The Sportsletter - Need for Speed 🏁

BY JEFF YODER

MAY 27, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Happy Friday 🙌

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us. It's time to flip the script and crown some champions in the Indy 500 and the Champions League. Meanwhile, the Warriors are heading back to the NBA Finals and the Oilers just punched their ticket to the next round. We'll hit your inbox on Tuesday after the holiday break.

Letter Rip!

RACING

The Indy 500 Primer 🏁

Photo: Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing is Coming…

Drivers, start your engines! The 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 takes center stage on Memorial Day Weekend, and we’ve got you covered for the pre-race primer. The 500-mile race at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a one-of-a-kind sports spectacle that boasts the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Nearly 400,000 fans will pack the Speedway stands and infield. Only the Olympics — spread out over multiple weeks — has a larger sports attendance number. Buckle up. It’s time to drive.

What to Know: The Indy 500 brings top-end speed to the IndyCar Series thanks to the 2.5-mile oval track that sees the Dallara IR18 racecars crack 230 mph. The historic race features a long list of veteran drivers, but plenty of young guns are looking to make their first trip to the winner’s circle.

Odds to Win: S. Dixon (+550), A. Palou (+600), P. O’Ward (+900), R. Veekay (+1100), J. Newgarden (+1200), W. Power (+1400) | Full List of Odds

Drivers to Watch: Scott Dixon holds the pole position for the second straight year, and its fifth time overall as the pole-sitter. He hasn’t won the 500 since 2008 — his first time in pole position. Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward are two young drivers looking to secure their first 500 wins, but plenty of vets like Takuma Sato, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power and Alexander Rossi are lurking in Rows 4-7.

Starting Grid

R1: Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Rinus Veekay

R2: Ed Carpenter, Marcus Ericsson, Tony Kanaan

R3: Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, Romain Grosjean

Full Starting Grid

It’s a full Sunday afternoon in Indy that waves the green flag on Summer 2022. The Greatest Spectacle in Racing is almost here…

Additional Storylines

MotorSport: Seven Plot Lines to Follow at the 2022 Indianapolis 500

Forbes: Roger Penske Finally Gets the Indianapolis 500 He’s Dreamed Of

Sporting News: Who Will Win the Indy 500? Odds, Expert Picks & Betting Favorites

NBA PLAYOFFS

Dub Dynasty

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

Warriors Return to NBA Finals With Game 5 Win Over Mavericks (120-110)

They’re back! The Dub Dynasty returns for another shot in the NBA Finals. The Warriors — after  five straight trips and three titles from 2015-2019 — are back in the Finals after two years removed from the playoffs. Golden State ousted the Mavericks in Game 5 (120-110) behind a 32-point night from Klay Thompson (8-for-16, 3-pt). The Warriors pulled away by 17 at halftime before Dallas made it interesting, but it’s the Dubs atop the Western Conference. They’ll await the winner of the Celtics-Heat series, which could see Boston punching their ticket tonight. GSW Wins Series (4-1)

Watch: Warriors Beat Mavs in Western Conference Finals

Tonight’s Schedule

Gm 6: Heat at Celtics (8:30 pm ET)

BOS Leads Series (3-2)

Additional Storylines

SI: The Warriors’ Reign Is Not Over Yet

USA Today: Warriors Close Out Mavericks to Reach Finals for 6th Time in 8 Years

SOCCER

Previewing the Champions League Final

Photo: Kristian Skeie / Getty Images

The Kings of Europe Will Be Crowned on Saturday

Here we go! Another preview before Memorial Day Weekend gives us the European finale soccer fans have been waiting for. The rematch of the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final pits Liverpool and Real Madrid for all the marbles. Los Blancos won that 2018 finale (3-1) under Zinedine Zidane. This time around, it’s Jurgen Klopp’s Reds looking for revenge against Carlo Ancelotti’s Spanish club. The final showdown is a one-leg, winner-take-all match at Stade de France in Paris.

How We Got Here: Real Madrid knocked out PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City in a torrid sprint to the finals. Liverpool, on the other hand, had a seemingly easier path with opponents like Inter, Benfica and Villarreal.

Real Madrid: Los Blancos are the undisputed kings of the Champions League with 13 titles, including a run of three straight from 2016-2018. They haven’t won it in four years, and a win on Saturday would be the club’s first without superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Liverpool: The Reds have had a miraculous few years in all competitions dating back to their 2019 Champions League crown. They have six total Champions League titles, but they could use a trophy boost after falling short of the Premier League title by one point last week.

Champions League Final

Real Madrid vs. Liverpool (Sat. 3:00 pm ET, CBS)

Watch: Champions League Final Match Preview

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Champions League Final: Liverpool—Real Madrid Will Be Box Office

SI: Champions League Final Brings Elixir for Liverpool, Real Madrid’s Fresh Setbacks

🎥 THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏒 NHL: McDavid Sends Oilers to West Final

Connor McDavid netted the overtime-winner in Game 5 of the Battle for Alberta to send the Oilers past the Flames (5-4, OT) and into the Western Conference Finals.

🏒 NHL: Hurricanes Push Rangers to Brink

Carolina stayed undefeated at home during the postseason with a 3-1 win over the Rangers in Game 5 on Thursday night. The Hurricanes lead the series (3-2) as it heads back to New York on Saturday.

⚾️ MLB: A Walk-Off Miggy Moment

Detroit veteran Miguel Cabrera had the MLB moment of the night with a walk-off line-drive single to lift the Tigers over the Guardians (4-3).

⛳️ PGA: 8 Tied Atop Charles Schwab Leaderboard

The Charles Schwab Challenge got underway Thursday from Colonial Country Club and eight names are tied at 4-under. Among them is a Scottie Scheffler resurgence.

THE STORYLINES

💰 The World’s Highest-Paid Athletes

Collectively, the world’s ten highest-paid athletes raked in $992 million over the last 12 months, according to Forbes’ estimates. Lionel Messi tops the list at No. 1 with $130 million over the last 12 months. (Forbes) 

⚾️ Buying or Selling MLB’s Hottest Starts

No more “small sample size” excuses… In essence, we know which teams are really good and which ones are bad. The All-Star players have mostly revealed themselves, and we're firmly planted in the season's developing storylines. (Bleacher Report) 

🏀 NBA Playoff Blowouts

In the second and third rounds of the NBA Playoffs, there have been 35 games that featured a grand total of 29 minutes (10 games) played in “clutch” situations. The outcome of 25 of the 35 highest-stakes games of the season has never been in any real doubt. Here’s why: (The Athletic)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Pepsi Officially Out as Super Bowl Halftime Sponsor After More Than a Decade (Yahoo! Sports)
• Professional Poker Player Arrested in Connection to $25 Million Sports Betting Scheme (CBS Sports)
• Lakers Interview Former Blazers Coach Terry Stotts (SI)
• Michelle Wie West Prepares to Step Away From LPGA After U.S. Women’s Open (USA Today)

• Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Cleared to Return to Play “Without Restrictions” Next Season (NBC Sports)

• MLB Scolds Clubs in Memo About ‘Unacceptable’ Facilities for Female Employees (ESPN)

🗓️ WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The Holiday Must-Watch List

It's the holiday weekend! Plenty of crowning achievements will come in the days ahead, from the Indy 500 to a Champions League finale and much more. Enjoy the long break and we'll return to your inbox on Tuesday.

106th Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Sun. 12:45 pm)

Champions League Final

Liverpool vs. Real Madrid (Sat. 3:00 pm)

French Open

3rd & 4th Rounds (All Weekend)

NASCAR

Coca-Cola 600 (Sun. 6:00 pm)

NBA Playoffs

Gm 6: Heat at Celtics (Fri. 8:30 pm)

Gm 6: Warriors at Mavericks (Sat. 9:00 pm)*

Gm 7: Celtics at Heat (Sun. 8:30 pm)*

*If Necessary

NHL Playoffs

Gm 6: Avalanche at Blues (Fri. 8:00 pm)

Gm 6: Flames at Oilers (Sat. 9:30 pm)

Gm 6: Hurricanes at Rangers (Sat. TBD)

Gm 7: Blues at Avalanche (Sun. TBD)*

*If Necessary

WNBA

Aces at Sky (Sat. 3:00 pm)

Mystics at Sun (Sat. 7:00 pm)

PGA Tour

Charles Schwab Challenge (All Weekend)

*All Times ET

Support The Sportsletter Team

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

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Lead Designer: Joe Stella

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