Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Bill gives updates on the most recent NHL and NBA playoff scores. He also talks with the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore about the potential disappointment or triumph of the Dallas Mavericks as they get set to begin their second round playoff matchup against the Denver Nuggets.

Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest human, will miss his first major meet of 2009, the Jamaica Invitational, after a car accident on Wednesday. Bolt and his passengers were not seriously hurt, but he won’t race until May 17th, at which point he’ll be more rested than he was when he talked with Only A Game’s Karen Given during the Puma Street Meet in Boston last Sunday.

Jennie Rees, who covers horse racing for the Louisville Courier-Journal joins Bill from Churchill Downs to give her expert pick for the 135th Kentucky Derby.

John Christgau’s book Kokomo Joe: The Story of the First Japanese American Jockey in the United States details the sad story of one man whose career was derailed by policies that unjustly imprisoned citizens and confiscated their property. Japanese-American jockey Yoshio Kobuki burst onto the US horse racing scene in 1941 winning nearly every race he competed in, only to be put into an internment camp for three years during World War II. Christgau joins Bill to talk about his book, Kokomo Joe.

Bill and Only A Game analyst Charlie Pierce discuss the dwindling number of teams left in the NBA playoffs, A-Rod’s hygiene habits, and a category of athlete that would-be muggers should avoid.

Bernie Williams was a career .297 hitter and five-time all-star for the New York Yankees. These days the retired baseball player is leaving his mark on something other than baseball: music. Bernie joined Bill in the studio last week where he talked baseball, music, and shared some of his melodies.