More from SB Nation:

• Geno Smith: 'I play smart. I play above my neck'

• Charles Woodson to visit Raiders

• Coming: A reality TV show featuring Packers fans

• Titus Young's mugshot is Hall of Fame-worthy | #Lookit

• Tim Tebow's (fake) CFL chronicles

• The rise of "Generation Jaguar"

Vanderbilt football recruiting: Montez Sweat commits to the Commodores over Florida

2013-05-17T00:07:43Z

James Franklin and the Vanderbilt Commodores have picked up a commitment from Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson High School tight end Montez Sweat. The 6'6, 230-pound Sweat picked Vanderbilt over Florida.

More: Vanderbilt blog Anchor of Gold

Sweat is a two-star recruit, according to Rivals, and is not rated by 247, Scout, or ESPN. Despite his relatively low standing in the recruiting rankings, he held scholarship offers from Mississippi State, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Georgia State, and Old Dominion. The Gators offered Sweat very recently, on May 14, but it was too late to sway him from becoming the ninth player in the 2014 Vanderbilt recruiting class.

The Commodores are currently ranked 17th in the 247Composite team rankings, but are seventh among SEC teams. It just goes to show that even though Vanderbilt is enjoying their best recruiting run in program history, they still sit in the middle of the pack in their own conference. Compared to how things were before Franklin arrived, though, I'm sure Vanderbilt fans will take it.

More from SB Nation:

Follow @SBNationCFB Follow @SBNRecruiting

• Bill Connelly: Yep, Notre Dame’s going to be really good again

• SB Nation interviews Mike the Tiger’s handler

• Penn State players support trainer after SI story

• TCU loses best defender for LSU game

• National recruiting coverage

• Today’s college football news headlines

You can skydive with Eastern Michigan's Ron English

2013-05-16T19:55:56Z

Have you always had the urge to skydive with a MAC football coach? Well for those of you so inclined and with a little wiggle room in your checkbooks, you can jump out of a plane with Eastern Michigan's Ron English, head football coach and noted rapacious bird.

English will take to the skies of the Michigan countryside if EMU's fundraising drive hits its goal of $60,000. The money will be used to renovate the team facilities and "go through the bathrooms in there and retile, put new fixtures in and all those types of things."

I can tell, you're excited.

H/T: Paul Myerberg

More from SB Nation:

Follow @SBNationCFB Follow @SBNRecruiting

• Bill Connelly: Yep, Notre Dame’s going to be really good again

• SB Nation interviews Mike the Tiger’s handler

• Penn State players support trainer after SI story

• TCU loses best defender for LSU game

• National recruiting coverage

• Today’s college football news headlines