The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

The University of Chicago’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1892

Chicago Maroon

This week in sports: By the numbers

The two biggest sporting events of this weekend are products of two not-so-big sports—speaking in terms of popularity, that is. However, in terms of the cold, hard cash that will change hands over the next two days, this weekend is as big as it gets. Saturday’s boxing match between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, along with horseracing’s annual Kentucky Derby, are sure to be heavily publicized, heavily wagered on, and watched by millions. In fact, one particular boxing bet that made headlines was the wager between actor Mark Wahlberg and rapper Diddy; Diddy will send $250,000 to Wahlberg if Pacquiao is victorious and vice versa. But it’s not just A-list celebrities who are exchanging money; Las Vegas is expected to see near record amounts of action in its sports books this weekend. With the NFL draft and the NBA and NHL playoffs also underway, May 2 will be one of the biggest overall sports days and payout days in recent history.

47–0 Record of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. entering Saturday’s bout, an undefeated mark that includes 26 knockouts

38 The number of career knockouts for Manny Pacquiao, whose 57–5–2 record sets up one of the greatest matchups in boxing history

74 Combined age of both boxers (Mayweather, 38 and Pacquiao, 36), a more “elderly” version of a fight that was originally carded for March 13, 2010

$99.99 Price of pay-per-view through Comcast for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, a record price for a single event

$1,520 Price of a basic MGM Grand Las Vegas hotel room per night over the weekend. The fight will take place in the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

$83,333 Mayweather’s earnings per SECOND, if the fight goes a full 12 rounds

$1 million The estimated value of the custom-made belt that the winning boxer will take home

47 Years since horseracing has seen a winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a feat where the same horse wins the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes

141 Years since the first running of the Derby in 1875 when Aristides won with a time of 2:37.7

1:59.4 The fastest ever time for a horse at the Kentucky Derby, accomplished by winner Secretariat in 1973

5:2Current odds of the favorite, American Pharaoh, to win the Derby

$1,028.74 Average ticket price on the secondary market for a ticket to the Derby, held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY

2,100 Number of roses planted around the winner’s circle for post-race celebration

142,000 Estimated number of hot dogs to be consumed by Kentucky Derby attendees this Saturday

19 Number of Kentucky Derby winning horses whose names began with “S,” the most for any letter

I’ll take the undefeated Mayweather in the fight, but with those statistics, my Derby money may just be on the 30:1 longshot Stanford.

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