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According to USA Today, Lindsay Czarniak will be the first on-air television host for the Indianapolis 500.  This is big news for the racing world but also for our culture in this country.  We are far from where we need to be in the battle for gender equality but it is great to see barriers and walls being busted down everyday.  Unfortunately Danica Patrick will not be running in this year's Indy 500, otherwise we could have seen the first woman winner of the 500 on the same day that the first woman hosted the event.  However, Danica's presence in NASCAR and the sport of racing continues to bolster popularity of the sports among the female demographic.

With the first pick in the NBA Draft the New Orleans Hornets select.....  Well I think we all know that Anthony Davis is going number 1 overall.  However, the rest of the first round is really up in the air.  The draft is pretty deep this year and there are a lot guys with the same talent level.  This makes it difficult to predict how the first round will turn out after Davis is drafted by the Hornets.  Another factor that makes this draft hard to predict is the vast trade possibilities.

Heat vs. Thunder......  LeBron vs. Durant......  Wade vs. Harden......  Folks we got ourselves one heck of a talent filled Finals this year.  Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals kicks off tonight in Oklahoma City at 9:00 P.M. (ET) on ESPN ABC.  Before I get into some numbers and what I think they mean, here is a quick look at the schedule for the NBA Finals.

Game 2 - June 14:  Heat @ Thunder - 9:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC
Game 3 - June 17:  Thunder @ Heat - 8:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC
Game 4 - June 19:  Thunder @ Heat - 9:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC
Game 5 - June 21:  Thunder @ Heat - 9:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC  *
Game 6 - June 24:  Heat @ Thunder - 8:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC  *
Game 7 - June 26:  Heat @ Thunder - 9:00 P.M. (ET),  ABC  *

* if necessary

Bracket buster match-ups are already happening throughout college hoops as teams across the country prepare to make their run to the NCAA tournament.  This is the "make or break" point in the season and everyone knows it.  At the moment there are only a few teams in college basketball who have safely cemented their ticket to the "Big Dance".  These teams will be your major conference leaders and basically any team ranked in a top 25 poll.  Being in the top 25 doesn't always guarantee a spot in the tournament but this year it appears that all of the top 25 teams are tourney worthy.

NCAA Tournament Predictions:  If the tournament were to start today.  Excluding conference tournaments of course.

Last week the NFL ended the lockout by signing a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) with the NFLPA.  This week ESPN will introduce their new "Total Quarterback Rating" to the NFL world.  CAUTION:  This is a Public Service Announcement - If you are a ESPN follower be prepared to hear about this new stat ad nauseum.  Over the next couple months we will be assaulted with Sports Center interviews, OTL stories, and countless comments from people like resident attention monger Skip Bayless.  All PSA's aside, ESPN will debut their new stat with an hour long special on Friday, August 5 at 8 ET.

Check out the November 30th issue of ESPN magazine. Sports Traveler and our now famous Sports Traveler Gift Cards are featured!

Now you can get a Sports Traveler Gift Card, just like the one featured in this great issue of ESPN! Our gift cards make the perfect gift for every sports traveling fan. Gift cards can be customized for any dollar amount and are redeemable for any sports travel package, event ticket, or hotel room listed on the SportsTraveler.net website!