Stanley Cup Playoffs
NBA Playoffs
Major League Baseball
U.S. Open Championship
NASCAR
Belmont Stakes
Wimbledon
24 Hours of Le Mans
College World Series
PGA Tour
Professional Tennis
2014 FIFA World Cup
National Donut Day

June is here, and this means summertime, vacations and backyard barbecues! School’s out and it’s time to get into the pool, and to hang outside and listen to a baseball game on the radio. In addition to the boys of summer, Sports in the month of June include the Stanley Cup Championship, the NBA Finals, The US Open Golf Tournament, Wimbledon, and the College World Series. We got you covered with TV listings, Links from around the web, and FULL Schedules for each. If you are into racing, June has it all with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, The third leg of the Triple Crown at Belmont, and of course NASCAR. June is also home to Father’s Day, so plan your cookout today. Don’t forget to hang your American Flag on the 14th, and eat a donut on the 7th. If you are in the Milwaukee area, you have to try a pickle on a stick and cheese curds at Summerfest. If all that wasn’t enough for you the FIFA World Cup championship starts this month.

It’s also hard to imagine that the longest day of the year is right around the corner, so read on to see what’s happening in the world of sports this month.

Top of Page

—————————

Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Final is Set

 vs 

click to zoom

NBC is proud to present the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Games will be broadcast on NBC, and NBCSN, Additionally, every game can be viewed live on your desktop and mobile device via NBC Sports Live Extra and the NBC Sports Live Extra app.

NHL on NBC playoff channel finder  |  NHL on NBC homepage

Stanley Cup Final Schedule

STANLEY CUP FINAL

New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings

Here is the schedule for the Stanley Cup Finals (all times ET):

(* indicates if necessary)

Game 1 – Wednesday, June 4, 8 p.m. (NBC, Live Extra)

Game 2 – Saturday, June 7, 7:15 p.m. (NBC, Live Extra)

Game 3 – Monday, June 9, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, Live Extra)

Game 4 – Wednesday, June 11, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, Live Extra)

*Game 5 – Friday, June 13, 8 p.m. (NBC, Live Extra)

*Game 6 – Monday, June 16, 8 p.m. (NBC, Live Extra)

*Game 7 – Wednesday, June 18, 8 p.m. (NBC, Live Extra)

(*If necessary)

Top of Page

—————————

NBA Finals are Set

vs  

After the San Antonio Spurs’ thrilling 112-107 overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, the NBA Finals rematch is set. The Spurs will again tangle with LeBron James and the Miami Heat for the championship. We can only hope this year’s meeting is as exciting as last year’s. Miami captured back-to-back titles after falling behind three games to two in the series. A miracle comeback in Game 6 helped propel the Heat to a second title. This year, the slate is wiped clean, and the battle is on again.

here is how they got here:

click to zoom

Schedule – June ’14

Top of Page

—————————

Major League Baseball

As we head into summer and the calendar flips to June, we can start to think about some teams being eliminated from contention, and we have a much better idea of who is the cream of the crop. I can’t believe I am writing this, but the team from Oakland sits atop the FANFOOD TOP 10. Sonny Gray has been impressive, although his last start was not something to be proud of. Gray entered the evening a perfect 10-for-10 in quality starts, but he didn’t have his best stuff against a stellar offense last time around. The 24-year-old came into the game with a 1.99 ERA, which then spiked to 2.31. Everybody deserves a night off once in a while. Of course The A’s are much more than one young arm. As they say, you can’t predict baseball. After Detroit won six straight in Baltimore and Boston, the Tigers got swept by the struggling Indians and lost three of four at home to the depleted Rangers in a series that saw backup infielder Danny Worth pitch not once, but twice. The reason for the struggles comes down to the starting pitching, which posted an ERA over 8.00 in that 1-6 span, Despite this they are still the second best team in the bigs. San Francisco was the last team in the FANFOOD Top 10 in May, and since then the Giants just kept on rolling. They swept the Twins and outscored them 16-4 in three games this past weekend. At one point they went 15-7 in May and boast the best record in baseball, they round out the FANFOOD Top 10 heading into June.

Here are rest of the Top 10:

1. Athletics
2. Tigers
3. Giants
4. Angels
5. Cardinals
6. Braves
7. Brewers
8. Blue Jays
9. Rockies
10. Yankees

MLB on TV Schedule – May ’14:

Top of Page

MLB Full Schedule – June’14:

Top of Page

—————————

2014 U.S. Open Championship

The 2014 U.S. Open Golf Championship will be played from June 12 – 15 at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, NC for the third time in its storied history. Pinehurst will also host the 2014 Women’s US Open this year beginning on June 19th, marking the first time that both championships will be played in the same year on the same course.

Rising from humble beginnings, the first US Open was a nine-hole course, one-day tournament played on October 4, 1895 in Newport, Rhode Island. The winner? British player Horace Rawlins who received a whopping $150 in prize money and a gold medal.

Over the decades, the US Open has emerged to become one of the four majors offering prize money topping $1 million for the winner who also enjoys a much more secure spot in the profession including an automatic invitation to play in the Masters, the British Open and the PGA Championship.

While the US Open has been dominated by American players over the years, the tournament has seen a notable spate of non-American winners between 2004-2007 including South African Retief Goosen (2004), New Zealander Michael Campbell (2005), Australian Geoff Ogilvy (2006) and Argentine Ángel Cabrera (2007).

In 2010, Graeme McDowell became the first Irishman to win the event and the first European to take the title since British player Tony Jacklin won in 1970. Another Irishman — 22-year-old Rory McIlroy — walked away with the championship at 268 to break the U.S. Open record by four shots in 2011.

And, just to add to the drama — it was a relative unknown, American pro Webb Simpson who won one stroke to take his first major championship victory in 2012. In 2013, Justin Rose won his first major title, two strokes ahead of runners-up Jason Day and Phil Mickelson, to became the first player from England to win the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970.

The U.S. Open is staged at a variety of courses, set up in such a way that scoring is very difficult with a premium placed on accurate driving. U.S. Open play is characterized by tight scoring at or around par by the leaders, with the winner usually emerging at around even par. A U.S. Open course is seldom beaten severely, and there have been many over-par wins (in part because par is usually set at 70, except for the very longest courses). Normally, an Open course is quite long and will have a high cut of primary rough (termed “Open rough” by the American press and fans), undulating greens (such as at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2005, which was described by Johnny Miller of NBC as “like trying to hit a ball on top of a VW Beetle”), and pinched fairways (especially on what are expected to be less difficult holes). Some courses that are attempting to get into the rotation for the U.S. Open will undergo renovations to develop these features. Rees Jones is the most notable of the “Open Doctors” who take on these projects; his father Robert Trent Jones had filled that role earlier. As with any professional golf tournament, the available space surrounding the course (for spectators, among other considerations) and local infrastructure also factor into deciding which courses will host the event.

US Open TV schedule:

In the US, watch for four full days of TV coverage airing on ESPN and NBC Sports beginning on June 12 leading up to a Father’s Day final on Sunday, June 15, 2014.

US Open Links:

usopen.com

pinehurst.com

USGA Championship – U.S. Open – As the championship draws near, catch the latest news & feature stories, TV schedule, and background & history of the course.

BBC Sports – Golf – Featuring live U.S. Open updates, breaking news and analysis, leaderboard, feature stories, video and audio reports, picture galleries.

Golf.com – The digital version of the print magazine with major U.S. Open coverage & interviews, plus putt around the rest of the site for lots of special features including golf videos, online lessons, fun and games.

U.S. Golf Open Championship – Great background information from Wikipedia with a preview, past winners and related references and resources.

Top of Page

—————————

NASCAR

Schedule – June ’14:

——–

——–

——–

——–

——–

Top of Page

—————————

Belmont Stakes

This year, all eyes are on California Chrome, who is poised to become the first Triple Crown winner in 36 years after winning both the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes! The official Belmont post positions, odds, and selected jockeys will be announced live from Belmont Park on Wednesday, June 4, 2014 as race day draws near.

The milestone 146th running of the Belmont Stakes will be run on Saturday, June 7, 2014 with post time at 6:30 PM ET and complete TV coverage airing on NBC beginning at 5 PM ET.

Nasal strips

California Chrome and his team already passed their first test in their attempt to win the first Triple Crown since 1978 when it was announced the thoroughbred would be allowed to use a nasal strip in the June 7 race. But how exactly does an adhesive give an advantage to the horse? ESPN The Magazine’s Regina Nuzzo has the answer: It’s a way to avoid bleeding in the lungs, a common problem with racehorses.

“Known formally as Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage, or EIPH, lung bleeding is an often-invisible problem that plagues most racehorses,” Nuzzo wrote. “And it’s been shown to not only hurt race performance but also delay recovery and potentially cause lung damage.”

That’s where nasal strips come in: “The strips attach to a spot just above a horse’s nostrils, using tension in an embedded piece of springy plastic to keep the nose’s weak spot open. The extra airflow translates to big savings in the horse’s effort to suck in air; imagine drinking a milk shake with a fat straw compared with a thin one.”

If you’re wondering what other horses don’t wear one if that’s the case, Nuzzo asked Jim Chiapetta, the co-inventor of the strips, that very question. He said there are multiple studies proving the benefits, but not enough people have read them to use the strips.

The last and most demanding (1-1/2 mile) jewel in the Triple Crown, the Belmont race is also known as “The Test of the Champion” for the gruelling physical toll it takes on 3-year-old horses and the critical pacing and timing demanded of skilled jockeys.

Hey…this is the Big Apple – and In the final showdown, only the smartest and strongest survive.

The lineup of major contenders in this year’s Belmont stakes hang on the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and how well horses perform in those two races. This year, California Chrome is the star performer who also looks to win the Belmont to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed took the title in 1978. If he wins, California Chrome wil be the “lucky” 13th horse to win the Triple Crown.

His main competition? Besides familiar names like Ride on Curlin (in second place at the Preakness) and Commanding Curve (in second at the Kentucky Derby) other new contenders at Belmont include Tonalist and Commissioner, who were first and second at the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont, the traditional prep for the Belmont Stakes.

And, who can say if a dark horse will unseat this year’s champion? For years, major spoilers have occurrred at Belmont, where anything can happen and often does! Stay tuned….

Belmont Stakes Links:

Belmont Stakes – The official site offering up ticket information, video clips, history and trivia and the complete lineup for the big race in June, along with feature stories & highlights

NBC Sports – Horse Racing – The official home of the televised Triple Crown races featuring Belmont news and related articles, video clips, history and trivia, plus fun features on the Kentucky Derby and Preakness races.

Belmont Stakes – Wikipedia – Deep background, historical facts & photos along with a complete list of winners and jockeys dating back to 1867.

The Belmont Breeze – Party on – with a recipe for the official drink of the Belmont Stakes.

Top of Page

—————————

Wimbledon

The matches kick off on Monday, June 23 leading up to the women’s final on Saturday, July 5 and men’s final on Sunday, July 6, 2014. Wimbledon will be aired on ESPN and ESPN2.

2014 US Wimbledon TV schedule – all times ET:

Monday, JUNE 23
Round 1
ESPN 7AM – 5PM

Tuesday, JUNE 24
Round 1
ESPN – 7AM – 5PM

Wednesday, JUNE 25
Round 2
ESPN2 – 7AM – 5PM

Thursday, JUNE 26
Round 2
ESPN2 – 7AM – 3PM

Friday, JUNE 27
Round 3
ESPN – 7AM – 5PM

Saturday, June 28
Round 3
ESPN – 8AM – 4PM

Sunday, June 29
Wimbledon Highlights
ABC – 3PM – 6PM

Monday, June 30
Round of 16
ESPN2 – 7AM – 5PM
ESPN – 8AM – 3PM

Tuesday, July 1
Women’s Quarterfinals
ESPN2 – 7AM – 4PM
ESPN – 8AM – 1PM

Wednesday, July 2
Men’s Quarterfinals
ESPN2 – 7AM – 4PM
ESPN – 8AM – 3PM

Thursday, July 3
Women’s Semifinals
ESPN – 8AM – 1PM

Friday, July 4
Men’s Semifinals
ESPN – 8AM – 2PM

Saturday, July 5
Women’s’ Finals
ESPN – 9AM – 3PM

Sunday, July 6
Men’s Finals
ESPN – 9AM – 3PM

Wimbledon Links:

Wimbledon.com – Check out the official site with the latest headlines, video, feature stories, photos, plus ticket information & prices for ticket packages and accommodations, visitor and museum info, directions for getting there, along with Wimbledon history, records and stats.

BBC SPORT | Tennis – The Beeb Online as only they can do it, with reports from center court at Wimbledon, player profiles, video clips, photo galleries and the television schedule for BBC 1 and BBC 2.

ATPtennis.com - The official site for men’s professional tennis with video & audio reports from Wimbledon, scores, standings, feature stories & interactive head-to-head comparisons.

WTATour.com – The official site of women’s professional tennis featuring Wimbledon player profiles, rankings, feature stories, a photo gallery plus a FanZone with an online shop, free wallpaper and related downloads.

Guardian Unlimited Sport | Tennis – All the latest news and commentary from Wimbledon Stadium. Keep up to date with the most recent headlines on who’s in and who’s out.

Wimbledon – Wikipedia – The free online encyclopedia with historical color commentary and info on men’s and women’s singles and doubles champions from 1913 to the present.

Wimbledon party ideas and recipes:

How to Throw a Wimbledon Party – Check out the complete menu, along with ideas for invitations, planning and decorating

Wimbledon Cup Recipe – Get happy with the traditional Pimm’s, gin, cream and mandarin juice cocktail to celebrate the day. And for you Yanks, translate ‘double cream’ to heavy cream.

Poached Salmon with Cucumber-Dill Sauce – Another traditional recipe at Wimbledon, washed down by at least a bucket of strawberries and ice cream.

This Month in Sports recipes, This MONTH in SPORTS, TV Listings